In the modern world of CGI this and stunt double that, it is easy to forget the brilliance a simply made film can achieve. With 18 surprise (so surprising no one even heard about them)nominations for various Oscars back in 1970, Hercules in New York proved that good acting, continuity and most of all an actual plot are entirely disposable in the creation of a movie. The film begins on top of Mt. Olympus where Hercules is pleading with his father to be allowed down to earth. Zeus, however is adamant that Hercules remain on Mt. Olympus, an argument ensues and in his fury Zeus throws a thunderbolt at Hercules, sending him to Earth. Which is exactly what Hercules wanted. Funny that. When upon Earth our noble hero sets about picking fights with people smaller than him, attacking animals and taking up funding from gangsters. He also befriends what many believe to be the most interesting character ever created in cinema-"Pretzie". A lonely soul "Pretzie" (so called because he sells pretzels)wanders the streets of New York alone. Selling pretzels. Many believe the pretzels to be a metaphor for small African children, and Pretzie to be a man dragged into an illegal trade by a society that doesn't care. Had the film been made thirty years later Pretzies main customers would undoubtedly have been Madonna and Angelina Jolie, however this was not the case, and some poignancy is distracted from Pretzie's plight as a result. Hercules in New York also boasts the finest action scene in cinematic history- Hercules versus the Bear, in which our protagonist, upon seeing an escaped bear, decides the best course of action is to beat the living crap out of it in front of his date. The fight can be seen here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQhBGDOO4-w (about 50 seconds in the action starts) To conclude I think we should all try to take on board the meaning of the last line of Pretzies big, final speech: "Yeah. I think- I think I'll have an apple"