Hercules

The film begins in ancient Greece with a mock-epic spoken narration (Heston), but dissolves into the musical narration by the five Muses (consisting of Calliope (White), Clio (Thomas), Melpomene (Freeman), Terpsichore (LaChanze), and Thalia (Ryan)). The Muses tell the tale ("The Gospel Truth") of how Zeus (Torn) came to power and prevented the monstrous Titans from ruling the world. This leads to the day Hercules is born to Zeus and Hera (Eggar), much to the pleasure of all the other gods except Hades (Wood), Zeus' brother, who receives word from the Fates (consisting of Clotho (Plummer), Lachesis (Shelley), and Atropos (Edwards)) that though he will release the Titans in eighteen years, Hercules will one day rise to power and prevent him from taking control of the world. Hades sends his minions, Pain (Goldthwait) and Panic (Frewer), to kidnap Hercules and feed him a potion that will strip him of his immortality; however, they are interrupted and, while Hercules becomes mortal, he retains his god-like strength because he didn't drink the last drop.

Hercules (Keaton) grows up to be a misfit, challenged by his incredible strength and inability to fit in with other people. His adoptive parents Amphitryon (Holbrook) and Alcmene (Barrie) finally tell him they found him with the symbol of the gods around his neck. Hercules believes the gods may have the answers behind his past and decides to go to the Temple of Zeus ("Go the Distance"). Zeus manifests as his statue and tells him that he is Hercules' father, and that he must prove himself a true hero before he can rejoin the other gods on Mount Olympus. Hercules rides on Pegasus (Welker) and leaves the temple to seek out Philoctetes ("Phil" for short), an unhappy satyr and trainer of heroes. Phil (DeVito) has failed to train a true hero yet; but after some "persuasion" from Zeus, Phil decides to take on Hercules as his final attempt ("One Last Hope").

After completing his training, Hercules (Donovan), Phil, and Pegasus set out to establish Hercules as a hero. En route to the city of Thebes, Hercules sees the beautiful Megara (or Meg, as she identifies herself), who is being threatened by Nessus (Cummings), a centaur. A smitten Hercules barely succeeds in rescuing Meg (Egan), and she thanks him before leaving to enter the forest, and here it is revealed that she is conspiring with Hades. She had sold her soul to Hades in order to save her former lover's life, but her lover then abandoned her for another woman. Now, Meg must do favors for Hades in order to avoid an eternity in the underworld. When Hades learns that Hercules is alive, he is enraged and plots to murder him again.

When Hercules tries to prove himself a hero at Thebes, Hades sends the Hydra, a enormous dragon-like monster with many heads, to kill him. After a lengthy battle, Hercules finally prevails. Hades then sends one monster after another to destroy Hercules, but he defeats them all easily ("Zero to Hero" and "Hercules"). Hercules becomes a celebrity because of his exploits. Hades, realizing that his plans are jeopardized, sends Meg out to discover Hercules' weakness, promising her freedom in return. Meanwhile, Hercules is disappointed to learn from his father Zeus that he has yet to become a true hero, with the latter saying that defeating monsters and saving people is not enough; a true hero is "something more than that". Hercules then spends the day with Meg, who finds herself falling in love with him ("I Won't Say (I'm in Love)"). When Hades intervenes, she turns on him and tells him that Hercules has no weaknesses; but Hades realizes that Meg herself is Hercules' one weakness.

Phil learns of Meg's involvement with Hades and tries to warn Hercules, but Hercules refuses to believe him and knocks him to the ground in anger. Discouraged, Phil leaves for home. Meanwhile, Pegasus has been captured by Pain and Panic, who disguised themselves as his mare. Hades arrives with a captured Meg and proposes a deal: if Hercules surrenders his strength for the next twenty-four hours, Meg will remain free from harm. After Hercules agrees, Hades frees the Titans from their prison and sends them to attack Olympus and imprison the other gods, while one Titan, the Cyclops, is sent to kill Hercules. Disheartened by Meg's involvement with Hades, Hercules takes a severe beating. Meg, regretting having played her part in Hades' plans, frees Pegasus and gets Phil to come back and help Hercules. Phil convinces Hercules to fight back, and Hercules uses his wits to defeat the Titan and save the city of Thebes. Hercules is able to defeat the Titan, but a pillar behind him becomes loose. Meg notices this and pushes him out of the way, but is unable to save herself and takes the blow. With Meg mortally injured, the deal is broken, and Hercules' strength is returned. Hercules promises Meg that he will save her as he heads to Olympus to stop Hades and the other Titans. Hercules and Pegasus save Mount Olympus, but as Hades retreats for the underworld after the Titans are thrown into the sky by Hercules and explode, he taunts Hercules despite his defeat, revealing that Meg is dying.

Hercules and Pegasus get back to Phil and Meg too late and Hercules heads to the Underworld and demands for Meg to be revived, but Hades shows him that she is trapped in the River Styx. Hercules trades his soul for Meg's, and Hades agrees on the condition that Hercules must get her soul out himself. Hercules jumps into the river, but given that one must be dead to enter the river, he ages rapidly as he swims toward Meg. The Fates try to cut Hercules' lifeline, but they find that they couldn't, for Hercules has become a true hero through his selfless actions, thereby restoring his godhood and immortality. As Hercules successfully returns Meg to the surface, Hades tries to talk his way out of the situation, but Hercules punches him, knocking him into the River Styx. The other souls grab Hades and pull him down into the river. Pain and Panic then worry about what Hades is going to do to them, until they realize they're free from his wrath. Hercules revives Meg and returns to Olympus. Meg's entrance is denied because she is mortal, but Hercules chooses to become mortal again and stay with her. Hercules is acclaimed a hero on Earth and Olympus alike. Zeus creates a constellation in his image, and Phil is remembered for being the one to train him. Hercules and his mortal friends and family are all shown happily together on earth, while Zeus and the other Olympians rejoice above. ("A Star is Born")