User reviews

I came to this film NOT a big fan of the stooges. Having said that I laughed myself silly at it. Unlike a typical Stooges short, it has a plot, actual jokes, and some interesting casting. Though they are long in the tooth in this film, they perform admirably. Keeping their fine physical humor (which doesn't usually send me, but it is well used here) and adding some fun word play and situational humor.

The supporting cast is quite able and the production qualities are higher than I normally associate with the stooges work.

I ran across this while waiting at my doctor's office for some paperwork and stayed around to see how it all worked out. I laughed out loud in public several times. I will seek it out, as I own, nor have been interested in owning anything by the Stooges. This may be among their best work. This is one I'll buy.

Good stuff.

This is one of the best of all the later '60s feature films to star the enduring comedy trio. It succeeds admirably because Moe, Larry and Curly Joe are kept up front of the proceedings and it doesn't hurt at all (except perhaps for them when they get smacked around) that the comedy is consistent and faithful to what we expect from seeing all those old Stooge shorts. Despite their advancing ages, the "boys" hit all their marks perfectly and never do we get the impression that we're dealing with men well into their sixties. The Stooges are pharmacy workers who get a hold of a time traveling device (it doesn't matter how or why) and find themselves in ancient times where they face a lot more than just Hercules. For such a film, the production looked more expensive than it probably was, and I had to smile at the winks to BEN-HUR. *** out of ****

All the Stooges films set in past historical eras intentionally spoof historical genres with anachronisms (ancient Egyptians comment on baseball, a Civil War general makes a reference to a radio show, Medieval knights worry whether Lady Godiva might offend the censors, etc.). But anachronisms are tossed about so gleefully here, you begin to realize that this is what the film is really all about - how movies set in the past pull the wool over the eyes of their innocently romantic audiences with a few spangles, a bit of flash, the inevitable tear-jerk scene, and a good dose of beefcake/cheesecake. In fact, the recipe for this film could make for pretty heavy satire if the Stooges weren't so clearly making a light-hearted (and light-headed) romp of it all.

Those who complain that the boys are looking pretty old in the film pretty much miss the point. An aging clown looks bad when he tries to play it young; but by working one's whiskers into the act, the clown regenerates himself as a new personality. These are not the old Stooges who bounced their way through the madcap shorts of the '30s; but they are a heck of a lot more fun than the Stooges of the '50s, trying to pretend that age had never happened. True, in their later features, they were very dependent on their scripts, which frequently let them down. But here the script is really not bad at all, and the Stooges are having a grand time, and we should, too. Just set your critical mind at rest and enjoy the show.

"The stooges meet hercules" is a great movie. Its great for all ages. Young and old. I wish the stooges made more movies. Its a real funny movie, the stooges go back in time and meet Hercules, who eles... alls going well till the stooges along with their friend end up in jail, on a slave ship. What seems like years, goes by and the stooges' friend gains more power than 50 men put together. (What a great work out!) In the end they go back to fright Hercules and win the girl. I know what I just said seems like a bad movie, but it really is a great movie. And real funny too.

1) Note the Title. (2) You know the cast. (3) Since Hercules is mentioned, we know the story occurs in ancient Greece. And since we are now in ancient times, the focus will be on galleys, slaves, kings, and wild beasts. There will even be a mythical creature, a two-headed, four-legged Cyclops!

