Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) User Reviews

Entertaining, but doesn't stick to the source material

[logeesp · 5/10 · 1 June 2020]

The Percy Jackson books were some of my favorite books growing up, and when a movie came out, I couldn't wait to see it. However, the film stays as far away from the source material as possible, which makes me wonder why the heck this movie was made.



There were certain things the movie just couldn't get right that I didn't think need changing. For example, in the book, Annabeth is blonde, Percy is 12, and when the car crash happens in the beginning, Grover was supposed to be unconscious. While it was true that Luke is evil, Percy doesn't fight him at the end. He fights Ares, the god of war.



The acting is decent, and Logan Lerman is a decent Percy Jackson. The special effects are cool, and the fights are really entertaining. The comedic elements are there, and the chemistry between the three actors are likeable.

In the end, it's just a popcorn flick for the family. It may not be the best movie ever made, but it's decent enough to enjoy. I just wish the movie stuck closer to the source material.

Good movie but not true to the books

[Laura_Ratings · 6/10 · 19 April 2022]

If you don't think too much about how it's not true to the books, the movie is actually quite entertaining. Logan Lerman is a great actor and a great Percy, but he was definitely too old for the character.

Which is one of the first major icks. In the books the characters are kids, Percy is 12, but played by a full on adult. There's a lot of other things the movies have changed but regardless of those, I still enjoyed the movies and it's too bad they were cut short.

A bit of a disappointment

[nearmiss · 6/10 · 12 February 2010]

My family went to see the movie "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" today. All of us have read the books and are big fans. I do think it's interesting the comments made about how this movie is a ripoff from Harry Potter. If you actually read the book, the movie was nothing like it. I'd say it wasn't a bad way to spend a few hours. My family liked it, at no time was I wondering how long we'd been in the theatre. But where the book was great, the movie lacked...a lot.

CGI was awesome. Medusa & her snakes were amazing.

If you can avoid paying full price (where we live you can see movies on the weekends for $5 per person before noon), you won't feel like you were short-changed with this one.

Oh my Gods and Goddesses

[JasonArgo · 6/10 · 10 February 2010]

I went to see this movie without any expectations. I haven't read the books and I only read one review in the paper.

Yes, there are parts borrowed from other movies, but what makes this movie different is that it doesn't take itself too seriously, like Harry P. It was as if most of the actors were instructed to 'Ham it up'.

I didn't look at my watch during the movie (two hours), which is a good sign that I am enjoying going along for the ride.

What I didn't like was that most of the mythology was missing. Like it was assumed knowledge. All it did was not allow me to connect to the main characters because I didn't know enough about them (from the film).

The music wasn't overbearing, but went nicely with the film. Nothing memorable except "Highway to Hell".

S/Fx were done to an acceptable level, especially Hades (the place not the God). But the Gods were too human for my liking.

Maybe the producers are hoping this film will fill in the void being left by Harry P. The hero in this movie looks about the same age as Harry in his last film.

I don't think it is a repeat watch (DVD).

A Nutshell Review: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 8 February 2010]

I guess you know the drill already. With the Lord of the Rings making Hollywood studios go into a frenzy in adapting the many fantasy books out there, not everything Tinseltown touched turned to box office gold, and more often than not, save for that famous boy wizard, what could have been pilots of franchises, became no more than false starts. I suppose it goes to show that a solid story is still fundamental, other than making yet another special effects extravaganza to try and wow a growingly jaded audience.

So the verdict for Percy Jackson & the Olympians? I dare say I was impressed by how engaging it was, so much so that 2 hours just flew by, but that doesn't mean that it didn't have its fair share of plot loopholes for you to ridicule, or clichés that make you chuckle that these are still utilized in this day and age. Simply put, if the Greek gods and goddesses were all powerful, especially that of Zeus, well the first few minutes as played by Sean Bean, made him out to be a clueless weakling who had his all powerful lightning bolt being stolen from under his nose, like taking candy from a kid, and now the kid's throwing a bad tantrum, threatening the fate of the world and that of Olympus (erm, the Empire State Building in New York, anyone?) unless his accused, the titular thief and demigod son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) coughs out his favourite toy.

