My superficial reaction to this is the same as most, I suppose. As a friend says, it has all the essential elements of Harry Potter, with none of the narrative engagement.
It has some extra baggage that I think would hurt it if it were good enough. The Potter books are poorly written but very cleverly imagined. They make a cosmology from scratch, but using standard religious iconography. They are imagined cinematically.
Now here is the very same director who got the Potter movies started. And he apparently had the budget for special effects. But what a disaster!
The baggage is the Greek myths. The Jesus story is simply the historical figure completely recast by Romans in the Greek mold, but with Persian influence and flexible invention. The pantheon of local gods and the extension of the various stories of powers and vendettas simply fractionated the believes of the Romans and a singular religion was required for a newly singular empire. Probably anything would have worked, but the staying power of Christianity is the holes it leaves to be filled opportunistically, like with Potter.
The Greek gods are remnants from the invention of narrative. They are the residue of a long dead process and can only echo the forces that can be carried by modern narrative. The only thing going for it is the presumption that kids will know the stories because of the industrialized educational system we have that favors Greek history.
And, the built in parent dynamics. You have a problem with your dad? Think "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" too complicated? Here is ready material for that angst to settle in.
When watching this, I was astounded that Catherine Keener would do this. Her character is a nitwit in every dimension. Here is a real actress who has a serious career. I cannot imagine this was easy work, what with the effects. The money must have been good with the promise of many sequels, one of which would allow her to do something.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
It has some extra baggage that I think would hurt it if it were good enough. The Potter books are poorly written but very cleverly imagined. They make a cosmology from scratch, but using standard religious iconography. They are imagined cinematically.
Now here is the very same director who got the Potter movies started. And he apparently had the budget for special effects. But what a disaster!
The baggage is the Greek myths. The Jesus story is simply the historical figure completely recast by Romans in the Greek mold, but with Persian influence and flexible invention. The pantheon of local gods and the extension of the various stories of powers and vendettas simply fractionated the believes of the Romans and a singular religion was required for a newly singular empire. Probably anything would have worked, but the staying power of Christianity is the holes it leaves to be filled opportunistically, like with Potter.
The Greek gods are remnants from the invention of narrative. They are the residue of a long dead process and can only echo the forces that can be carried by modern narrative. The only thing going for it is the presumption that kids will know the stories because of the industrialized educational system we have that favors Greek history.
And, the built in parent dynamics. You have a problem with your dad? Think "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" too complicated? Here is ready material for that angst to settle in.
When watching this, I was astounded that Catherine Keener would do this. Her character is a nitwit in every dimension. Here is a real actress who has a serious career. I cannot imagine this was easy work, what with the effects. The money must have been good with the promise of many sequels, one of which would allow her to do something.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.