Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief
Movie Blurb by Shale
February 13, 2010

I've been watching the trailers to this movie for some time and knew it was one of those teen movies that I would enjoy - And I did. The premise is based on Greek Mythology as a reality, where Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and other immortals get bored or whatever and have kids by mortals.

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is a typical, tho dyslexic teen with ADHD who is muddling thru school and has no use for the abusive looser his mother (Catherine Keener) has hooked up with at home. His best friend is Grover (Brandon Jackson) a crippled guy on crutches. Percy's idea of a good time is spending about seven minutes submerged under water at the school pool.

Percy In The Pool


When one of his substitute teachers turns into a flying gorgon and attacks him, Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan) a crippled teacher in a wheelchair dispatches it by threatening to tear it apart. Percy begins to suspect that his life is just not normal.

Not wanting to give you too many details of the abnormality, but know that the normal involves Percy and his companions from a training school for demigods, Grover and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) going on a quest that takes them to Hades and Mount Olympus.

Grover, Percy & Annabeth on a Quest


The first task of the quest is to wrest a magic pearl from a surprise visit with Medusa (Uma Thurman) in her garden full of stone figures.

Percy about to go all Perseus on Medusa


Their quest also takes them to the land of the lotus eaters and they have to fight a fire spewing Hydra.



I found this a very entertaining movie, and the scenes in Hades and Mount Olympus very well done (awesome). Special effects and CGI were very convincing. I don't know if kids today learn the backstory in school, namely Greek Mythology, so that they will have a reference to what is going on, but this movie might just pique their interest.


I definitely recommend this PG-13 rated movie for teens and adults.

BTW, here are some of the other adult characters in this movie: Zeus (Sean Bean), Athena (Melina Kanakaredes) Persephone (Rosario Dawson) Hades (Steve Coogan) and Poseidon (Kevin McKidd).

 

I've seen clips for this movie on TV and from what I've seen, it looks like a good movie--I'm kind of a mythology nut myself, so I'm looking forward to seeing it!

 

My parents took my kids (17 & 12) to see it on Valentine's Day and they all loved it.