Sadly Over-hyped

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Hercules, now married to Deianeira (Tawny Kitaen) and father to three kids, is asked for help by a young woman (Marley Shelton) whose village is endangered by a portal to the underworld that has opened up there. Despite Deianeira's misgivings about Hercules leaving with the pretty blonde, he goes anyway. I don't want to spoil what happens next but the title of the movie should be a dead giveaway.This is the fourth of the Kevin Sorbo Hercules TV movies. It takes place years after the last movie since Hercules and Deianeria are not only married here but have three children. Michael Hurst has two parts in this one but neither is Iolaus. He's sporting a black wig or dye job at the beginning in a brief scene and then later he's unrecognizable under makeup playing Charon. Old school wrestling fans might enjoy seeing Jorge Gonzalez (aka Giant Gonzalez/El Gigante) as a big brute Hercules is forced to fight twice. Cliff Curtis plays a centaur that tries to rape Deianeira. This was an early role for Marley Shelton. Anthony Quinn is good as always. An enjoyable TV movie, about on par with the other entries in the series. Less humor than usual, though.

In this fourth made for TV movie that preceded the series, Hercules (Kevin Serbo) now married with children to Deianeira (Tawny Kitaen), is summoned once again by towns-person this time to beat a boxer. A while later, he goes on a quest with Iole, a maiden who supposedly steals men away from their wives, to save her people by going to Hades.. A jealous Deianeira when she can't dissuade for from his sense of duty, gives him a "cloak of Faithfulness" instead. There's more to it than that but I'm not about to spoil it, just now that the best parts of this one are in the first 10 minutes and the last 30 or so. This is my second favorite of the five that were made before the actual show (which was better than them all) My Grade: B

Of the first four Hercules movies that preceded the television series, this is easily my favorite. Hercules must save a town from an opening to Hades. Along the way, he faces several temptations and a slew of monsters. But that's not his greatest challenge. Deianeira has been killed and Hercules must find her while he's in Hades and bring her back to the land of the living.These Hercules movies aren't about great acting or deep plot lines. Don't watch them expecting Academy Award winning material. These movies are about having fun. And Hercules in the Underworld delivers fun. From Hercules' battle with the giant Eryz the Boxer to his taking on zombies in the underworld, it's pure eye-candy filled entertainment. The special effects are quite good given the limited television budget. It's easy to see Sam Raimi's (Executive Producer) influence on the special effects. Many of creatures, etc. are used by Raimi in his Evil Dead movies.Kevin Sorbo is the perfect television Hercules. He plays the character with tongue firmly in cheek. He's big enough to be believable and he's athletic enough to pull it off. The supporting cast is, for the most part, adequate enough in their roles. The exception is the most experienced actor of the bunch - Anthony Quinn. He just seems so out of place that I'm glad wasn't used in the regular series.

This was an excellent tv-movie. All the fighting scenes were great and well done. The story has action, adventure, some suspense and a little humor. Like in the series, people call Hercules for help. In this adventure, he goes to help the people of a village that are being threatened from a split in the Earth that reveals the mouth of hell. In between saving people, Hercules faces seduction, betrayal, saving his wife and capturing Cerberus. Excellent tv-movie.