Rating: 
Summary: Thank the Gods!!
Review: Dude, I'm so glad Hercules is finally on DVD, it's been too long since it's been on TV. I think that overall I liked H:TLJ better than X:WP (Xena: Warrior Princess) because it's tone was more consistant, it was never a soap opera, it travelled to other lands while keeping Greece as the focus, and it didn't screw with its own universe by killing off all of the gods!! The five movies vary in quality (the Underworld one is the best), but they are really the testing grounds for what the series will be. The first season presents Ares very differently than how he will eventually be portrayed by the late Kevin Smith--both H:TLJ and X:WP were loose with their continuity and reinvented characters and storylines as they pleased. And there aren't as many cool demi-god maneuvers in the fight sequences because of the budget. Even so, there is a lot of warmth, humor, thrills, kewl special FX, and campy fun in the first season as Our Hero and his goofy but heroic best buddy Iolaus travel the roads and right wrongs. This DVD also introduces many of the most important recurring characters in the series: Zeus, Alcemene, Hera, Deineira, Ares, Salmoneous, Nemesis, and Xena. Buy this DVD, you'll have fun watching it.
Rating:
Summary: Better Than GREAT
Review: Hercules Season One, an 8-disc DVD Collection, collects all 5 TV pilot movies and the 13-episode first season (1994-1995) of the syndicated action series based on the popular Greek mythological figure.THE STORY The critically-acclaimed �Hercules the Legendary Journeys� aired in syndication for 6 seasons from 1994 till 1999. Based on the popular hero from Greek mythology, the story followed the adventures of Hercules and his friend Iolaus as they traveled the earth defending mortals against the tyrannical gods who plagued them, namely his step-mother Hera, Queen of the Gods and his half-brother Ares, the God of War. The series� brilliant combination of action and adventure, special effects and adaptation of Greek mythology was a critical as well as commercial success, drawing strong ratings and a cult-following. THE DVDS: Disc 1: Movie 1: �Hercules and the Amazon Women� � Hercules and Iolaus embark on one last great adventure before Iolaus� wedding. Answering the call to save a village from mysterious monsters they instead find a tribe of Hera-worshipping warrior women who have shunned men from their lives. Movie 2: �Hercules and the Lost Kingdom� � Hercules aids a young woman find the lost city of Troy which was banished by Hera. Disc 2: Movie 3: �Hercules and the Circle of Fire� � Hera has stolen fire from mankind and only Hercules, along with the lovely Deianera, can get it back. Movie 4: �Hercules in the Underworld� � Hercules is called to help save a village where the people are being sucked underground. In the midst of it all he saves his wife Deianera from the traitorous Centaur Nessus and winds up in the Underworld battling the guard of Hades -- the three-headed dog Cerberus. Disc 3: Movie 5: �Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur� � Settled down with his wife and kids, Hercules and Iolaus reminisce about their adventures together until they are summoned to a village to help slay a mysterious monster that not even Zeus himself can kill!! Disc 4: Episode 1: �The Wrong Path� � After Hera kills his family, Hercules sets out to avenge them. With Hercules on his personal quest, Iolaus answers to call to help a village being plagued by Hera�s She-Demon who can turn men into stone. Episode 2: �Eye of the Beholder� � Hercules helps a town overcome a Cyclops who�s diverting their river�s flow away to Hera�s vineyards. Intro: Salmoneus the Traveling Salesman Episode 3: �The Road to Calydon� � Hercules aids a cursed people move to the protected and enchanted city of Calydon. Disc 5: Episode 4: �The Festival of Dionysus� � Hercules helps to thwart a devious plot concocted by an ambitious prince and Ares the God of War to overthrow the peaceful King of Meliad. Episode 5: �Ares� � Hercules stops Ares and his servant from recruiting an army of teenage boys. Episode 6: �As Darkness Falls� � Hercules must battle Nemis the Centaur, brother of Nessus and servant of Hera, who has kidnapped the bride Penelope. He has one problem though, he is slowly going blind as part of Nemis� plot to kill him and only Salmoneus, the timid traveling salesman, can help him. Disc 6: Episode 7: �Pride Goes Before a Brawl� � Iolaus saves a maiden and battles a group of bandits in the forest. Little does he know that Hera has sentenced him to death and only Hercules can save him. Episode 