27 subconscious references and clever jokes in 'Hercules' you probably missed as a kid

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In that location are several well-thought-out puns throughout "Hercules."
Disney
  • Disney'south "Hercules" (1997) is a beloved animated retelling of the classic Greek myth, but fifty-fifty die-difficult fans may not accept caught all these hidden gems.
  • The moving-picture show is full of references to Greek mythology, including the tale of the Titans and the divine guests at Zeus and Hera'south party.
  • There are also jokes related to more than recent cultural phenomena, like "Buns of Bronze" and the Marilyn Monroe constellation.
  • Visit Insider'south homepage for more stories.

"Hercules" (1997) put a Disney spin on archetype Greek mythology. Despite the animated film's One thousand rating, at that place are plenty of jokes and references in the movie that are more likely to be appreciated by adults.

Disney recently announced a alive-action remake of the classic film, so some fans have reignited a beloved for the original animated version, only fifty-fifty they might not know about all these hidden gems.

Read on for some of the all-time details, jokes, and references that you lot probably never caught in "Hercules."

One of the Muses is attracted to Hercules.

Thalia, the muse of one-act, makes a few references well-nigh her vanquish.
Disney

The Muses are the musical goddesses who narrate the movie.

All of them are fans of Hercules, and throughout the picture show they praise him for his heroic feats. However, 1 of the Muses in particular — Thalia, the muse of one-act — focuses on Hercules' bewitchery and calls him "Hunk-ules."

She likewise says that she'd "similar to brand some sweet music with him" while lying next to his image before some other Muse interrupts her.

Though this motion-picture show only shows Megara as Hercules' dearest interest, in Greek mythology, the demigod had several wives throughout the form of his life. So, this blatant showing of other women's attraction to him could be a subtle acknowledgment of that.

The Muses explain some pretty authentic Titan mythology.

The musical introduction to the story follows Greek myth.
Disney

The story of the Titans that the Muses sing about at the beginning of the pic is generally authentic to Greek mythology.

They explain that the Titans wreaked havoc until Zeus overthrew them, which follows the Greek myth where Zeus imprisons the Titans and ends their rule over Globe. Nevertheless, "Hercules" only shows four Titans, and at that place are actually 12 in the classic myth.

At that place's an alcohol reference that kids probable don't understand.

The Muses reference vermouth in "The Gospel Truth."
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The Muses describe life on Mountain Olympus as "neat and smooth as sweetness vermouth."

Vermouth is a vino that is used in a diversity of mixed drinks. Although the booze can exist "groovy and polish," so it makes sense in the Muses' metaphor, this reference would presumably go over the heads of the young audience that the movie is aimed at.

Several recognizable gods and goddesses are shown at Zeus and Hera'south party.

Aphrodite, Athena, and Poseidon are a few of the figures at the party.
Disney

At that place are many gods and goddesses in attendance at the party that  Zeus and Hera throw on Mount Olympus when Hercules is born.

Hermes delivers a gift to Zeus, a fitting act for the messenger of Mount Olympus, and he'south shown wearing his famous winged cap and sandals. In another brief scene, Narcissus, famous for his cocky-love, is seen looking at himself in a mirror.

There are also several not-speaking gods and goddesses scattered in the background with singled-out physical characteristics that make it articulate who they're supposed to represent.

A goddess with long, heart-shaped pilus and a heart clip on her toga appears to be Aphrodite, the goddess of love. A god with a massive helmet and sword is identified as Ares, the god of war.

One god with a fin on his head and a trident in his hand is recognizably Poseidon, the god of the sea. And another goddess in the background of the scene is shown belongings an owl, the symbol of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.

Zeus uses the major deject types when making Pegasus.

Zeus makes Pegasus out of cirrus, nimbostratus, and cumulus clouds.
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Zeus makes Hercules' winged-horse companion, Pegasus, out of clouds, and equally he does this, he mentions each cloud type he's using past name.

The god of the sky makes Pegasus out of three of the primary cloud types: cirrus (high-level ice clouds), nimbostratus (mid-level rain clouds), and cumulus (depression-level off-white-weather clouds).

Zeus and Hercules accept matching medallions.

The father and son duo sport medals with lightning bolts on them.
Disney

During Hercules' political party scene, viewers can see that Zeus and Hercules are both wearing medallions with the same symbol. Zeus has his pinned to the shoulder of his toga, and Hercules wears his every bit a necklace.

Both medallions show a cloud with a lightning commodities, and this symbol is subsequently described past Hercules' adoptive female parent equally "the symbol of the gods."

Hades travels beyond a river of dead souls.

His gunkhole isn't traversing through water.
Disney

Viewers first see the Underworld when Hades returns later on visiting Mount Olympus for the party. He travels beyond a river, only instead of h2o, in that location are floating ghost-similar people under his boat — which may have been a little jarring for whatever child who noticed.

This is reflected in Greek mythology, which depicts the Underworld as having five unlike rivers that Hades and other gods tin travel on past gunkhole.

Later on, when Hercules rescues Meg from the Underworld, information technology'south clear that the transparent people in the river represent the souls of people who accept died.