But that is only if Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is guilty in the first place, given that he actually doesn't know his half-god lineage no thanks to Poseidon being horny enough (as do the other gods in their frequent visits to the human earth) to impregnate Sally Jackson (Catherine Keener), and then Sally deciding to keep Percy safe from jealous harm from other godly beings, because being the son of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades (Steve Coogan) is a big thing actually, the three being big daddies and sworn brothers in this mythology.

But of course in one fell swoop, all hell breaks loose, Percy discovers that a Pen can indeed be a powerful weapon, and allies himself with a Satyr Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) his good friend and protector, the cute demigod Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) - note the necessary trio of heroes in the vein of Harry Potter here given that they're demigods, but still need to go to a Hogwarts equivalent to hone their special abilities, amongst other Greek god offsprings numbering in the hundreds (told you they were horny), in the middle of a nowhere forest, demarcated by a sign board and a force field to keep out muggles, I mean, humans.

Being an introductory film to the world of the Olympians, we learn facts like why Percy's such a big deal (no he didn't repel the biggest foe in the franchise), and the little do's and don'ts they have to learn from the likes of the centaur Chiron (Pierce Brosnan). But kids being kids, and wanting to save his mom from the clutches of Hell, Percy and his friends embark on an American cross country road trip, and in the meantime try to decipher just who could that Thief be, having 14 days as the deadline to meet, which forms the basis of incidents and episodes that the trio come face to face with in exhibiting their powers (well, actually only Percy's).

Part of the fun is to see how other notable names in the casting list get to play up their gods and demon status. Uma Thurman stars as Medusa, spruced up by special effects snakes adorned on her head, which at certain points looked quite CG-ed for its own good. Or having Rosario Dawson star as Persephone in quite fed-up manner, and the lists goes on. Suffice to say that many of the appearances here are quite self contained in the scene they appear in, that they rarely re-appear again until the sequel (already announced for next year). Joe Pantoliano hams it up as Percy's muggle, I mean human step dad, and I was somewhat impressed by the extremely mean looking CG design of Hades, which can really strike fear with his appearance. The one that came out in the bonfire, that is.

With Clash of the Titans coming just round the corner, one wonders whether it may suffer from an audience jaded with this version's interpretation of Greek mythology, plus the uncanny use of the same villainous types that would prove detrimental by the time Titans come around. I guess that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, stay tuned when the end credits start rolling, as there's a scene that'll come on as soon as the cast list rolls off. And I certainly have no clue why "The Olympians" were dropped from the title of its release here.

Am I the only person that actually liked this film?

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 22 July 2010]

I have to admit it, I haven't read the book, but regardless of whether it was faithful or not, this rarely ruins a movie or TV adaptation for me. That said, I can understand the disappointment of those who loved the book. However, I really enjoyed this film, it is hardly the best movie I have ever seen, but I personally consider it one of the better movies of 2010 that I've seen so far, and that is saying a lot considering how disappointing some of the movies have been.

Where the film is lacking is in the storytelling. There are those who say that it gets bogged down by too many mythological references, and I have to say I kind of agree. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief had a brilliant concept to work from and a fairly original one at that, and while the references were very interesting and cleverly incorporated, the writers could have simplified a little how much they included. Back to the storytelling, it does have a lot of exciting moments, such as the scene at the museum with the fury, in Medusa's lair, the fight with the hydra, in the underworld and the climax, but some parts in the middle half drag and feel clunky, and I personally could have done with less of the scene in the casino.

Complaints aside, the film looks incredible, the special effects are excellent and the cinematography and scenery are clever and skillful. The music only adds to the excitement and the dialogue has some very nice moments with some humour from Grover and with Gabe when he is seen on television talking about Percy's disappearance and both Medusa and Persephone are deliciously seductive in looks and in dialogue. The film also moves briskly in general, and the direction is decent. Personally I liked the acting, Logan Lerman is surprisingly appealing as Percy, and Brandon T.Jackson is lots of fun as Grover. People have said Alexandra Daddario was too old as Annabeth, I wouldn't know, but she looks lovely and is very spirited in the role. Pierce Brosnan was surprisingly good as Mr Brunner/Chiron, though it was a bit of a shock seeing him with a horse's lower body, Rosario Dawson is fabulously sexy as Persephone and Sean Bean is okay as Zeus though he doesn't have much to do. The real joys however are with Uma Thurman, who gives a delicious turn as Medusa, and Steve Coogan who was a big surprise as Hades.

