Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series of five books written by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first of the book and sets the scene for both us, the audience and for Percy himself. After the Harry Potter series, kids seem to be in need of another fix of something mysterious and wonderful and it seems that Percy Jackson is where it’s at. It’s not so big in the UK yet but after the release of the new movie with a mix of all star cast and semi-newcomers, will the films start a wave of Percy Jackson here in the UK? Hopefully my review of the film might help you decide!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is directed by Chris Columbus. His name may not be one you’ve heard but if I tell you that he directed Mrs Doubtfire, Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you’ll no doubt have seen one or more of his movies. He’s also very well known for his writing. He wrote Gremlins, Young Sherlock Holmes and some movie that you might have heard of called The Goonies that inspired this very website. He really is a legend in cinema and when you see his name billed on a movie you go in expecting good things.

Here’s the brief synopsis to give you a bit more of an idea about what the movie is about:

Synopsis: Trouble-prone Percy Jackson is having problems in high school – but that’s the least of his challenges. It’s the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology texts and into his life. Percy has learned that his real father is Poseidon, god of the sea, which means Percy is a demigod – half human, half god. At the same time, the powerful gods on Olympus are feuding, which could launch a war enveloping our entire planet.

I went into the screening of Percy Jackson not really knowing anything about it. I’d seen the trailers and read the synopsis and production notes but that didn’t really prepare me for what I was about to see. The movie opens with a gigantic Kevin McKidd (Poseidon) walking out of the sea with a huge trident tattooed on his arm. Poseidon soon comes to meet Zeus, his brother played by Sean Bean who tells him that someone has stolen his master lightening bolt, the source of all lightning across the world and lays down a gauntlet that if he doesn’t have it returned to him a war amongst the gods would begin. Zeus believes that Poseiden’s son, Percy Jackson has stolen it – the issue is that Percy doesn’t even know that he’s a demi god (half human, half god) but he has always felt different to all the other kids at school and had a love of spending time in water.

After a series of events, Percy finds out his heritage and meets characters Chiron (Pierce Brosnan) who he thought was just his school teacher but is in fact half-horse and realises that his best friend, Grover Underwood (Brandon T. Jackson) is actually a satyr! Now, what is a satyr I hear you ask. Well, if you think back to your early high school days, you probably studied this sort of thing. I’m pretty sure I did anyway and watching this movie, I started remembering all the mythological creates that I had learnt about 16 years ago. You don’t need to know anything about Greek mythology to watch this film but I guarantee, when you come out of it, you’ll want to find out more about it. The effects that are used in this movie to create these wonderful characters are simply wonderful and very clever although after interviewing Brandon T. Jackson last week, I found out that wearing blue tights to create the effect afterwards isn’t as fun as we might think it is!

Other creatures used in the movie include the Hydra (clip here), and Medusa, played by Uma Thurman who, as you’ll see in this image, has snakes in her hair, but, whatever you do don’t look into her eyes or you’ll turn to stone! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen product placement in a film like this with the iPhone. Credit to Apple / Chris Columbus there! The CGI used to create these snakes is absolutely fantastic with the multitude of snakes attached to her having their own personality yet still being in touch with and linked to Medusa’s thoughts and persona. Massive credit to the guys who created the special effects for this movie because they are simply brilliant. Full list of cast and crew on IMDb here.

The other main leads in the movie include Alexandra Daddario who plays Annabeth Chase, the best swordsman (woman) of all the demi-gods. She’s a little perturbed when Percy turns up as the new kid on the block but their friendship grows stronger throughout the movie as she, Percy and Grover all depart on a question find who stole the Lightning bolt so that they can return it to Zeus before the epic war erupts. From here, Percy and his friends embark on a mission to discover the true thief of the lightning bolt. The issue for them is that Hades (the devil and another Greek god played excellently by Steve Coogan with his assistant played by Rosario Dawson) is on the hunt for Percy as well as with the lightning bolt, he can overthrow his brother Zeus. Percy decides the best cause of action is to go and meet Hades in Hell and try and talk things through.

Chris Columbus is a genius of the child genre of movie as he’s able to tell a story that is both intense, adult enough for people like me to enjoy it but child-like enough that a 12 year old can come out of the cinema and ask their parents if they can go straight back in to watch it again. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is no exception. The story is clever and Columbus adds comedy to parts but also huge tension and draws you into the story. As I said earlier, the effects are amazing. Just watch this clip of the Hydra and you’ll see what I mean. Columbus saves the big cgi for one of the final scenes though and I won’t spoil it for you but the CGI is so well done.

The three main leads are very believable and if there were a sequel (which I’m sure there will be) I would go and see it. There is one scene in particular which i think the movie lost it’s focus on being a movie for kids. The cast end up in a hotel where basically they are drugged to keep them there with women surrounding Grover. I’m sure it was wonderful for him to film but is this the sort of message to be sending to kids? I’m probably being over the top and you can tell me once you’ve seen it what you thought.

All in all, Percy Jackson was a well made movie with so many Hollywood stars playing cameos, it was hard to keep up but all of them were so well cast and it was wonderful to see them in a movie where they could all have a lot of fun making. It’s also nice to know that if you want to be a Greek god, you have to be British! Roll on the sequel!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is released this Friday 12th February.

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34 COMMENTS

  3. Rosario Dawson is not playing Hades' “assistant”, she's playing his wife. Also, Hades is definitely NOT the Devil. He's the God of the Underworld, that includes Hell AND Heaven (or the Greek myth version of them).

