I don’t doubt that Rick Riordan’s series is a fabulous read. Full of Greek mythology and more than a little action, it makes for a fast paced tale of adventure but how that translates onto the big screen isn’t exactly great. I’m sure one of the reasons Fox brought director Chris Columbus on board to direct the first film in the series may have something to do with his success in kicking off the Harry Potter franchise. What they failed to take into account is the fact that Harry Potter already had a rabid fanbase where as Percy Jackson…let’s just say he’s no pre-pubescent magician.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief has a whole lot going for it. The story of demigods living amongst humans in the modern world certainly offers many an opportunity for story telling. In this particular world, Zeus has forbidden the gods from communicating with their mortal children in fear that they will overlook their Godly duties but when Zeus’ lightning bolt is stolen, Zeus gets angry (and a little irrational). He knows his brother Poseidon didn’t steal it but he thinks Poseidon’s son Percy may have and so an ultimatum is set: return the bolt in two weeks or face war. Typical God stuff wouldn’t you say? It also brings this whole Gods not interacting with their half human kids into question.
Here’s where the story really kicks off (as much as it ever does). As everyone searches for the bolt (who wouldn’t want to rule Olympus?) Percy comes to know his true origin, is taken into a camp for special kids (other demigods like himself), gathers a few troops and heads off to rescue his mother who has been kidnapped by Hades, the ruler of the underworld, a dude who also happens to be his uncle. Basically, there’s a whole lot going on including some digging through Greek mythology. To the film’s credit (likely due to screen writer Craig Titley who adapted Riordan’s book) the convoluted associations between characters and the mythology associated with them is peppered throughout the film quite well. The only problem is that with all of the supernatural stuff flying around, the film still manages to be pretty dull.
The action is yawn inducing, the effects good in places and laughably bad in others, the comedy occasionally works and falls flat in other places – it’s a bit of an uneven mess, one that’s heightened by the appearance of some amazingly talented actors. Makes you wonder what they were thinking when they agreed to some of these roles. From Kevin McKidd as Poseidon to Catherine Keener as Percy’s mother, there are a spattering of appearances from some heavyweights including Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Melina Kanakaredes, Joe Pantoliano and Uma Thurman. When one appears, you can’t help but groan – yes, it’s that bad (with the exception of Sean Bean as Zeus who is just…well, awesome). As for the leads, Logan Lerman as Percy has a promising career ahead of him; he may not be great but neither is the material and he does show promise (along with a fair amount of screen presence) while Alexandra Daddario’s pretty face is likely to turn up again, hopefully in another role where girls kick ass.
Percy Jackson is a disappointment considering the amount of money thrown at it and the calibre of talent involved. It’s a bit of a slog at nearly two hours but you know what? It’s worth every penny for the awesomeness of seeing Hades and Persephone duke it out. Steve Coogan and Rosario Dawson are easily the highlight of the film and they steal the show in their short interlude. Someone should really think to cast them in The Life and Times of Hades and Persephone because they’re genius together. And seriously, is it even legal to look this amazing? And I’m not talking about Coogan.
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
This discussion currently has 14 responses.
February 17, 2010
I’m very curious to the groan inducingness – I didn’t have a moment like that but did have some campy laughs. Are we talking turban or a certain name?
I thought there was some definite ‘Zac Efron school of acting’ going on here, but nothing terrible that took me out of the film .. which would be hard considering it’s a world between two worlds.
I thought most of the adults were good. The only thing I thought didn’t work was some of the effects, either scale ones or the ones that made them appear in their ‘natural’ state. But, those aren’t easy and I can still ‘see’ stuff like that even in the Harry Potter films.
Loved Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd (will I have to start watching Grey’s?) and Uma Thurman.
I would LOVE to see “The Life and Times of Hades and Persephone”. That would be an underworld of awesome. They were great.
Glad you got something from it, at least!
February 17, 2010
I thought Uma was brutal as was Brosnan it was just too much for me so when the others started coming up, it was just piled on.
McKidd is on Grey’s? I just remember him from a bunch of small roles in movies. He’s a handsome fellow.
