Kids have it good these days. They have Harry Potter, Twilight, Hannah Montana, etc. Percy Jackson is another franchise from a novel series that has now turned into a big screen epic. But it’s not quite epic even though it is about Gods, Demigods, mythical creatures and magical powers. Even so, it’s a fun movie and I really enjoyed it and think kids would too…both young and old. Percy Jackson is a larger than life fantasy movie but it’s no Harry Potter…and may not turn into the big franchise the studio is hoping for even with the big name actors they attached to the film like the Vampire’s Apprentice. Instead, it’s a nice 2 hour distraction that you can play for your kids during a car ride or good afternoon.
The story is about a son of a God who is also a mortal who doesn’t really know who is father is although almost everyone else around him does. The most powerful weapon of the Gods, Zeus’ Lightning Bolt, is stolen and Zeus is ready to wage war with his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, if it isn’t returned to him. Our young Percy Jackson is framed and believed to have stolen the lightning bolt even though everybody knows he doesn’t even know he has powers (some of the movie doesn’t make much sense and uses the cute kid book … as an excuse like the fact that Percy’s mom stays around a horrid man because the smell of the man covers up the Godish smell of Percy so other Gods can’t find him….) Back to the movie: because of this accusation, Percy is hastily taken out of his normal life and thrown into the mythical world at Camp Half Blood.
Now the real movie begins and you follow Percy Jackson in his adventure to clear his name and set things right in the world. He meets friends, enemies, and travels across the country in the matter of days (another thing that doesn’t make too much sense) in a pickup truck with a half donkey thing and cute love interest. They have to complete various tasks, which are different well known stories in Greek mythology, to get to their final destination and complete the goal of returning order to the world of Humans and Gods. It’s really straight forward and easy to follow but has some good comedic moments and action scenes. It is really for the kids but can entertain the adults too, just don’t expect deep adult meanings and hidden pearls for the grown-ups like in Pixar movies or other made for kid shows. As you watch, young or old, you will learn a thing or two about Greek mythology without knowing it which is kind of nice coming from a kid’s movie.
All in all, it was good for what it was. Fans will appreciate it and I’m sure there will be new fans for Percy Jackson because of it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it, but if it’s on, I’d say watch it. Everyone wants to have the power of the Gods, right?
Tags: Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Catherine Keener, Jake Abel, Joe Pantoliano, Kevin McKidd, Logan Lerman, Melina Kanakaredes, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Pierce Brosnan, Rosario Dawson, Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
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