8: �The March to Freedom� � Hercules helps free a group of Easterners from a vicious slave trader. Episode 9: �The Warrior Princess� � THE DEBUT OF XENA. To Iolaus she is the love of his life for whom he would kill and die for. To the rest of the world she is a merciless Warlord who is bent on world conquest. What happens when Hercules sets out to stop her once and for all? Disc 7: Episode 10 � �The Gladiator� � Hercules and Iolaus free the prisoners of Menas Maxius, ruler of Apropus, who forces them into mortal combat for his own sick pleasure. Episode 11 � �The Vanishing Dead� � Hercules and Iolaus try to stop a senseless civil war between the people of Tantalus concocted as a devious scheme by Ares who wants more dead bodies to feed his dog Graegus. Episode 12 � �The Gauntlet� � Xena is usurped by her ruthless lieutenant Darphus. Hercules and Xena join forces to defeat Darphus� army and stop their reign of terror once and for all. Episode 13 � �Unchained Heart� � Ares resurrects Darphus and sends him on a mission to destroy the world and provide enough dead bodies to satiate Graegus� hunger. It will take the combined might of Hercules, Iolaus, Xena and Salmoneus to stop him. THE DVD EXTRAS Anchor Bay�s put out another solid Season DVD set with an awesome extras package. Among the goodies this DVD set comes with are: SELECTED EPISODE COMMENTARY Select episodes feature audio or video commentary by series� stars Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst. Audio commentary is featured on episodes 2, 5, 7, 9 and 10. Video commentary is featured on episodes 5, 7, 10. COLLECTIBLES AND CONTESTS Each season DVD set includes a collector�s edition Hercules coin. You can mail away for a coin holder to house your coins. Also included are entry forms for the Hercules sweepstakes contest for a trip to the Athens Games of 2004. DISC 8: EXTRAS Included on Disc 8 are: 1. Hercules screensaver 2. The Chronicles: A comprehensive guide to the Hercules universe including Episode Guides (Scrolls) and character guides for important characters including Mortals, Gods and Creatures. 3. Trivia Game: Test your Hercules knowledge (or pick up some). 4. Director and Actor Bios: Filmographies for ALL actors and directors who appeared in/worked on Season One. THE VERDICT Lovers of action-adventure and mythology are bound to fall in love with this series. The �Ancient Greece� settings and the FX that make up all its evil monsters are awe-inspiring. In all, you won�t be disappointed as you follow along with Hercules and his Legendary Journeys!! Highest Recommendation
Rating:
Summary: A very well made series
Review: Hercules the Legendary Journeys is a very well made tv series that is something to enjoy because it is one tv show that has little or no swearing, no nudity, very clean and is still very entertaining. Thank you Kevin Sorbo and Universal studios.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Show
Review: Hercules the Legendary Journeys was one of the most popular syndicated shows ever. It was originally part of the action pack with other shows such as Kung Fu, Tekwar, Babylon 5, and Highlander. Hercules was the crown jewel of the action pack and is finally out on DVD. Hercules is executive produced and founded by Sam Raimi(Evil Dead Series and Spiderman). The lead character is played by Kevin Sorbo and he established himself as the best Hercules ever. He was outstanding and could act unlike some of the previous people to play the strongest man alive. Hercules The Legendary Journeys contains the five original made for TV movies and all 13 episodes that were put out in season 1. The movies are about an hour and 45 minutes long and are great. I've enjoyed reliving the experience of watching them, and enjoy them all a lot except for the Maze of the Minotaur which lacks the originality of the first four. The 13 episodes tell the tales of Hercules, as he goes off and helps people that are in need. It's a great show with a great cast. Tawny Kitaen plays Hercules wife in the movies. She it totally hot and it's a shame she's gone of the deep end. Anthony Quinn plays the king of the gods Zues. Michael Hurst plays Hercules best friend Iolas and there is also Lucy Lawless and Xena in a couple of episodes. There are a couple of other actors that are in the show that look familiar and can be seen in a lot of Sam Raimi's stuff. This is a great show. It's awesome being able to just pop a DVD in and watch a great episode from a great tv show. Any fan of mythology has to get this. Any fan of the tv show should get it. You won't regret buying it. Don't miss out on it.
