Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Released February 2 2010

Directed by Chris Columbus

Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Kevin McKidd, Catherine Keener, Uma Thurman

First Viewing: February 13^th 2010

Roger – 3/5 stars

Fantasy books have hit it big time ever since the boy wizard Harry Potter took the world by storm years ago. The Percy Jackson series is part of that group, but there are good “spin-offs” and bad ones; Percy is a good one. The storyline feels similar; young boy discovers hidden abilities/world, is chosen one due to parents, etc. There is enough to keep it fresh though, mostly due to the solid pacing and acting. Percy (Lerman) is good; I believed him as a likeable (but still realistic) teenager, and the Greek mythology throughout is fun to keep up with.

Our hero Percy finds out he is a demigod (either mom or dad was a god), so he finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, where it turns out a whole group of teenage demigods hang out and train. They have special abilities in tune to their parents, and there’s the usual new-kid-fish-out-of-water stuff as Percy finds his footing in his new life.

Pretty soon, though, Percy sets forth on a mission to save the world from all-out war when he must find Zeus’ stolen lighting bolt. He is accompanied by his crush, Annabeth (Daddario), and his best friend and sworn satyr protector, Grover (Jackson).

It’s the typical adventure story at this point; following a map, run-ins with danger, action scenes with cool special effects, characters learning about themselves and each other, etc.

In this case, though, there’s nothing overtly wrong with standard fantasy-adventure fare, and Chris Columbus smartly keeps the plot rolling, so the audience never feels restless. There are lots of fun cameos from the adult cast as various gods, and while the movie isn’t fantastic, it does a good job. 

Note: If you’re a fan of the books (I’ve read the first one), then you’ll be pleased with the adaption to screen, although some major changes have been made.