Michael Hurst Movies

Having crossed over from the parallel universe and into the "real" world, Iolaus II (Michael Hurst) is curious about his late, lamented counterpart, Iolaus. To fill him in, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) tells Iolaus II a story about a "typical" day in the lives of two superheroes. Thus begins a flashback, predicated upon the theft of a cursed ruby by the light-fingered Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) -- who ends up painfully swallowing the gem. Fans of Hercules: The Legendary Journey's companion series Xena: Warrior Princess will recognize this episode as a variation on the popular Xena installment "A Day in the Life." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this comic episode set in "the present," the production team responsible for the weekly series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys -- whose members bear striking resemblances to the series' principal characters -- are threatened with unemployment by studio boss Hollinshoffer (Robert Trebor) unless they can come up with some fresh new story ideas. Hoping to work in atmosphere of peace and quiet, the staff heads to Camp Wannachuck, a summer retreat presided over by perky counselor Sunny Day (Renee O'Connor) and the less-than-perky (and appropriately named) Norma Bates (Tamara Gorski). Before long, however, the production team is plagued by a series of murder attempts, and it falls to Kevin Sorbo, the actor who stars as Hercules (or is he the genuine article?) to save the day -- and to supply the staff with enough storylines to last them at least another season-and-a-half. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The sixth and final season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys begins as female criminal Arciana (Katie Holmes) breaks out of prison in search of the all-powerful Sword of Hera. Arciana is inexorably linked to the demon Xerxos (Jeremy Roberts), who long ago murdered the family of Hercules' friend and traveling companion Iolaus (Michael Hurst). In their efforts to track down Arciana, Iolaus and especially Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) face an additional challenge in the form of the sinister lookalike of Hercules' lost love Serena (Sam Sorbo). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) teams with deposed monarch Oedipus (Mick Rose) in an effort to topple the usurping King Creon (Stelios Yiakimis) from the throne of Thebes. Making things difficult is the fact that the only logical successor to Creon is Oedipus' daughter, Antigone (Paige Moss), a drunken slacker with zero self-esteem. The episode races to a thrilling climax in a minefield -- and who cares that gunpowder hasn't been invented yet? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Teenaged warrior wannabe Tara (Shiri Appleby) is in trouble again. This time, Tara has been arrested for the crime of dancing in a town run by a sternly moralistic magistrate (John Givens). In their efforts to rescue the girl, Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) may have to kick their heels themselves. It's a Xena spin on the movie Footloose, with a dash of Lord of the Dance thrown in for good measure. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The demonic Dahak (Michael Hurst) invades Eire and slays all the island's Druids. Managing to escape this carnage, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Druidic demigod Morrigan (Tamara Gorski) head to Sumeria, following Hercules' premonition that Princess Nebula (Gina Torres) is in great danger. Upon arrival, Hercules is astonished to find that his deceased friend Iolaus has returned to life -- but this is merely an illusion orchestrated by Dahak. The climax finds Hercules making two momentous decisions that will affect both his future and the future of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season five of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys begins as Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Iolaus (Michael Hurst) head to Sumeria, there to help King Gilgamesh (Tony Todd), who for reasons not yet known has been utterly ignored by the Olympian Gods. It soon becomes obvious that Gilgamesh is in league with the demonic Dahak--and tragedy is in store for Hercules. This episode marks the return of Gina Torres as Nebula (no longer a pirate queen but instead a genuine princess) and also the farewell appearance of Iolaus (though not of the actor who plays him). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this follow-up to the previous episode "Top God," Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) accepts the offer of his father, Zeus (Roy Dotrice), to serve as a full god on Mount Olympus. The honor tarnishes when Hercules finds out the real reason Zeus' offer was extended: As his first assignment, Hercules is expected to thwart a power play spearheaded by the evil Ares (Kevin Smith) and Hera (Meg Foster). Along the way, Hera blackmails Zeus into relinquishing his throne, affording him a rare and tantalizing opportunity to experience life as mortal. In the climax of this, the fourth-season finale of Hercules the Legendary Journeys, Hercules engages in a violent, winner-take-all battle with Hera and his half-brother, Apollo (Scott Michaelsen), in the Dark Side of Olympus. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While there had been a loosely-basted continuity during the previous five seasons of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys -- held together by the never-ending efforts of half-god, half-human Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his mortal friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) to right wrongs and champion noble causes throughout Ancient Greece and the Known World -- Season Five was dominated by a single, basic thought line: Hercules' struggle to find purpose and meaning in life after the death of Iolaus, a struggle that would take him to strange, uncharted lands and a veritable legion of new and fascinating characters. Yes, it's true: faithful Iolaus is killed in the first episode of the fifth season. This, however, did not mean that actor Michael Hurst had departed the series. Instead, Hurst showed up in a variety of different incarnations: The demonic Dahak (a character whom Hurst had introduced on Hercules' companion series Xena: Warrior Princess); the campy "drag" character, Widow Twankey; and Iolaus II, the cowardly, buffoonish "alternate" version of the original Iolaus, who dwells in the parallel world first seen in the fourth-season episode "Stranger in a Strange World." As luck would have it, Iolaus II ends up relocating in the "real" world, where, newly emboldened, he strives to live up to the reputation established by his dearly departed namesake -- at least until another remarkable plot twist at the very end of season five. Getting back to Hercules, the heartbroken superhero, accompanied by pirate queen-cum-Sumerian princess Nebula (Gina Torres) (a character introduced in one shot during season four) is brought back as Iolaus' grieving sweetheart, trying vainly to bring Iolaus back from the dead. When this fails, he turns his back on Ancient Greece and heads to goodness-knows-where. His first stop is on the island of Eire, where he confronts -- and reforms -- a surly Druidic demigod named Morrigan (Tamara Gorski). He then travels to Asgard, land of the Norse gods, where he manages to prevent the End of the World -- with a little help from the mighty Thor (Ben Reed).