February 17, 2010
this film is really quite bad….
as an adaptation it fails to convey the central point of the book (and the series) and of the changes made, none of them are needed or well done…
the kids are much too old (in the books they are 12 – Daddario is 24!)
the greek mythology is well done and playfully modernized in the books – in this film it’s goofy and Christianized, esp the Hades sequence…Persephone doesn’t want a war because then she’d have to spend all her time with Hades and wont be able to commit adultery?
in the book the Gods are forbidden to interfere with mortals and they don’t interact with their demi-god children mostly out of indifference (the point of the entire series of books)…this is changed in the film – for no reason at all…
the ‘villain’ is changed from Kronos (a titan) using Luke (and Ares – entirely missing from the film) to just Luke…why? what insane changes to the next book will be required for the sequel? (which I don’t see happening given this film’s box office and generally terrible reviews).
The Harry Potter films were a success because they were based on very good books and make with a huge commitment of time, money and talent…these books are ok, fun and popular – but they’re no Harry Potter and this adaptation is cheap, fast and sloppy.
February 17, 2010
Oh, I liked Uma – campity camp camp though, but fun! Brosnan was working it, and I can see it not reading as well.
Yep, Grey’s is on McKidd’s IMDb… but I’ve never watched it. No more TV! Too much TV already.
Goldfarb – it’s extremely common for the actors to be older than the characters, and often to age the characters a tad as well. 12 year old characters are really hard to do well as central character, Harry Potter films did it well which sets a high precedent.
Didn’t notice any Christian undertones in the film at all.
February 17, 2010
Who is Queen in the hihg-camp uber-wench derby:
Susan Sarandon in Enchanted
Michelle Pfeiffer in Stardust
Uma Thurman in Percy and the Potter-Clones
Tilda Swinton in The Chronicles of Narnia
Sandra Bernhard in Hudson Hawk
Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane
Sharan Stone in Basic Instinct
Elizabeth Moody in Dead Alive
Samantha Eggar in The Brood
Tura Santana in Faster PussyCat Kill!Kill!
Divine in Pink Flamingos
or
Angelica Huston in The Witches
Any I’m missing any biggies???
February 17, 2010
For me it’s a tie between Swinton and Huston. They’re both great but Angelica Huston actually scared me when I first saw that movie as a kid.
Another good one: Miranda Richardson as Mab in the TV version of Merlin you and I love so much. And BTW, I can’t believe that series is over 10 years old. That’s crazy.
February 17, 2010
Dang, I should have caught that one as I have a real soft spot for that TV Mini (Wow! What a Cast!) and Richardson is easily my favourite part of it. I even did a Finite Focus on Ms. Richardson in Merlin — http://www.rowthree.com/2008/03/25/finite-focus-miranda-of-rocks-and-goldfish-merlin/ — so Kudos for pointing out my oversight Marina!
(For that matter Richardson in Cronenberg’s SPIDER is pretty crazy),
February 17, 2010
I think if you take careers as a whole, though, and not one specific film, Bette Davis rules that category. She kind of invented high camp.
February 17, 2010
Tilda Swinton in the Narnia films is one of my faves, she’s absolutely amazing.
February 17, 2010
Yeah you’re missing a biggie, Birgit Nordin in The Magic Flute.
February 17, 2010
Lets face it, Tilda Swinton is pretty much always amazing. Regardless of how bad the film.
I still remember the first time I saw her in Orlando. Now THAT’S mind blowing stuff.
February 17, 2010
I wish I’d watched Orlando before reading the book. Or so long after reading the book that I didn’t remember it very well. As it was, I watched it with the month of reading it, and it just…pales. But then I’m a bit of a Virginia Woolf fangirl and you just can’t get her lyrical prose quality into a film. Doesn’t work.
February 17, 2010
One of the wackier Swinton roles was that of triplets in the experimental science fiction / detective dramedy TECHNOLUST. Not that great of a movie, but there was a lot of fun in the performances. I agree that she brings it almost every time out of the gate, and her omission from the nominations (for JULIA) this year seems one of the 5 big oscar snubs for 2010
(the other four are Nic Cage for Bad Lieutenant, Where The Wild Things Are for film and effects, Matt Damon in The Informant! and Viggo Mortensen for The Road.)
February 17, 2010
“experimental science fiction / detective dramedy TECHNOLUST”
I have never heard of this. I MUST SEE IT.