Over the past few weeks I have been reading the Percy Jackson books
[Spoiler Alert: I'm only going to mention things that I think are obvious from the trailers. Sorry if I get that wrong.]
Like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson is a misunderstood youth who does not realize his powers. It turns out the Percy is a hero: half-man and half-god. The gods of Olympus are still around. You just need to take the elevator in the Empire State Building to the 600th floor. Poseidon had an affair with Percy’s mother and is Percy’s absent father.
Will my kids like it?
“It was good, but a little scary and a little loud.” (The review from my young son.) When I looked around, all of the kids were enjoying the movie.
Will I like it?
When I was looking around at the kids, I noticed that all of the adults were also enjoying the movie. I liked it too. You definitely want to add the movie to your Netflix queue. It’s also worth seeing with your kids. I’m not sure the movie is worth the expense of a babysitter for a parents out night.
The special effects are great and the story is good enough to keep you interested. I was hoping it would do a better job of bringing the great characters of Greek mythology to the big screen. It’s much better than original 1981 Clash of the Titans remake with Sam Worthington as Perseus.
How PG is it?
My six-year old hid his eyes during the monster scenes. The encounter with Mrs. Dodds at the beginning of the movie is the scariest of the monster scenes. The Minotaur attack and Hades appearance in a campfire were also scary. The movie got progressively less scary for younger kids.
There is a fair amount of sword fighting and monster battles, but very little bloodshed. I didn’t notice any foul language. There is some mild sexual innuendo between Rosario Dawson as Persephone and Grover.
Do I need to read the book first?
The Percy Jackson stories are very accessible. If you haven’t read the books, the movie will certainly encourage you do so.
You also don’t need to know Greek mythology. Unfortunately, the movie downplays the underlying mythological stories.
How much does the movie differ from the book?
Chris Columbus was very true to the Harry Potter books when he directed the first two movies in the series. With The Lightning Thief he strays very far from the book. He omitted some semi-major characters, added a monster from the second book, made some significant changes to the storyline and made a few changes to the underlying Greek mythology.
Reading the book was much a much richer experience than watching the movie. It was great to see the transformation of Greek mythology to the modern age. The book was funnier and had some great lighthearted interactions that were missing from the movie.
Will the polytheism confuse my kids?
Some parents may be concerned that the concept of multiple gods might confuse their kids. I have been waiting for a question about which god is Jesus’ father. So far, it has not been asked. He just accepts the transfer of Greek mythology to the modern day and that the mythological gods are just really powerful characters.
Will my kids want to learn more about Greek Mythology?
One can only hope.
Is it as good as the Harry Potter movies?
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone set a high bar for bringing a widely read fantasy book to life. The Lightning Thief is good, but not as good as the first Harry Potter movie.
Is it just a Harry Potter knock-off?
The comparisons to Harry Potter are obvious. Each book takes place during a year in Percy’s life. The first two books take place during summer vacation. The third takes place during winter vacation. Like Harry, Percy was unaware of his origins and his powers. Percy has a group of friends (one male, one female) joining him on his quests. There is a prophecy involving Percy that may determine the fate of his new found world.
I found the modern interplay with Greek mythology to be really interesting. The book and the movie could have focused more on that interplay and created a more enjoyable story without adding the Harry Potter like themes. The movie downplays some of the Harry Potter concepts from the book.
Any good previews?
I leave that up to my son. The quotes are his.
- Alice in Wonderland - “Looks cool.”
- Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore - “That’s funny.”
- Despicable Me - “Ha, ha, ha, ha!” (It was the new minions trailer).
- Karate Kid - “Kapow.” (A remake with Jacki Chan as Mr. Miyagi)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid - “So not happening.” (I don’t know what that means.)
Image courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
