030: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Title: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario
Directed By: Chris Columbus

The Harry Potter books are magical fantasy epics aimed at younger readers. So are the Percy Jackson books. The first Harry Potter is about a pre-teen wizard destined for great things and fantastical adventures. The first Percy Jackson is about a pre-teen demigod destined for great things and fantastical adventures. Chris Columbus directed the first two Harry Potter films, which are arguably the truest to their source materials. Chris Columbus also directs this film, the first of a planned franchise, which completely deviates from its source material. It's a shame too, because this could have been great.

I've never read the books; but I know that Percy's supposed to be 12 in the first one, and is only 16 at the end of the 5-book series. I'm not exactly sure why the change was made to make the character in his late teens (maybe it seemed too similar to the 1st HP for Columbus' liking), but I can't help but think the film suffers from it. There are awkward moments of immaturity amongst the characters, and an even MORE awkward drug-induced-trance scene.

There's just something off about these kids. Most notably, the character of Grover the Satyr is depicted as a horny, girl-crazy, one-liner machine. If he were only 12 yrs old, I don't think the character would have been very family-friendly! It's a shame too, because Brandon T. Jackson is a natural presence on the screen, oozing charisma and charm. In this role though, he's wasted and uncomfortable.

The story itself is essentially "what would Harry Potter do if he was in Clash of The Titans"? He'd have special abilities, he'd have a loyal male best friend and a clever female best friend, and he'd save the day on sheer luck and determination. Just like Harry Potter, uh, I mean Percy Jackson does.

For his part, Columbus does what he can with the clumsy script. The graphics are top-notch, even though the situations in which they're deployed are laughable. Still, he brings the pretty.

The cast is great too, and wasted here. Which is a shame, because any of them would have been more interesting to follow for the hour and a half runtime instead of watching the lame quest our three teenagers embark on. Steve Coogan plays Hades as a rock star with a charming swagger. Rosario Dawson as Perephone is strong-willed and determined. I even would've enjoyed more of Catherine Keener as Percy's mortal mother who fell in love with Poseidon, the God of the Seas. And that's not to mention Pierce Brosnan, Kevin McKidd, Sean Bean, Uma Thurman, or a RIDICULOUSLY wasted Joe Pantoliano. His depiction of Percy's sleazy stepfather is AWFUL. It feels like a script problem though, more than a Joe Pantoliano problem.

I'd say I went in to this with modest expectations, and was sorely disappointed. But, hey, at least it's pretty!

Score: 6/10