For the first time since 1945 (Rockin' in the Rockies), The Three Stooges came back to features in 1959. About midway into their renaissance came this feature, which has both a plot and decent script. The sets are most acceptable, although some may complain that the budget was not high. The story involves three pharmacy workers who are accidentally transported back in time to the early period of ancient Greece, nearly three millennia ago. They will tangle with the evil usurper Odius and his henchman, Hercules (don't worry, the strongman will later see the right way). Of course there will be the slapstick and obligatory anachronisms, but pay no heed. We will see head-smacks and food in faces. The Greeks will speak and understand English (although Moe will utter something like "… I'll clobber anyone who says it's all Greek to me" when the Stooges encounter a Greek language sign.). As the guys are aging and somewhat subdued, one cannot expect them to sustain their old zaniness of the 1930s. Nevertheless, it is great to see the old comedy act extend into the 1960s, with two of the three original Stooges still around to pick up some royalty checks. Around 1965 there was a Tonight Show episode with Johnny Carson, who had the Three Stooges as guests. He asked about their LAST movie feature. Curly Joe quipped, "You mean our LATEST one." The audience, of course, was delighted. Joe DeRita as Curly Joe assumed the Curly/Shemp/Besser role. While Curly Joe looked like the old Curly, some folks complained that he was not as funny. The criticism is rather gratuitous, as no one else could have been Curly either. And Curly Joe certainly was an improvement over Joe Besser. In all, he fit in pretty well as the third Stooge.

It is a positive thing that the Stooges could finally make movies and receive the financially rewarding royalties, something denied them during their long tenure at Columbia (1934-1959). This movie is a must for Stooges' fans, and is an improvement over their post-Shemp short films of the latter half of the 1950s. People wanted to laugh at the Stooges during their revival, and they were indeed kept happy by some good gags (for one, see Hercules disrupt the king's speech by cracking nuts with his biceps). By the way, this movie made money. It deserved to do so.

I was a big fan of the three stooges back then and this was the first feature movie I saw, and it was at a drive in. I think I was in my pyjamas when I at the drive in. The most memorable part of the movie was when the three stooge were in a jail cell and cut through a bar to escape. The bar was attached to a small table on the above floor where Hercules was eating grapes or something. In their attempt to escape the jail cell the three stooges push the bar up and hence push the plate of grapes into Hercules face which infuriates him. There begins a game push and tug with the table and the jail bar. I don't know why I remember this through all these years but I do. I was young at the time and impressionable. Now all these people I watched are now dead.

Whom it may concern in my youth time didn't have a single day without watch a Stooges shorts on those lazy afternoons with a crowded room at my grandfather's house, the feature film of my early heroes I had just saw in 1977 when Curly and Shemp already were gone, this new format somehow displeased in some way due it was to long instead the shorts that were a best conceived patten for a quickly story focusing in a specific point shortly, it may explains the lesser appreciated feature-length film aside the absence of the originals Stooges as Curly and Shemp.

On those feature films the producers put the Stooges in dire straits as traveling to Venus, Struggling with Martians aliens, facing a quick gunslinger, a long voyage around the world and now a dangerous Time Machine backing in time at Greek around 800 B. C. meeting Hercules, Ulysses and the ancestor of his Boss Ralph Dimsal (George N. Neise) in Ithaca, New York state nowadays, ours friends working in a pharmacy next door at small workshop where a young scientist Schuyler Davis (Quinn K. Redener) has been developed a time machine, at first moment it wasn't finished yet.

However with a little help of the "Brainy" Stooges the time machine works out sending all then to old Greek where they landing in exactly moment of a battle of Ithaca's King Ulysses against the invader King Odius (George N. Neise on dual role) and Hercules (Samson Burke) fighting for King Odius's army, the sudden appears of the travelers, somehow aids King Odius win the battle, anyway they ends up help the opposite good King Ulysses that was imprisoned on the dungeon, perceiving the awful mistake the Stooges set free Ulysses, under such betrayal King Odius sent the Stooges and the faltering Schuyler to serve the galleys as slaves, they must overcame this dreadful destiny to returns and try save the Diane (Vicki Trickett) from the hands of King Odius that intents wedding her under duress.

Silly comedy with a cluttered screenplay, doesn't get fire properly, the same weary jokes on physical Stooges's way, nothing fresh on already aged heroes, therefore has some laughs when Larry says on the arrival at Ithaca battle, "Explain to them that we're Americans" which Moe replayed "Idiot in this time America didn't exist yet" then Larry replicates "I'm not born yet neither" what a smart line!!

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1995 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD-R / Rating: 6.25.

