In the early 70s, the wonderful Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya made and directed five animations for Soyuzmultfilm (a favourite studio of mine) based on Greek myths. 1969's 'Return from Olympus' is the one that starts it all off. All five are wonderful and about equal in quality, fine representations of how gifted Snezhko-Blotskaya was. All her solo director work is very well made, inventive and exciting, was also surprised at how daring her Greek mythology animated adaptations are.
Which is apparent in 'Return to Olympus', the story of one of the most famous Greek mythology heroes Hercules. It is a wonderful first endeavour into Greek mythology for this gifted animation director. A must for those familiar with the myth and who is interested in seeing it in a non-English language if raised on other versions like the very loose Disney version (that's what immediately springs to mind). A must for those not familiar with the story or the hero, but who is vaguely familiar with other mythological characters and stories and interested in learning more. Despite being in a different language, 'Return to Olympus' is still accessible.
Soyuzmultfilm's animations were nearly always visually striking and in some cases stylistically unique. The animation is lovely here and is as good as Snezhko-Blotskaya's 50s and 60s efforts for similar reasons, while still holding up beautifully. It is not elaborate but it is elegant and beautifully detailed while showing more ambition than Snezhko-Blotskaya's earlier work, complete with vibrant colour and fluid character designs.
Furthermore, the music has rousing moments as well as lush ones depending on the moods of each scene. It adds to the action and even enhances it in the more adventurous parts of the story. 'Argonauts' is well written, it would help if familiar with the Russian language (though that is not essential as the animation is so good at telling the story) but it flows well, is poetic as is the case with the Russian language and very pleasing to listen to.
The story is as thrilling and imaginative as it should be, treating the story and characters with respect, with plenty of recognisable parts, while with enough of its own touches to set it apart without being too much of a departure. It's still unmistakably Soyuzmultfilm, which is a good thing as they were a very versatile studio and easy to recognise from the visual styles adopted for instance. The fantasy element has a lot of charming imagination and the adventure enthralls and excites, hardly surprising seeing as Russian cinema and animation excelled at these genres individually and together frequently.
Hercules is an interesting and likeable hero and the other characters are colourful too. Voice work is dynamic but not too theatrical.
Overall, wonderful. 10/10.
