'Hercules' Trailer: The Rock And Brett Ratner Go Epic

The Hercules trailer is upon us. Directed by Brett Ratner, someone known more for comedic action than epic mythological stuff, it features Dwayne Johnson doing what Dwayne Johnson does best – kicking butt and taking names with his shirt off.

With this adaptation of the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, Ratner and Johnson are aiming to bring the mythic hero to the big screen on a scale we've never seen before. Did they succeed? Watch the first Hercules trailer below.

Here's the Hercules trailer via Machinima.

Are we sure the title of this movie isn't "The Rock vs. Animals?" Cause he fights lots and lots of animals in that teaser trailer. Wow.

Animal battles aside, Johnson looks massive and imposing in the role. However, we know he's a charismatic and worthy action lead. No one sees Johnson as Hercules and thinks, "I don't get it." The success of the film will largely be on this adaptation of the Hercules story as a slightly more "realistic" team-up film where Hercules joins a group of five friends to explore the nature of his myth. That's not in the trailer at all. The way Ratner handles this big, sword and sandal epic, a genre he's never come close to, will play into it, too. He's only directed one film in this decade, the forgettable Tower Heist.

Hercules opens on July 25. It also features Joseph Fiennes, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Rebecca Ferguson, Aksel Hennie and John Hurt. Following is the synopsis released last year:

Everyone knows the legend of Hercules and his twelve labors. Our story begins after the labors, and after the legend...

Haunted by a sin from his past, Hercules has become a mercenary. Along with five faithful companions, he travels ancient Greece selling his services for gold and using his legendary reputation to intimidate enemies. But when the benevolent ruler of Thrace and his daughter seek Hercules' help to defeat a savage and terrifying warlord, Hercules finds that in order for good to triumph and justice to prevail... he must again become the hero he once was... he must embrace his own myth... he must be Hercules.