Better in many ways than Master Jackson’s first outing…
Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief wasn’t my favourite movie of 2010 but I did appreciate the movie for what it was. A special effects spectacle, with some decent acting and a story that should have been a heck of a lot better than it turned out to be. It was a film that Harry Potter director Chris Columbus failed to add his usual charm for whatever reason. Thor Freudenthal (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) was not someone I imagined directing an effects heavy major studio franchise, but he is known for working well with kids, which admittedly comes through in the youngish casts performance, but I will say that no one gave anything out of the ordinary in this latest Percy Jackson effort. Logan Lerman really surprised me earlier this year in the truly brilliant Perks of Being a Wallflower, with his sublime, almost lethargic performance, but I wouldn’t say his style is particularly well suited for the part of Percy. That said, he’s still a fine young actor, who has many years to hone his craft, as are one or two of his co-stars in this film.
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
- Director
Thor Freudenthal - Cast
Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson - Release Date
7 August, 2013 - Influx Grade: C+
We begin with a flashback in which the younger versions of Grover, Annabeth and Luke together with Thalia, daughter of Zeus, head to Camp Half-Blood. In order to save their buddies, Thalia must fight the Cyclops but Thalia is killed, so now Zeus moves their soul to Hades, and is held in the form of a magical tree on Earth. This magical tree is the source of power for the barrier that protects the camp from other monsters. Thanks to Hermes causing chaos with a mechanical bull, the tree ends up poisoned and now can’t provide the magic needed to power the barrier which protects them. The only way to cure the tree is with the Golden Fleece, which according legend, can cure anything. Percy finds out he has a rather unusual half-brother, Tyson the Cyclops who is also the son of Poseidon. Together the group must go to the Sea of Monsters, AKA The Bermuda Triangle, and recover the golden fleece, but things are never that easy in the Percy Jackson universe, with all manner of dangers trying to prevent them from completing their task. The CG is very impressive, as are the sets, but the story wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. Even so, it’s still a decent follow-up, and can see a third getting scripted very soon.
*****
