I like the idea that Hercules is lead to believe that the village is being terrorized by monsters, but they turn out to be the village's own women wearing masks and using guerilla tactics to keep the men in line. And I like that Hera had a hand in empowering the Amazons and enabling them to build their own civilization.

Unfortunately it does turn into a sort of rom-com when the men turn the tables on the women by acting senstively and reciting poetry and "listening" to them, and the entire concept of Amazons got pretty much retconned in Hooves & Harlots.

But the ritual dance that the Amazons perform while girding themselves for battle is exhilirating to watch and has a great soundtrack, so I'm glad Xena kept those aspects from this movie. I remember reading an interview with Michael Hurst saying how impressed he was that this small studio managed to create a movie with an army of women charging into battle on horses (Horses became quite rare in later Amazon episodes, and Hippolyta's tribe are practically a cavalry unit)

Lucy doesn't get a lot of lines in this movie, but it's easy to see why she was liked enough to be given the part of Xena. She taunts Herc while he's imprisoned, saying "if it were up to me, you wouldn't be in a cage. You'd be buried." She gets charmed by Zeus, but when Hippolyta commences Hera's plan to wipe out the Gargarensians once and for all, she puts her personal qualms aside and goes right along with the plan. "This timewe fight!" It seems to become a recurring theme with Amazon episodes - where one character is torn between peace and war - and opts for the more violent outcome out of loyalty to her sisters. I think Lycia may have been the start of this trend.