Hercules, my introduction to the "golden" Derita years. Golden perhaps, given Moe and Larry's age during this time and the fact that after 24 years toiling in Harry Cohn's salt mines, they were finally getting PAID, real money, not the peanuts tossed down to them before. As for the film, nothing golden about it(would you settle for the bronze, Moe and Larry certainly did with Curly-Joe). Maybe that's a bit strong. I hardly think this film is the worst, it's a decent outing. But much like the Besser years, decent is the best you can hope for.

There's something else about these films too, I think it's the stooges themselves and how their on screen personas seem to match their actual age. Even in the worst Besser films, the stooges still seem to be beyond the constraints of old age, still runnin' wild, vandalizing, and smooching with chicks half their age. But all that seems left behind at the closed down shorts department & the boys seem content with being portrayed as the kindly old grandfather figures always in the position to guide some strapping young lad which leads to another drawback of these 60's features, the prerequisite "love story". Just more useless filler to pad the length on these features, I suppose.

If only Cohn had let the boys have features during their prime, and they could've really brought all of their antics to the screen & not have to worry about angry parent groups or toning it down for the sake of the children.

5/10

This occasionally amusing time-traveling romp offers a revisionist take on the myth of Hercules. The humor ranges from the cartoonish (there are actual bird sounds after people get knocked on the head) to the sophisticated (the deliberate anachronisms, particularly when the fake "Hercules" becomes a sports star of his era). Ironically, this comedy feautures what must be one of the mightiest-looking Hercules in screen history. **1/2 out of 4.

When the Three Stooges are accidentally sent to ancient Greece in a time machine they accidentally change history. Changing it back includes encounters with Cyclops, Hercules (the real one and a ring in) and, of course, custard pies.

Of any comedy troupe that has ever made films, I'm maybe least familiar with the works of The Three Stooges. Even as they brand of humor bears much in common with predecessors and contemporaries, they always seemed a bit more low-brow, with more of a mean streak coursing through. Still, all the hallmarks are here: situational comedy, plenty of gags, witty dialogue, and particularly in the case of the Stooges, slapstick galore. Throw in some abject silliness, a tinge of whimsy, and the stars at the latter end of their career, and you have 1962's 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules.' It's too far to say this rises to the same level as other comedic icons like Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, or Harold Lloyd, but with swell flavors of sci-fi and adventure added into the mix, this is reliably fun throughout its length, and worth checking out if you have the chance.

As one well expects from most any fare, and period pieces above all, the sets and costume design are gorgeous, not to mention the hair and makeup. Even being a tad older at this point, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita bear terrific energy in this iteration of the Stooges, complemented with like vitality from co-stars including Samson Burke and Quinn Redeker. As has been true elsewhere, when editing is employed to speed up footage the result is a tad gauche, and some moments generally are perhaps allowed to linger too long - but by and large the stunts and effects are splendid, including even those added in post-production, and there's no shortage of cleverness amidst all the hijinks. From Edward Bernds' firm direction to Scotty Welbourne's able cinematography, this is well made in every regard (even if I don't always agree with a particular choice).

Producer Norman Maurer wrote a fantastic, ridiculous, somewhat ingenious story playing fast and loose with classical Greek history, culture, and mythology, and the notion is filled with potential that arguably isn't even fully met here. Elwood Ullman's subsequent screenplay is a joy, too, with abundant anachronisms in the dialogue and scene writing, and every last iota is built purely to entertain with zest and cheekiness to go around. I do think the writing is the chief issue troubling the feature: it's not that anything here is bad, but there comes a point where the conglomeration just starts to wear thin. It bears repeating that some scenes and sequences are allowed to linger too long, wearing out their welcome, and select other instances are just sheer raucousness for its own sake, which never comes off well. These are echoed in the overall tenor of the picture, for after a time I was sad to realize that there was a lot of movie that kept going, and the enjoyment had just rather stagnated. If the writing had been tightened, and as much as ten to fifteen minutes left on the cutting room floor, I think 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' would have been stronger as a whole.

