Susan Granger’s review of “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” (20th Century Fox)
Aimed specifically at ‘tweens and teens, this fantasy-adventure appeals to family audiences
Coping with dyslexia, ADHD and a substitute English teacher who, literally, becomes an angry, avenging Fury, frustrated teenager Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is dispatched from the streets of New York to Half-Blood Camp, where he discovers to his amazement that he’s a demigod, son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), the Greek god of the sea.
According to his mentor, the centaur Chiron (Pierce Brosnan), Percy’s been accused of stealing the lightning bolt belonging to his father’s brother, Zeus (Sean Bean), and if it is not returned quickly, a war between the gods will break out, endangering all mankind.
With two friends – Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), a wisecracking, half-goat Satyr, and butt-kicking Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena – Percy is determined to rescue his mortal mother (Catherine Keener) who is held hostage by Hades (Steve Coogan, channeling Mick Jagger), god of the underworld and to discover who really stole Zeus’ most-prized weapon. Since Percy’ real name is Perseus, it’s inevitable that the trio will meet up with and decapitate the menacing, snake-haired Medusa (Uma Thurman) on their road trip across America with a layover in Las Vegas, a.k.a. land of the lotus-eaters, before entering the portal of hell’s fiery furnace (located just below the famed Hollywood sign) and a final face-off with the culprit atop the Empire State Building (gateway to lofty Mt. Olympus).
Adapted by Craig Titley from the first installment in Rick Riordan’s five-volume series and directed by “Harry Potter”-honed Chris Columbus, it’s like a junior-grade Hogwarts archetypal quest by a lad with paternal issues. Highlighted battles with a Minotaur, Medusa and a multi-headed Hydra, the CGI is eye-popping and inventive, like having Percy use the reflective exterior of his iPod in place of a mirror and fly in winged Converse high-tops.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is a fun, simplistic 7, providing an imaginative visit to classical Greek mythology.