The movie makes some odd word choices, such as "lugubriousness" and "furshlugginer."

Young viewers probably didn't grab all the complex words in "Hercules."
Disney

This movie includes not only references but likewise words that children aren't likely to know. Two examples of this that specially stand out are "lugubriousness" and "furshlugginer."

Pain, one of Hades' henchmen, calls Hades "your most lugubriousness" the first time he is on screen. Lugubrious ways exaggeratedly mournful or brooding, which is certainly plumbing fixtures for Hades, but it'south odd that the give-and-take is included offhandedly as though children volition understand it.

Subsequently in the motion-picture show, Phil refers to Achilles' famed weakness as "that furshlugginer heel of his." Furshlugginer, which is a slang word with Yiddish origins that means foolish, is likewise somewhat out of place in a film geared toward kids.

The Fates kill a woman during their first scene.

The humorous exchange betwixt the Fates distracts from what they're really doing.
Disney

The Fates, magical women who tin can see into the past, nowadays, and future, only have one heart betwixt the 3 of them. They're typically remembered for the humorous scenes in which they take turns using this eye, merely if you pay attention, they have a pretty dark introduction.

When viewers are first introduced to the Fates, they are property and cutting a thread — a symbol traditionally included in the Fates mythology — that they say is connected to a mortal's life.

Immediately later they cutting this thread, a woman screams and appears in the Underworld, showing that they did indeed kill her.

There are only six planets shown during the prophecy scenes.

Ancient Greeks hadn't yet recognized Uranus and Neptune as planets.
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The Fates tell Hades that in 18 years, if he releases the Titans while the planets are aligned (and Hercules does not interfere), he will have the risk to usurp Zeus.

However, the paradigm that'south shown alongside this prophecy only depicts six planets. Later, when the prophecy comes true, six planets are over again shown instead of eight.

The decision to go out out a few of the planets from our modern knowledge of the solar system may have been done to accurately reflect Aboriginal Greece's understanding of the planets. At that time, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn had been identified, but Uranus and Neptune had not.

Hercules' human being parents are accurately named after their mythological counterparts.

Hercules gets adopted by human parents on Globe subsequently he's stolen from Mountain Olympus.
Disney

In the movie, Hercules' adopted mortal parents are his mother, Alcmene, and his father, Amphitryon. Alcmene and Amphitryon are accurate names from the Hercules myth, merely their roles are depicted a little differently in the Disney film.

In Greek mythology, Zeus cheats on his wife and has Hercules with the human Alcmene — which explains Hercules' demigod status.

This differs from the movie, which shows Hercules being born to Zeus and Hera before becoming a demigod when Hades arranges for him to beverage a poisonous potion.

Philoctetes' interaction with the wood nymphs shows archetype satyr behavior.

Philoctetes, or Phil, is a satyr, which is a woodland fertility spirit.
Disney

Hercules kickoff finds Philoctetes in a forest where he is watching a group of woods nymphs. Phil runs after the nymphs, trying to take hold of them, but they turn into flowers and copse before he can achieve them.

Phil, who appears to be one-half-caprine animal, half-man, tells Hercules that he is a satyr.

In Greek mythology, satyrs are fertility spirits known to engage in sensual acts with nymphs, making Phil'southward hunt scene accurate — merely possibly a bit inappropriate for a kid's movie.

Phil brags about training some major mythological figures.

Phil shows off a statue of Achilles.
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Phil's abode is total of objects related to some of the heroes he used to train.

Hercules hits his head on what Phil says is the mast of the Argo — a ship that belonged to Jason, the mortal hero of the Argonauts, in Greek mythology. This head bump is also ironic considering Jason died later on a rotting beam of the Argo barbarous on him.

Phil then mentions that he trained the Greek legends Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and he shows off a behemothic statue of Achilles, his virtually promising hero-in-grooming.

At that place's a visual pun to get along with the term "greenhorn."

Greenhorn describes someone who'due south inexperienced in something.
Disney

When Hercules outset starts grooming with Phil, he struggles to complete the practice drills the satyr arranges for him.

As part of his big vocal "One Last Hope," Phil complains nearly having to piece of work with a "foreigner," which roughly translates to mean an amateur.

As Phil sings the line, "I become the greenhorn," there'south a clever visual pun to become along with it. Green olives get stuck on his horns, making him wait as though he actually has green horns.

There's also a visual reference to "The Karate Kid" in the training montage.

The "Hercules" characters strike the same poses as Daniel LaRusso.
Disney

In the aforementioned training montage that takes identify during "One Last Hope," Phil, Hercules, and Pegasus stand on wooden posts and strike fighting poses in front of a setting sun, which resembles ane of Daniel LaRusso'south famed grooming sequences in "The Karate Kid" (1984).

The centaur Hercules fights plays into a traditional Greek myth.

The story of Hercules fighting the centaur wasn't original.
Disney

Hercules first meets One thousand thousand when he saves her from a centaur, and when 1000000 and Hades are talking later, they mention that the centaur'southward name is Nessus.