Rating:
Summary: The way "Xena" Season One, should have been
Review: I am a MUCH bigger fan of "Xena Warrior Princess" than I ever was of "Hercules". However, I have always had a soft spot for the big guy, and I so I decided to go ahead and buy the season one dvd set, mainly because of the numurous guest spots by Lucy Lawless. Compared to the rushed job that Anchor Bay and Davis/Panzer did with the S1 set of Xena, it seems that they were more concerned with the Herc set here. Xena didn't really have much to offer for extras (unless you purchased at Best Buy, and even then that wasn't much) here, they give you not only audio commentary, but a seperate "video" commentary, where you you get watch Kevin or Michael watching the eps. The quality is great (Xena's quality should reach this leval somewhere along S2, since thats when they went to 35 mm). Hopefully, we will get something cool like this with future Xena and Herc releases
Rating:
Summary: Hours of entertainment at a good price.
Review: I pre-ordered this set as soon as I found out about it and I'm glad I did. I watched Hercules (and Xena) for years while it was on TV and miss it, so I get my fix when I need it now. Hercules and Iolas have a positive buoyancy and a "nothing is sacred" humor that is sadly lacking in a lot of hero action series so it's also refreshing to watch. This set has all the Action Pack movies as well as Season 1 (which includes the Xena trilogy), pamphlets, etc and supposedly a commemortive coin (though I found none in my package and there was no customer service number to call inside either, that was one downer). But the quality is good, the beginnings are the original beginnings, which is fun, and you get to see Zeus when he was played by Anthony Quinn, Lucy Lawless when she was playing bit parts, and Ares before Kevin Smith personified the role so well. In fact, though a Xena fan (and I know I will be making some Xena fans angry when I say this) I must say that the Hercules set is much BETTER than the Xena first season set because it actually has commentary by Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst, while the Xena set is sadly lacking in that. The commentary is lots of fun, especially if you're already familiar with the stories. Something to watch out for, that I never realized with the TV shows, is the "No (blank) was harmed during the filming of this episode" in the credits. They usually have some bit in there about "Centaurs" or "satyrs" or "giants" or something funny. Fun to watch for anyway. And Amazon offers a much better price than the fan sites do with the added bonus of free shipping for orders over $... That makes the perDVD price worth it. Yes, I really think it's worth your investment of time and money and I think you should get it. It's too much fun to pass up.
Rating:
Summary: Hours of entertainment at a good price.
Review: I pre-ordered this set as soon as I found out about it and I'm glad I did. I watched Hercules (and Xena) for years while it was on TV and miss it, so I get my fix when I need it now. Hercules and Iolas have a positive buoyancy and a "nothing is sacred" humor that is sadly lacking in a lot of hero action series so it's also refreshing to watch. This set has all the Action Pack movies as well as Season 1 (which includes the Xena trilogy), pamphlets, etc and supposedly a commemortive coin (though I found none in my package and there was no customer service number to call inside either, that was one downer). But the quality is good, the beginnings are the original beginnings, which is fun, and you get to see Zeus when he was played by Anthony Quinn, Lucy Lawless when she was playing bit parts, and Ares before Kevin Smith personified the role so well. In fact, though a Xena fan (and I know I will be making some Xena fans angry when I say this) I must say that the Hercules set is much BETTER than the Xena first season set because it actually has commentary by Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst, while the Xena set is sadly lacking in that. The commentary is lots of fun, especially if you're already familiar with the stories. Something to watch out for, that I never realized with the TV shows, is the "No (blank) was harmed during the filming of this episode" in the credits. They usually have some bit in there about "Centaurs" or "satyrs" or "giants" or something funny. Fun to watch for anyway. And Amazon offers a much better price than the fan sites do with the added bonus of free shipping for orders over $... That makes the perDVD price worth it. Yes, I really think it's worth your investment of time and money and I think you should get it. It's too much fun to pass up.