I enjoy this, certainly, and I'm glad I watched. I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I appreciate so much about these ninety minutes, and everyone who worked on it did a fine job. Still, sometimes less is more, and if the vibrancy the title boasts at its best had been concentrated into a slightly smaller length where excess had been trimmed away, the end result would surely have come off even better. It's worth watching if you have the opportunity, and it's definitely suggested most for those who are otherwise fans of the trio. Otherwise 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' isn't something that demands viewership, but it's a nice diversion all the same.

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) was another theatrical film that the aging "Three Stooges" did for their new generation of fans. Having to tone down the physicality of their slapstick humor, the Stooges had to use a lot more verbal exchanges than they have did in the past. The three lovable geezers work in a pharmacy. Theie boss is a swell guy but he's also a spineless creep. A freak accident causes all of them to travel back to Ancient Greece and create all kinds of havoc. Several questions are raised (aren't there always). How did they wind up traveling backwards in time? Who will greet them in Ancient Greece. Where do they wind up at? How can they communicate to the natives if they speak ancient Greek? To find out the answers to these earth shaking questions then you'll have to watch THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES!!!

Recommended for die-hard geriatric Three Stooges fans.

Most comedy is subjective. Whether one enjoys the comedy of the Stooges, like the Marx Brothers, WC Fields, Martin & Lewis, A&C, etc., is up to the individual. BTW, the Ritz Brothers were seldom funny, and the Dead End Kids really wore thin.

This individual loves them. I did when I was a kid - and still do now that I'm pushing 50. I'm primarily referring to their 20-minute shorts (1932-1959).

Personally, I feel that this is far and away their best feature. Most of their features are rather long in the tooth and geared towards kids.

This one makes me laugh. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

The Three Stooges Meet Hercules

When time traveling back to ancient Greece, remember to bring back plenty of autographs.

The morons in this comedy, however, rewrote history instead.

Moe (Moe Howard) Larry (Larry Fine) and Curly Joe (Joe DeRita) become chummy with their neighbour, Schuyler (Quinn Redeker), who just built a time machine.

Schuyler, the Stooges and Schuyler's girlfriend Diane (Vicki Trickett) take the machine back to ancient Ithaca.

Accidentally altering history along the way, Schuyler and the Stooges are exiled to the galleys by the new King Odius (George N. Neise), who wishes to take Diane for his wife.

But the boys and their benefactor plot to depose of the wrongful ruler with help from Hercules (Samson Burke).

The Stooges' third feature film, this Herculean outing may lack the original lineup but it's not short on their asinine antics.

Furthermore, if the Three Stooges rewrote history, universal heath care would have to be mandatory.

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Through the miracle of time travel where the 3 Stooges start monkeying around with their friend Quinn Redeker's, the boys, Redeker, and girl friend Vickie Triplett go back in time to ancient Greece and start doing some real monkeying with Greek mythology. Why then is this film entitled The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.

As it's come down in history Hercules and Ulysses were friends and allies, but not here where Hercules is part of a revolution against Ulysses in the city of Ithaca. Their mission as Stooges is to make sure history and mythology tell the right myths.

The feature film years with Curly Joe were much tamer than the frantic Stooges shorts of earlier times. But Curly Joe brings along an economy size bottle of tranquilizers that save the situation when they and Redeker are facing both man and beast.

Not the Stooges of old though their fans will be pleased.

This is My favorite Three Stooges feature film.The intro is very good and the Stooges are as funny as ever.The settings are very good and the music is very good.I think all Three Stooges fans with like this movie!

i'm 13 years old and i love the stooges. this movie is good. the three stooges get sent back in time where they meet hercules. it is very funny movie for kids or adults! i own the movie!!! Stooge Fan Jeremy

I bout this movie while on vacation in Florida. Very funny movie and a great addition the the HERCULES craze. They play on all the usual pranks and adventures that a REAL Hercules movie might include. I interviewed SAMSON BURKE and he spoke fondly of his time making this movie.

I've never been a fan of the Stooges, so I guess maybe it was inevitable that I didn't think much of this movie or the Stooges' kind of humor. Still, I'll admit it was fairly tolerable to watch, and there were indeed a few moments I found amusing.