Nessus the centaur is a fauna from Greek mythology who Hercules fights to save one of his wives. Simply in contrast to the movie, it wasn't Megara, it was his second wife, Deianeira.

Thebes is compared to New York City multiple times.

Phil calls Thebes "the Big Olive."
Disney

Hercules and Phil journey to the city of Thebes, where Hercules can reach his heroic feats.

As they travel there, Phil calls the city "the Big Olive," a pun that seems to be a take on New York Metropolis'southward nickname, "the Big Apple tree."

In the same scene, Phil tells Hercules, "If you lot can make it there, you lot can arrive anywhere," a phrase from the pop Frank Sinatra vocal "New York, New York."

After on in the film, Million as well uses the phrase "in a Peloponnesian minute," which, with all the other references to New York, seems like a play on the phrase "New York minute."

There's a not-so-subtle Roman numeral joke.

Hurting and Panic make a joke involving Roman numerals.
Disney

While pretending to be trapped under a boulder, Hades henchmen Pain and Panic appear every bit young boys crying for assist, and one of them shouts, "Somebody call IX-I-I!"

That'due south the Roman-numeral equivalent of 9-1-ane, which seems like a clever manner to include a modern American cry for help in an era-advisable numerical style.

However, the pic takes place in ancient Greece, not ancient Rome, then Greek numerals would've been the norm in Thebes.

Mod references are fabricated while describing Hercules' new popularity.

The film mentions Hercules' "Buns of Bronze" workout scroll.
Disney

Throughout the film, in that location are a few allusions to modern culture.

While singing near Hercules' popularity, the Muses remark that he tin brand an arena "SRO," which is ordinarily used equally a concert term that stands for "standing room simply."

Phil also advertises Hercules-themed merchandise, including a "Buns of Bronze" conditioning scroll, which is probable a reference to the "Buns of Steel" workout videos that were pop in the 1990s when the picture show was made.

Another merch detail featured in the moving picture, "Air Hercs," seem to be a accept on Nike's famous Air Jordan sneakers. But the reference is even more meaningful when you recollect that Nike is the Greek goddess of victory.

Hercules passes a constellation that imitates a famous Marilyn Monroe scene.

Marilyn Monroe can be spotted in the constellations.
Disney

During "Zero to Hero," Hercules rides Pegasus through the sky and we see a constellation in the shape of a woman with short hair wearing a halter-neck dress.

When Hercule rides past this group of stars, the woman'south dress flies upwardly and she uses her hands to push it dorsum downwardly.

This, forth with her advent, makes it clear that the constellation is a recreation of Marilyn Monroe'due south most famous pic moment from "The Seven Year Itch" (1955).

There's also a reference to Grauman's Chinese Theatre in "Goose egg to Hero."

Hercules leaves his handprints similar celebrities do at LA's Chinese Theatre.
Disney

Subsequently the Marilyn Monroe reference, Hercules and Pegasus are shown leaving their handprints (or hoof prints) in wet cement, much like celebrities practice in front end of LA'south famed TCL Chinese Theatre (too known as Grauman'south Chinese Theatre).

If y'all wait closely, Hercules' signature is addressed "To Sid," which is likely a reference to the original owner of the Chinese Theatre, Sid Grauman.

Scar from "The Lion King" makes an unfortunate appearance.

The classic Disney villain got what was coming for him in "Hercules."
Disney

3 years before Hercules striking United states of america theaters, "The Panthera leo Male monarch" (1994)introduced the Disney fandom to one of the studio's most despicable villains, Scar.

Nevertheless, the brother-murdering panthera leo seems to have gotten what was coming for him seeing as he makes a cursory appearance in the 1997 film as a dead panthera leo'due south mane that the Hercules wears while he'southward getting his portrait painted.

Nosotros get a clear view when Phil uses the thwarted villain as a wipe to remove paint from his face, and it's a little creepy that his pricing green and yellow eyes are notwithstanding intact.

Hercules and Meg see a play about Oedipus.

Oedipus is a rather controversial Greek figure.
Disney

When Hercules and Meg return from spending the day together, they talk about having gone to a eating house and seeing a play almost "that Oedipus thing."

This is nigh likely a reference to the Aboriginal Greek play "Oedipus Rex." In the play, and archetype Greek mythology, Oedipus was the ruler of Thebes, so it makes sense that they would be performing it in that location.

Nonetheless, the real joke comes with Hercules' next line, "Man, I thought I had problems," which is probably a reference to Oedipus' romantic human relationship with his female parent.

The picture tries to answer the age-old question of how a famous statue lost its arms.

Greek sculptor Alexandros of Antioch created Venus de Milo.
Disney

At the end of his date with Meg, Hercules skips a stone in a fountain and accidentally breaks the arms off of a statue of a woman.

The result resembles the famous Venus de Milo statue by Greek sculptor Alexandros of Antioch that is well known for its mysterious lack of arms.

As the statue'due south name refers to the Greek goddess, its appearance in the movie adds another reference to mythology while likewise providing a fun explanation for why the real statue is armless.

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