Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Imagine you discover that the Greek gods you thought were myths are actually real, and worse, one of them happens to be your father. That is exactly the kind of trouble Percy Jackson, the lead character in this fascinating fantasy movie, finds himself. One day, he is an ordinary teenager struggling to understand life and next, he discovers that he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon. And worse, everyone thinks he has stolen Zeus’ most powerful weapon.

This movie immediately caught my attention when I saw the poster and read the synopsis. Like most fantasy movies, there are Greek gods, monsters, magical weapons and teenagers with extraordinary powers.

Based on Rick Riordan’s novel of the same name, written by Craig Titley and directed by Chris Columbus, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (2010) is an American fantasy movie starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Rosario Dawson, Uma Thurman and other supporting actors.

The opening scene shows a group of Greek gods in a meeting and suddenly Zeus appears in their midst revealing that his lightning bolt had been stolen. He threatens destruction if the bolt is not returned. Thereafter, we meet the trio star characters of the movie. Logan Lerman plays Percy, a confused teenager who becomes a demigod with powers. There is Annabeth played by Alexandra Daddario, a daughter of Athena, who knows more about their realm than Percy and Grover played by Brandon T. Jackson who is Percy's best friend and protector.

After Percy learns about his true identity and that Zeus’ lightning bolt has been stolen, being the son of Poseidon, he becomes one of the main suspects. His mother, a human, takes him and Grover to Camp Half-Blood where young demigods train and learn about their abilities. There he meets and becomes friends with Annabeth.

When dangerous looking creatures begin to attack the camp in search of the bolt, Percy, Annabeth and Grover decide to set out on a journey to find the missing lightning bolt and prevent a war between the gods. Their adventures take them through encounters with monsters, witches, magical traps and some familiar faces from Greek mythology. But the question remains: Who stole Zeus' lightning bolt and why?

My Review And Rating

My love for fantasy movies was what drew me to this film and the fact that it's based on Greek gods. I liked how the movie takes mythology and merges it into a modern world. The idea of gods living among ordinary people is interesting especially when the characters have to deal with things like modern transportation while running from creatures that belong in ancient legends.

The plot is solid but I found the pace a bit too fast like the film is rushing from one adventure to the other without giving the characters enough time to breathe and the viewers must catch up as well. Percy discovers he is a demigod, learns about Camp Half-Blood moments later and soon, he is sent on a quest to find the bolt. I think that is a lot for a teenager to process. Also, there are some emotional moments like Percy's encounter with his father and mother that I feel could have carried more weight if the movie had slowed down.

Some of the fantasy scenes are entertaining and so is the cast's performance. Logan Lerman appears a perfect fit for the role of Percy and makes it easy to root for him while Alexandra Daddario gives Annabeth the confidence and toughness she needs. These two are paired as love interests and their chemistry is convincing though I wish their relationship had been given more room to grow. Uma Thurman plays Medusa spectacularly giving the movie one of its memorable moments.

The humour in this movie works especially when Grover is involved but the tone brings a little confusion. It's like the film wants to be a big fantasy adventure, a coming of age story and a comedy at the same time. I feel the mythology could have been explored more deeply than what we got.

Still, I enjoyed Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. It's not one of those movies that sticks strictly to epic fantasy elements but it has a good central idea, a likeable young cast, monsters and Greek mythology to keep you glued to the screen.

Rating this movie, I’d give it 7.5 out of 10 stars. It's an entertaining and enjoyable watch if you love epic fantasy films.

All images above are screenshots from the movie

Poster image source

Thank you for visiting and supporting my blog 🤗