Movie Review - Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thieve
This movie has a big title, but does it really live up to it? It is based on a series of books by Rick Riordan, so this means we are probably in for a new series of fantasy movies. These are based on the mythic Greek Gods, but they are still living in this era. Every now and then they come to earth and fall in love. As a result there many of their kids, demi-Gods, are walking the earth. One of these kids is Percy Jackson (played by Logan Lerman), son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). He does not know he is Poseidon’s son or a demi-God, until Zeus (Sean Bean) thinks he stole his Lightning, and the whole mythic world comes after him. He now has to learn how to fight properly, and try and convince Zeus he didn’t steal his Lightning. He gets the help of Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), Athena’s daughter, and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), a satyr (half man, half goat). Will they succeed in their quest to find out who is the real lightning thieve, and get it back to Zeus before a war breaks out? Lots of action is going on throughout the movie, and there are a few nice fighting scenes.
On the way to Olympus he faces many challenges, like Medusa (Uma Thurman), who will turn you to stone when you look at her, a multi-headed hydra monster, and a casino where you can’t leave. Will Percy make it through, and will all his friends be loyal?
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Chris Columbus, who also did the first two Harry Potter films, directed the movie. It is a movie which will probably be enjoyed most, by either fans of the book, or just teenagers who loved the Twilight series, The Golden Compass, and the Narnia Chronicles, or maybe of you are into ancient Greek mythology. It is enjoyable for the genre and the audience they target. The story is not that great, and the acting a bit disappointing. Of course that is to be expected from young actors who are just starting out. Percy has its great moments, and then sometimes the acting is just awkward and uneasy. Annabeth is also not really good. Grover is a little better, but the way he talks can be slightly annoying, with all his one-liners. He is also the one who provides some comic relief. Some better acting skills are presented by Uma Thurman, who has a short role as Medusa, and Pierce Brosnan, who plays Chiron, Percy’s mentor and a centaur.
All in all, the movie is not great, but still enjoyable. It has a fast pace, so never gets boring, and the special effects are nice to look at. If you have an afternoon to spare, this would be the movie to see. It did also make me quite curious about the books, so I think I might be reading them next!