Greek Mythology Movies You Should Watch:
For many, Greek mythology is a territory unexplored but very intriguing. There is something about the Gods of Mount Olympus that appeal to us all. The Gods of Greece were not perfect. Jealousy, anger, wrath, and greed ran amok within their midst. They were pretty much ‘human’. The Greek Folktales and legends are very intriguing to listen to. The Greek Mythology told us stories of how humans co-existed with the Gods and Monsters of the era, and it was an everyday event where the people would witness an either or both in action. Greek Mythology has inspired a lot of movies in Hollywood and we have curated some of the best of the lot for you to watch.
1. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
This is the second installment in the Percy Jackson series of movies. Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters was the ‘Jump the Shark’ sequel that killed the Percy Jackson franchise. But the relatable nature of the movie with its Greek Mythology elements could not be ignored and any fan of the Gods of Mount Olympus will surely take notice. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters tells the story of the demi-god Percy, Son of the Greek God of the Seas Poseidon, and his adventure to retrieve the Golden Fleece and save Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for Demi-Gods that protects them from the monsters that roam the world to slay these half-human half-god hybrids.
2. Hercules in New York
This is one of those movies which are so bad, they are good. Hercules in New York is just what it sounds like. The God of Strength Hercules is sent to Manhattan to learn more about the human world. There Hercules befriends a lot of people and gets into professional wrestling. He also dabbles in crime and locks heads with a gang of mobsters. It is also the debut movie of Arnold Strong, the stage name used by renowned actor Arnold Schwarzenegger when he first came to Hollywood. Hercules in New York is fun to watch if you ignore the idiocies within the movie. It is a must-watch for all Arnie fans as well.
3. Percy Jackson & the Olympians
The first installment in the Percy Jackson series, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief was adopted out of a best-selling novel of the same name. It was the first of its kind movie to combine contemporary western culture with Greek mythological elements. The movie was not half bad and it bade well with the viewers. Percy Jackson & The Olympians also have an ensemble cast that also includes the super beautiful Alexandra Daddario. If you like teenage movies and movies with people using superpowers and you also happen to be a fan of Greek mythology, this movie is for you.
4. Wrath of the Titans
Wrath of the Titans tells the story of Perseus, the bastard son of Zeus that became a hero and saved the world from being destroyed. In the movie, the hero Perseus and his son realize that the Titans, early ancestors of the Greek Gods, are about to break free from their prison and again take back control of the universe. Zeus, Hades and the rest of the Gods are dying. A faction of Gods has gone rogue and sided with the Titans. Perseus must seek out Hephaestus, The God Smith and travel to Tartarus to free Zeus and save the world, again! Wrath of the titans is a huge deep dive into the intricacies of Greek Culture and you will surely love it if you are a fan.
5. Troy
The Trojan War and the Ballad of the Rise and Fall of Troy are one of the greatest tales in Greek Mythology. The movie spares no expense at ensuring the audience realizes the gravity of the situation while keeping everything ultra-realistic. There are no Gods or monsters in this movie. It is all about powerful dialogues and strong character-driven plot lines. The movie’s battle sequences are super believable and it would engage you to think that this fictional story just might be real and may have happened in the past. The music scores given by James Horner are also amazing to listen to and add even more value to the overall storyline. Each character in the movie is measured and has his or her own story to tell and is thus, extremely relatable.
6. Hercules (animated)
Hercules was a masterpiece in the animated genre that broke new ground for Disney when it came into being in the past. Hercules may even be coming to Disney+ and the fans could enjoy it once more. The animation in Hercules was top notch and the humor was very well placed. The movie also dove right onto Greek Mythology and told us about the tale of Hercules, the Demi-God and his adventures and heroism that led to Zeus opening the gates of Mount Olympus to him and his eventual ascent into Godhood. Meg, the love interest of Hercules, is still one of the greatest female characters in a movie. Even the villain Hades was a very well-crafted character and the jokes he made rang well with all sects of audiences.
7. 300
300 tells the story of Sparta, a martial nation-state with a highly militarized culture. 300 depicts the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, where the Spartan King Leonidas defended Sparta against the huge Persian hordes with nothing but his sword and shield and his personal guard that ranged in the ranks of a few hundred. Frank Miller’s graphic representation of the tale cuts more than what the audience could chew. But the movie more than makes up for portraying the Spartans as Martial Gods that are nigh unstoppable by using good dialogue delivery and a cast that knows what it is doing.
8. Hercules
What if the myths of Greek Mythology are just that – Myths?? But all myths are based on some aspects of the truth. All myths are by nature, over exaggerations of real-life events. That is the basis of Hercules. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stars in this epic tale that tries to ground the legend of Hercules by showing that Hercules was just a normal guy with more than average level strength and a crew that knew how to spread rumors about him the right way. The Director of Hercules, Brett Ratner, is a very controversial figure in the movie-making industry and he took a rather unconventional approach to tell a very common mythological storyline taken straight out of the pages of Ancient Greece.
9. Wonder Woman
Yeah, it is a superhero movie but the story of Diana Prince comes from the annals of Greek Myths. Wonder Woman was born and brought up in Themysicra, the Island of Amazons that is protected by an invisible shield blessed onto the island by the Greek Pantheon of Gods. The action and the characters are breathtakingly fresh and that is why Wonder Woman turned out to be the lease of life that the DC Extended Universe so desperately needed back then. The movie may not show Mount Olympus or the Gods in all their glory to be exact. Wonder Woman does not battle monsters like the Minotaur or encounters Centaurs and demons of Tartarus. Yet the rich storyline with amazing special effects and mesmerizing direction dazzled the fans for quite a bit.
10. Clash of the Titans
The original Clash of the Titans movie focused more on the Gods of Mount Olympus and how they kept playing with humanity by using them as Chess pieces against their power struggles. But the new Clash of the Titans remake took the spotlight to Perseus and the human civilization as they revolted against the Gods and fought back. Some might claim that the remake does not hold a candle to the old Ray Harryhausen original but we would beg to differ. The action and CGI are far better. The plot could be called a little too rough at the edges but nothing that the audience would care to notice and point fingers at.