  7. I hope they make the second movie more like the second book. but man, they nailed percy! he was just like i imagined him reading the book but better! he was definately the percy I knew. the plot could have been way better. for every one who read the book, the plot was all twisted up and I(and my friends) were sort Of frustrated. I mean, Ares was'nt even In it, and he was such a good opportunity for a character! Same with clarrise. percy's mom did not have to look so sad,too. I give this movie three stars. roll on the sequel and cross your fingers!

  10. I just went to this and I really thought it was awesome!! I never read the books so I have no opinion of the series. I know some people that read the books were disappointed by the movie they always are. It was faced paced and just loads of fun. I must say though its rated PG but I think it really should have been rated PG13 due to the creatures in the movie looking so demonic. Just a heads up for the parents out there with young children that might be tempted to take them. I really think its a bit scary for kids under 10. Still an awesome adventure movie. I'm so glad I went.

  11. i really hope they make a sequel. this movie is really good. It's not like the book, it's completely separate, but it's still the best movie I've ever seen in my life.

  14. I mean, Ares was'nt even In it, and he was such a good opportunity for a character! Same with clarrise. percy's mom did not have to look so sad,too. I give this movie three stars. roll on the sequel and cross your fingers!

    Motorcycle Accident

  15. This film could not have been any worse in my view. I have read the book (which is very good) and saw the film (which is not so good).
    First of all, Clarrisse, Ares and Kronos weren't in the film (three of the most important characters. Ever. Without them you can't really do a sequel (Kronos is the bad guy…without him there is no plot).
    Also, they don't put the river Styx in there!! How else does Percy go all Achilles on us and wipe out Hades army!?!?!?
    Oh…and how could I forget. They even miss out the part where Percy gets thrown off a bridge while in America (he gets attacked by an old woman and her hellhound).
    Also, the guy who did Percy can't act…his mum dies and there is no emotion. In fact, all the acting was bad… even by Piers Brosnan's standards.
    I say scrap the director and re-make the film (more accurate hopefully) and then get a sequel).
    Okay, rant over

  17. I really liked it and I'm a big fan of the books. Paraoh, just shut up. They won't remake the movie, just stop being a whiny baby and let them make a sequal. They could put Clarrisse and Kronos in the sequal, they weren't that important in this one, but they could still put them in. You need to give positive criticism, and they'll make the Sea of Monsters even better than the Lightning Thief.

  18. I agree with you a hundred percent. I wanted to see the movie and hadn't read the book a friend told me to read the book first cause the movie would be disappointing to say the least. He was right i read the book and it was amazing. i loved it. read it in two days. the movie sucks really bad. it didnt follow the movie at all I didnt even care to finish watching the movie it was so bad. Yeah and what happened to Kronos, how can there be a sequel without him. heed my warning all who read this. DONT WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!

  19. I agree with you a hundred percent. I wanted to see the movie and hadn't read the book a friend told me to read the book first cause the movie would be disappointing to say the least. He was right i read the book and it was amazing. i loved it. read it in two days. the movie sucks really bad. it didnt follow the movie at all I didnt even care to finish watching the movie it was so bad. Yeah and what happened to Kronos, how can there be a sequel without him. heed my warning all who read this. DONT WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!

  20. a) You can't spell: All “positive critiscim” must be spelt correctly
    b) Kronos (almost kills Grover)and Clarisse(discovers Percy's powers) were important
    c) How do you know they'll make the Sea of Monsters better if they blatantly don't realise how bad the Lightning Thief is?

  21. a) You can't spell: All “positive critiscim” must be spelt correctly
    b) Kronos (almost kills Grover)and Clarisse(discovers Percy's powers) were important
    c) How do you know they'll make the Sea of Monsters better if they blatantly don't realise how bad the Lightning Thief is?

  23. not a good movie for children under the age of thirteen very violet swearing and extrem fighting sences showing annabeth cutting a monster intill it is disinagrates and monsters are more scary to children than to teens and adults my 7,9,11 year old children watched it and were scared of the monster and fighting sences not recomended for children under teen ages

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  34. movie was horrible dude. They left out so many important things. They should totally remake the movie in my opinion. If they end up making a sequel that follows the book it will be so confusing and different from the movie. Remake the movie or loose all of your fans if you make a sequel. There was nothing to do with the pearls in the book. No emotion from Percy’s actor when his mom died (if my mom died in a movie I would be bawling even though it’s not real). They forgot a lot of characters. They forgot the River Styx. The messed up capture the flag totally. Annabeth should of been on his team oh my she shouldn’t try to kill him. Clarisse was the one trying to kill him and discovers water helps him. I think they forgot the hell hound I haven’t seen the movie since this previous winter of 2011. They forgot the old lady and Enchilada. They forgot the three fates. They messed up on long island vacation with the no emotion. Grover never gives him the card for summer vacation. They start Percy off underwater with Grover. Grover doesn’t look like how the book described him. Grover doesn’t have curly hair in the movie that is a key part. Ares never is there to give stuff to Percy and friends in bar. They never show the water park part. They messed up the hotel they forgot the games. I so wanted to see Grover playing human hunting. The Hydra isn’t till the second book Columbus. They never talk about Zeus and Poseidon meeting at the beginning. Hades does not contact Percy at a fire bowl and the fire is supposed to change color. Also they never show the oracle of Delphi. All in all the Movie sucked if you read the book. If you hadn’t read the book you probably would of liked it.

    Sincerely,
    A really mad Percy Jackson fan and son of Poseidon Half brother to Percy and Tyson

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