Percy Who?

Since the massive success of Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and the hype of Harry Potter series, Hollywood since then has been trying to come up with their replacements, which has resulted with lots of misses than hits. A lot of fantasy movies has come up, with the tag line of trilogy, epic, chronicles, and many others, and most of them are shits (I can only think Narnia which came close to be noticed). The bad thing for Hollywood post LOTR and Harry Potter, is that every fantasy movie which comes out will eventually be called, LOTR or Harry Potter ‘wannabe’. Don’t get me wrong, I can assume most of these failed movies followed the same blueprint: book adaptation, bad scriptwriting, so-so CGI, and last but not least, failed to have someone like Peter Jackson in the driving seat.

So, what Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief has to offer? Well, for a starter, the idea is actually not bad, about the Greek Gods who apparently live in the modern era, and surprisingly, have kids, which Zeus (Sean Bean) himself forbid the Gods to see them. Percy Jackson (played well by newbie Logan Lerman) was a normal human being who can’t read properly, until he found out that he is the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). He ends up in a journey to clear up his name from being accused as the Lightning Thief (Zeus’ weapon). Together with his companions Grover (annoyingly played by Brandon T.Jackson) and Annabeth, Athena’s daughter (Alexandra Daddario), they have to find a way to stop the clash of the titans (borrowed from the other movie title).

Surely, as far as I can see, there’s nothing new to offer, but still enjoyable, just don’t expect too much. For entertainment wise, it works well in some parts, although I kinda feel it’s like watching a video game, where Percy has to visit different places, where each of it he has to encounter different bosses, from Medusa (Uma Thurman), Hydra, and Hades (Steve Coogan), which I think it’s the best portrayal of modern God (rock n roll!!!).

Several low points, the casino scene is a just plain dumb and taking too long, and simply just to show off the Lady Gaga hit. The training camp is not convincing enough, lack of details, it’s like picking a site at some hills and mountain scene. To make things even worse, Grover is just too noisy and annoying in every scene, even the jokes are ineffective most of the time. It may seem unfair to compare this flick directly to LOTR, but hey, that’s the consequences if you have watched the best fantasy movie of all time, you’re looking for a better one, aren’t you?

In short, Percy Jackson is another passable kids/fantasy movie, which you won’t remember anymore once you watch…perhaps Clash of the Titans (which I think has a better premise). Nevertheless, it’s a good watch for children and young adults, with adequate action scenes and up to standard CGI. Just likerottentomatoes.com said, though it may seem like just another Harry Potterknockoff, Percy Jackson benefits from a strong supporting cast, a speedy plot, and plenty of fun with Greek mythology.

My Rating : 6/10