After the blast I had with the first film in the Percy Jackson franchise, I didn't waste time jumping into the sequel. Based on a novel of the same name by Rick Riordan and directed by Thor Freudenthal, Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (2013) is a fantasy adventure movie and also the second installment in the franchise.
The lead cast from the first film returns with an additional new cast and viewers are taken back to Camp Half-Blood where the epic adventure continues with the Greek gods manipulating the lives of the youngsters to get their way. This time around, the danger doesn’t come from outside but within. Camp Half-blood is in danger because the magical border protecting it has been poisoned. The lives of every resident is at stake and unless something is done, monsters will soon be able to get inside.
The demigods immediately put their heads together and discover that the answer to Camp Half-Blood’s situation lies in the legendary Golden Fleece, hidden somewhere across the Sea of Monsters, a dangerous location where few dare to venture. As expected, Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) and his friends, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) find themselves at the centre of this growing crisis. Along with other demigods, they must embark on a dangerous quest to stop the poison and restore the magical border.
Can these young demigods face the monsters and get the Golden Fleece to save their home?
My Review And Rating
The first film set an exciting and epic pace for this franchise and as such, I watched this second movie with the same expectations. The plot gets even better as it reveals things about the demigods including the shocking discovery that the camp’s magical protection is tied to a demigod. And the only way to save that demigod is to put their trust in someone they never expected to rely on.
For me, the idea behind this movie is more adventurous and exciting because it takes Percy and his friends outside the safety of Camp Half-Blood and gives them a proper quest. Percy is joined by Annabeth and his new half-brother, Tyson, a Cyclops who Percy has a hard time accepting. Of course, the adventure would not be fun without Grover. He gets dragged into the quest and this time around, he falls into serious trouble.
I like that this movie delves deeper into mythology where the demigods’ journey takes them across the Sea of Monsters. They run into all sorts of mythical creatures and dangers. These scenes really captured how these characters deal with Greek mythology in a modern world and it was fun to watch. Imagine a taxi ride becoming dangerous and an ordinary destination turning into a trap.
The part I found more interesting was Percy's relationship with Tyson. Percy has spent most of his life feeling like an outsider, so seeing him struggle with having a stepbrother who is different from him shows another side of his character. Tyson is sweet, innocent and almost childlike but he is also powerful.
Annabeth also remains one of the more enjoyable parts of this movie and Alexandra Daddario embodies her very well. Her connection and friendship with Percy is convincing and works because they balance each other without the film needing to turn everything into romance.
As I said earlier, I loved the plot and adventures in this film but feel the flaw shows itself in the action scenes and CGI. It's like the movie moves from one problem to the next so fast that it affects the visuals. For example, the scene where Percy and his friends confront the Cyclops has all the ingredients for a tense sequence but the danger is mixed with so much obvious CGI and quick action that it loses some of its impact. The same thing happens with some of the mythical creatures. I don't know what happened in this movie. It seems the cinematographer was changed from the first film.
It was good to see Luke return to this movie as a villain but I feel his motivations didn't hit as hard as they could have. I wanted more from him but sadly, the film doesn't explore his villainous side hard enough. He could have been more than the obvious bad guy waiting for Percy and his friends to stop him.
Still, I had fun watching this movie simply for the mythology, the adventure, the monsters and the ridiculous situations Percy and his friends find themselves in. Logan Lerman fits Percy well as I mentioned in my review of the first film. He gives Percy that slightly sarcastic, reluctant hero energy without taking himself too seriously. The cast also has an easy chemistry that keeps the journey entertaining even when the visuals are not up to par.
Rating this movie, I’d give it 7 out of 10 stars. If you are looking for an easy fantasy adventure with mythology and monsters and a young, handsome hero, Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters makes for a decent watch.
All images above are screenshots from the movie
Thank you for visiting and supporting my blog 🤗
Rating: 70/100