Rating:
Summary: HERCULES LEGENDARY JOURNEYS SEASON 1
Review: I PREORDERED HERCULES SEASON ONE AS SOON AS I KNEW IT WAS COMMING OUT ON DVD AND I'M GLAD I DID. THE BOX SET IS BRILLIANT AND SO ARE THE EXTRAS. THE COMMENTARY GIVEN BY KEVIN AND MICHAEL ARE BOTH ENTERTAINING AND FUNNY, ESPECIALLY THE COMMENTARY GIVEN BY THEM PHYSICALLY DURING CERTAIN EPISODES. THE PICTURE IS SHARP AND CLEAR. I CAN'T WAIT FOR SEASON 2 TO COME OUT. THIS IS A GREAT DVD AND A MUST FOR ALL HERCULES FANS. THE BOX SET IS DEFINATELY WORTH THE MONEY AND OFFERS GREAT HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT. I FOR ONE WILL DEFINATELY BE BUYING THEM AS THEY ARE REALEASED.
Rating:
Summary: Better Than GREAT
Review: I've been looking forward to getting the first season of H:TLJ on DVD for the LONGEST time and was not as all disappointed when it finally showed. This set is even better than anticipated. The background and commentary from the stars of the show, Sorbo and Hurst, is wonderful. You can actually see them watching the episodes along with you or, if you prefer, listen to their comments as you watch. I only wish we could have heard from both actors on more than a few episodes. Also would have loved to heard from Rob Tapert on a few of those first season episodes as well. The installment with Kevin Sorbo and one of the directors (of his first HTLJ movie?) is fun and quite telling. They obviously respect each other a great deal. Even the small gaff's in both Sorbo and Hursts memories are endeariong. We tend to forget how long ago these shows were taped and they've been inviolved in so many! In the furture I would like to see outtakes, comments from other actors such as Bruce Campbell (Autolycus) and Bob Trebor (Salmoneus) and also a segment with Sorbo and Hurst together, in the same room, taking a trip down memory lane, especially about their good friend, Kevin Smith (Ares) who is sadly no longer with us. However, we have five in a half more seasons to go for all that! The picture quality in these DVDs is superior, much better than any of the videos (tape) done years ago, and I eagerly await Season Two and the surprizes it has in store for the HTLJ fans!
Rating: 
Summary: Be Sure to buy the re-issued Hercules Season 1 boxed set!!!
Review: Okay, for those that might not be aware, Anchor Bay Entertainment recently re-issued the Hercules and Xena season 1 boxed sets with additional bonus material. In the case of Hercules, it's a 60 minute documentary on disc 3 called "The Men Behind the Myth," which is immediately followed by a 30 minute conversation between Kevin Sorbo and director Bill Norton. Believe me, these documentaries are worth it so be sure to buy the boxed set that has "Exclusive Bonus Material" written on the front cover above the Hercules logo. My original season 1 boxed set that I purchased a month ago didn't have these bonuses on disc 3 so I had to trade it in for the re-released set.
With that out of the way, this really is a great DVD set that no Hercules fan should miss out on. The grainy picture quality that plagued the Xena season 1 boxed set is not a problem here. The picture is sharp and the sound is crisp. The few audio and video commentaries by Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst are insightful, but I only wish they could have done more of them, especially for some of the movies. Disc 8 is full of supplemental material for your CD-ROM Drive that takes forever to load and navigate through for those of us not fortunate enough to own high-speed computers. Some of the goodies offered here would have been cool if they'd just allowed it to be accessible through your DVD player. I don't see the point of the different format for the final disc. Overall, however, I found this set to be very well done and a welcome additon to my DVD library. I can't wait for the season 2 boxed set!
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