Mystery Science Theater 3000 (TV Series) Hercules Unchained (1992) User Reviews

Hercules, those are our guys, you idiot!

[ericstevenson · 9/10 · 15 June 2016]

While not one of the series' best episodes, this is still tons of fun. It feels weird watching something so old reference Prince when he recently died. Well, we can't be topical forever. The best part out of the theater was probably at the end when everyone talked about the film's deeper political meaning. Actually, I think they made an error as they say Cleopatra inspired this film when that was in 1963, four years after this was made. Maybe I just heard it in the wrong context. Hey, we even get one of my favorite lines from none other than TV's Frank at the end as he says, "Are you related to Keanu Reeves?". I don't know, just the way that's the last joke in the episode really makes it enjoyable. We rarely see Crow's legs and boy are they long and skinny! Mike Nelson had such a big part in the series before he was even a character!

I wasn't aware "jazz hands" were even around at this time. I am old. One of the best lines is, "I forgot how my muscles work!". The bit that made me laugh the most was when he said, "He's throwing a giant chocolate bunny!". Maybe I'm just easily entertained, but I loved that line. Look, I can't remember which of the characters said every line okay? I also like, "If you can (bend this), you're Uri Geller!". Worth it to always mock him. The jokes regarding the horse's identity at the beginning were great too. ***1/2

Unchained Fun

[hellraiser7 · 8/10 · 23 August 2023]

Warning don't read unless seen episode.

This is another good one it's the very first in the "Hercules" arc for the show. Ok, it' s clearly not the first movie but the show started off with the second so oh well. The only weak points of this episode are the middle is a little on the slow side, much like the movie where the film plays the damn amnesia card and Hercules is being seduced by this evil queen which by it's nature is really just filler crap as practically nothing happens, I get Herc needed to be slowed down but give him some meaningful tasks like fighting a monster or something.

But mainly in that part of the episode there aren't many riffs that stick for me. It's not until the third and final act where the film along with the riffs really pick up, so this I can let slide.

But the only one I can't let slide is there aren't that many memorable skits in the episode, not to say the skits are bad, some are decent or good which makes them funny but nothing that really sticks for me anyway. Except seeing Mike Nelson as a Steve Reeves impersonator, it was just dryly funny seeing how he plays Steve as a laid-back guy, just like his expressions as he witnesses both Dr. Forester and TV's Frank's antics, almost like he's rolling his eyes a bit. But also like in the final minutes seeing TV's Frank interacting with him and asking him if he's related to Keanu Reeves.

Other than that, everything else was fine, I had fun with the episode, there are plenty of memorable riffs from the first and third action. The best is in the action sequences, it's funny whenever the crew does a little booing when certain actions are taken for no reason maybe they thought there would be something more spectacular.

Really liked it when Crow was giving famous names to the multiple horses that fell in a battle sequence, which was funny and sad at the same time. But my favorite riffs were when they were comparing this film to two works "I Claudius" and "The Empire Strikes Back" and say this film isn't good, I highly agree with you guys both those works the film isn't.

This episode is unchained fun.

Rating: 3 stars.