Trying to set up a new family franchise is a tough job. Since the advent of Harry Potter, every studio has attempted get into the kid’s fantasy business, but most have failed. It’s a fairly smart move then to get the guy who launched Hogwarts on the silver screen, Chris Columbus, to direct Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, as at least he’s got pedigree (he also helmed the likes of Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire, and wrote The Goonies and Gremlins).
The name of the film alone suggests this is designed as just the first in a film series, and indeed the books it’s based on, by Rick Riordan, already stretch to five instalments. However most of the attempts to establish a family fantasy franchise fail because they’re so busy setting up the characters and world that they forget to tell a compelling story that people want to watch. They’re just an advert for things to come, but of course those things don’t come, because the first movie flops due its lack of plot (which was the problem, for example, with the recent Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant).
Thankfully, while Percy Jackson is a bit too frenetic and episodic at times, it succeeds in having a decent story and some very good special effects, making it a much more worthwhile effort than most CG-filled family films.
While Riordan’s books concerned pre-adolescents, the film ups the ages to early teens, with Logan Lerman playing the titular Percy Jackson, a slightly underachieving youth who discovers he isn’t quite as ordinary as he thought. Nope, he doesn’t discover he’s a wizard, instead he finds out that all the characters from Greek mythology are real and that he’s the result of a fling between Poseidon and his human mother (which explains why he’s so good in the water). However his discovery is tempered by the fact that Zeus suspects him of stealing the mighty lightning bolt that he uses to rule Olympus.
In order to save his mother from Hades, Percy must embark on a cross country journey to retrieve objects that will help him get the lightning bolt back. He sets off on the adventure alongside his best friend Grover (who he discovers is a satyr who’s been protecting him) and another demi-god teen, master swordswoman Alexandra. This road-trip set-up allows us to be introduced to a whole slew of mythological characters, from the snake-headed Medusa (Uma Thurman), to a multi-headed fire-breathing dragon. It’s a decent way to introduce us to this fantasy world where Greek myth lives alongside real-life, and stops the dense mythology feeling chucked in to prepare for the sequels (although there is a bit of that).
It’s actually quite interesting that this teen take on Greek mythology is coming out only a couple of months before Clash Of The Titans. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Percy is basically a modern Perseus (that’s his full name), who is, of course, the main character in Clash Of The Titans. So basically they’re very different takes on the same character, although many things get changed in Percy Jackson to tone the weirder elements of the original tale down for a younger audience (and of course the lightning bolt itself is new).
Thankfully Chris Columbus seems to have learned the lessons of the later Potter movies and while Percy Jackson has a lighter touch than the likes of Half Blood Prince, it’s more intense than the director’s first two Hogwarts efforts, to the point where it may well scare some of the youngest members of the family. The cg-filled set-pieces are big, bold and tense, and while not masterpieces of the action fantasy genre, they’re effective and entertaining. And it has to be said, some of the special effects are incredibly well done, including Medusa, whose hair snakes even have their own personality.
The impressive cast shouldn’t be forgotten either, which also includes Pierce Brosnan as Chiron, Sean Bean as Zeus, Steve Coogan as Hades, Rosario Dawson as Persephone, Melina Kanakarades as Athena, Catherine Keener as Percy’s mum, and Kevin McKidd as Poseidon. Again you feel the Harry Potter parallels of trying to get a great cast to surround the main actors, and it’s nice that while this is a US-based adventure, there’s still plenty of room for British talent.
The film has also plenty of humour and while it does seem like most of the major characters have been adapted from Potter (an ordinary boy who discovers he’s magical, his gawky male friend and a clever female going on an adventure might ring a few bells), they’re different enough so that it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. Also like Potter, it tries to set up a very dense mythology, which sometimes threatens to overwhelm the film, but Columbus keeps a fairly light touch and things trip along happily.
The Lightning Thief isn’t brilliant, but compared to most of the other recent attempts at family fantasy it is a success. Percy Jackson is fun, entertaining, occasionally spectacular and trips along at a decent pace. As mentioned, it might be too intense for really young kids, but most of the rest of the family will enjoy it. Adults won’t mind it either, as there are some jokes for grown-ups and plenty of fast-paced adventure.
It probably won’t inspire the rabid devotion of the Potter series, but it’s one of the few recent family fantasies where I’d genuinely like to see a sequel. While February isn’t generally seen as the best time to launch a blockbuster, Percy Jackson should find a receptive audience who’ll thrill to its big-budget popcorn spectacle.
Overall Verdict: Some might dislike it simply because Percy Jackson is big, bright and has ‘Made In Hollywood’ stamped all over it, but most should enjoy its family fantasy fun. It may be a transparent attempt to create a gung-ho US Harry Potter, but Percy Jackson stands on his own feet.
Reviewer: Sam Bruneau
