Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be

The movie HERCULES is set to release this Friday, July 25th, and it will most likely be a tremendous blockbuster hit.  I really hope it is, as it's star, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, deserves much success.  Other than reading the odd article on Johnson's incredible workout regiment and dedicated diet in preparation for the film, I knew very little about the film.  Moments ago, before settling down to type out this blog, I finished watching a two-minute trailer that a friend posted up on Facebook.  Sadly, the trailer leaves much to speculation, story-wise, but this may be a good thing as most modern day movie trailers are guilty of showing all the good parts in the trailer and leaving the rest of the movie as empty filler, like discarded packing peanuts.  What I did gain from the HERCULES movie trailer, however, is that there's going to be much comic-relief -- which will most likely become tedious and annoying -- and many gratuitous fight sequences.

Another point stressed in the film's trailer was a strong emphasis on the superhuman strength possessed by the man known as Hercules.  An attribute as his mother is a common human, but his father is the great and powerful Zeus.  The fabled stories would have you believe that Hercules would possess the strength of ten men, a trait I believe will be multiplied ten-fold by Hollywood, and judging from Dwayne Johnson' incredible physique, may not be too far off the mark...

This claim of incredible prowess got me to thinking.  Percy Jackson's father is the Greek God, Poseidon.  It's a given that Poseidon may not be as powerful as Zeus, but the two were brothers, so that ought to mean something.  Therefore, shouldn't Percy Jackson possess the same physical strength as his cousin, Hercules?  Or at the very least, a fraction of his perceived strength?  I would imagine having the strength of even just five men would come in handy for some of his adventures, but instead, he's left with being clever and his two close friends.

Speaking of the offspring of the gods.  Shouldn't the biggest name on the list, J.C., himself have possessed some kind of superior ability?  Exceptional strength or an increased ability of any sort?  From what I've gathered throughout time is that Jesus Christ had the gift of gab.  An elevated ability to charm the weak-minded folks around him into believing the hogwash he was spouting.  A kind of super-power, I suppose, but one that differs from the old Snake Oil salesman from the early 20th century.  However, like those spinning wondrous tales of make-believe, the consequences of his yarns eventually caught up to him and he was hung out on the cross.  I bet he would've liked to have had the strength of ten men on that day.

I guess when it's all said and done; Being the son of a God, ain't all what it's cracked up to be.