Teenage angst with Greek gods

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief – Chris Columbus

A teenage novel turned into a film. A common thing nowadays, it seems any children’s or teenage novel released, and a group of people enjoy it, the studios are now snapping up to make mega dosh from. I really hope these trends stop soon, it’s becoming boring and predictable, and we’ve already had the huge explosion of Harry Potter and Twilight. I want more adult themed kinda stuff, shit that doesn’t make sense you know. I can’t imagine films like Donnie Darko or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ever coming from novels, because they are too much to handle, which is why the gap between films like Harry Potter and Twilight will never be classic filmmaking, rather just cult classics for a new generation of film goers. But, sometimes, a film can come out of this whole thing that changes the game, creates the difference between a clear definition of cash-cow and genuinely for the audience, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians seems to want to be the later, creating a new exciting franchise that i would love to see more being made in the future.

The film tells the story of the family of Greek Gods, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, the three brothers that rule the Heaven, the sea and the underworld. A rule had been made where the sons and daughters of these gods, made with humans would be abandoned and left on earth to fend for them and have powers from these gods. As well as these gods, demi-gods also have sons and daughters where they have connections to their powers. Introducing Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, one of the most powerful humans on Earth, but he is a teen at school, who soon learns that he is much more powerful than he first thought, where the people around him know of his secret and help him become who he is meant to be. After Zeus’s powerful weapon, the lightning bolt is stolen, many blame Percy, including Zeus who threatens to destroy the human race if the bolt isn’t returned in a set amount of time.

It’s a great plot, with different twists and turns and for a film advertised for teenagers and the younger audience, it holds up well, really well. Has a great cast with the likes of Steve Coogan, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd, Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson and Uma Thurman all performing well, doing the best they can. It has some great action scenes and a good pace. It’s a real surprise, i guarantee you’ll find the film exciting and a good Sunday night film.

7/10

Simon Childs