It is then back to Sumeria, thence to Corinth, and finally the aforementioned parallel world, where Iolaus II becomes part of the weekly action. That character takes prominence in the season's penultimate story arc, wherein Iolaus II falls in love with Nautica (Andrea Dotchin), the mermaid daughter of ocean god Triton. Meanwhile, Hercules is unexpectedly reunited with his lost love Serena (played by Sam Sorbo, wife of series star Kevin Sorbo), who obviously wasn't quite as dead as she seemed back during season four. Though virtually each and every fifth-season episode picks up where the previous episode left off, there are a handful of amusing self-contained stories. In "Genies and Grecians and Greeks, Oh My," larcenous supporting characters Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) and Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) find themselves in possession of a magic lamp inhabited by a beautiful but klutzy genie. And "For Those of You Just Joining Us," like season four's Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules," takes place in the present, focusing on another creative crisis plaguing the production staff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. As before, the series' semi-regular actors are seen in modern costumes as the long-suffering producers, writers, and technicians, who this time are threatened with instant unemployment unless they come up with newer and better story ideas. And as before, star Kevin Sorbo shows up as himself -- in a manner of speaking. The fifth season of Hercules concludes with the spectre of Doomsday in the form of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. At the time, there were rumors that the series would be canceled, hence the ambiguity of much of the action in the climactic episode (especially regarding the "resuscitation" of poor Iolaus). Ultimately, however, Hercules was renewed for a sixth season -- albeit an astonishingly short one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ajax (Peter McCauley), former comrade in arms to Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and Iolaus (Michael Hurst), wants to erect a war memorial for fallen soldiers. This project is staunchly opposed by Hercules' mortal half-brother Iphicles (Kevin Smith), now the King of Corinth. Holding Ajax responsible for the death of his wife, Iphicles is dead set against honoring anyone who has ever taken up arms. The battle of wills between Iphicles and Ajax leads to a chain reaction of personal tragedies -- and, indirectly, to a plague of giant sand worms. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this follow-up to the previous episode "Porkules," Katherine, the female pig whom Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) met while he was briefly transformed into an oinker himself, assumes human form with the help of love goddess Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings). Alas, the humanized Katherine (also Alexandra Tydings) begins yearning for the simple joys of pighood that are now denied her (such as wallowing naked in the mud). Meanwhile, Iolaus (Kevin Hurst) and Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), imprisoned by Ares (Kevin Smith) for changing the war god's handmaiden Discord (Meighan Desmond) into a chicken, manage to make their escape, albeit still manacled together à
la the Defiant Ones. As a climax to the duo's many misadventures, they end up being displayed at a carnival sideshow as the legendary "Two-Headed Bigfoot." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In present-day Hollywood, the staff of Renaissance Productions, the people responsible for the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, are in a panic. An earthquake has struck Tinseltown, and the series' titular star, Kevin Sorbo, is missing. In order to save their jobs, the series' producers and writers (all of whom bear startling resemblances to other Hercules characters) are forced to audition new actors for the role of Hercules -- and failing that, they desperately improvise new "Hercules-less" story concepts. The tension results in open hostility amongst the staffers -- much to the delight of perennial Hercules villains Ares (Kevin Smith) and Strife (Joel Tobeck), who behave as if they're responsible for the whole mess. Fortunately, salvation is at hand in the form of...well, best not give too much of the story away. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, evil female warrior Callisto (Hudson Leick) conspires with war god Ares (Kevin Smith) to free the Sovereign (Kevin Sorbo), the despotic alter ego of the noble Hercules (also Kevin Sorbo), from his interdimensional prison. The plan involves jailing Hercules in the Sovereign's place, then injecting him with fatal Hind's blood, but Callisto breaks away from Ares to team with the equally odious Hope (Amy Morrison), treacherous daughter of the demonic Dahak and Xena: Warrior Princess' Gabrielle. At Hope's suggestion, Callisto goes back in time to prevent Hercules' birth -- by "terminating" the hero's future mother, Alcmene (Kim Michalis). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi