Dwayne Johnson’s broad shoulders hauls Hercules over bumpy terrain and into a thrilling finish, in this latest and biggest take on the mythological hero yet.

From Steven Reeves to Arnold Schwarzenegger, muscle men have made swords and sandals movies there place to shine. For Dwayne Johnson, Hercules poses the biggest challenge yet for his box-office clout, with the prolific action star front and centre as the titular character. Johnson passes the test, in turn elevating a film that without his hulking, charismatic presence would have stumbled.

As directed by Brett Ratner, Hercules is a film of weak visual appeal when compared to the aplomb of 300 and Immortals. Yet unlike recent swords and sandals re-tread Conan the Barbarian, there is much more intrigue to its story and feeling for the characters of Hercules than anticipated, with much Machiavellian scheming amongst the chest pounding action sequences.

Surprising is the choice to focus on Hercules the man rather than the easy fix of Hercules the legend, with the Son of Zeus and his band of mercenaries (Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane and Ingrid Bolso Berdal among them) agreeing to work for a desperate king (John Hurt, bringing the gravitas) to save his kingdom from a tyrannical warlord.

Throughout Hercules’s legendary exploits are spouted about much like propaganda, leaving us to wonder: Is this man really a demigod? Or is he a colossal mortal of immense skill and courage?

What is of no doubt is Johnson’s standing as an action superstar. When he screams with roaring zeal “I…am…Hercules!” you better believe just that, and heaven help those who stand in his way. Along with his incredibly impressive physical presence, Johnson uses his well-honed charisma and undervalued dramatic chops to portray a warrior exalted by his legend yet humbled by tragedy.

An adaptation of the graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian Wars” by legendary comic book writer Steve Moore, Hercules is a film of steady pace that rides on neutral for a tad too long.

But once Ratner flips that switch and Johnson is unleashed, an entertaining and surprisingly enthusiastic swords and sandals actioner is in full swing, with the labours of its opening act paying dividends for the might of Hercules to shine in godly glory.