Overall, I actually liked this film, it was fun to watch, while nothing absolutely outstanding or mind-blowing. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

Meh....

[nic-b-2108 · 7/10 · 12 February 2010]

I recently read the book series (out of boredom), so I saw this film today with my friend. Firstly, it is quite different from the book. A major part of the storyline was completely left out (or even discarded), some parts were removed, and random parts added that did nothing for the storyline whatsoever. The beginning of the movie felt rather rushed, and hearing the 'whhaat?' from my friend confirmed the fact that they don't really explain things much in the first place. Anyone who might've recently studied Greek mythology or like to read about it as a general interest..it might make more sense to. Otherwise, it would seem a little random.

I'm never impressed when movies make changes from the books that don't greatly benefit the storyline. Unfortunately this was the case, with several things being completely different. But, if you've not read the books, you won't know any better. Still, I think keeping with the original storyline would've been fine, and definitely wouldn't have made the movie longer if done properly.

I honestly thought the acting was excellent from all of them, and there are quite a few laughs along the way.

I'm giving this a 6. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. It should've been better. I doubt they'll continue to make the other books into movies, much like they've completely botched the movie versions of my favourite books (His Dark Materials), but considering a major part of the plot was removed, it doesn't really matter much.

A fast, wild ride through Greek mythology where I got to be a demi-god for 2 hours

[napierslogs · 7/10 · 14 August 2010]

The trailers attracted me to "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" because like Percy Jackson, I too am drawn to water and feel it's the only place where I can think. Although the difference is, he's a demi-god, I am not. But this is the type of movie that allows you to dream.

It's very similar to Harry Potter: teenager has a horrible step-father, can't concentrate in school, and calls himself a loser. And then another world crashes into his, one where he is accepted, one where his true identity makes sense, and one where he is the son of a Greek God (Poseidon). It's Harry Potter merged with Greek mythology. It takes you on a wild ride full of mythological monsters, people who can't be trusted, and chances for our hero to realize his full potential.

If you like those types of stories, you should enjoy "Percy Jackson & the Olympians". I recommend skimming the IMDb FAQ section, as it allowed me to accept changes that they made to Greek mythology, and based on reading all the negative reviews, you probably shouldn't read the book first either. The inclusion of acting kings and queens like Pierce Brosnan and Catherine Keener seemed out-of-place and some of the cgi seemed clunky, but this was still a high production level movie that can transport the audience into another world as a demi-god.

For me, I enjoyed and studied Greek mythology and appreciated their attempts to modernize it, and I found myself completely immersed in their adventure, and the ending came too soon. I'm hoping for, let's say, 6, sequels. Harry Potter anyone?

For Fans of Naive Fantasy Genre

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 8 May 2010]

When his lightning bolt is stolen, Zeus (Sean Bean) accuses Poseidon's son Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) and gives ten days to Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) to return his lightning bolt; otherwise he would initiate a war against his brother. Meanwhile the dyslexic and with ADHD teenager Percy is visiting The Museum of Metropolitan of Art and is attacked by a Fury disguised in his teacher. His crippled best friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) reveals that Percy is a demigod and he is his protector and his teacher Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan) gives a pen to him telling that it is a powerful weapon. They go to Percy's house and together with his mother Sally (Catherine Keener), they drive to the Camp Half-Blood. However Sally is attacked by a Minotaur and vanishes before Percy can help her. In the camp, Percy befriends the gorgeous Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario); when they are attacked by Hades (Steve Coogan) that wants the lighting bolt for him, Percy discovers that his mother is in hell with Hades. Percy decides to travel in a dangerous quest to retrieve the lightning bolt and save his mother. However, Grover and Annabeth join him and Luke (Jake Abel) gives a powerful shield of his own to protect Percy.

"Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is a delightful adventure for fans like me of naive fantasy and family entertainment genres. The film has a great cast and excellent special effects, with monsters from the Greek mythology. There are many funny moments and a big joke with the access to the Mount Olympus through the Empire State Building. The gorgeous twenty-four year old Alexandra Daddario is too old and mature to make a romantic pair with Logan Lerman, but she has good performance in their journey. Uma Thurman is excellent in the role of Medusa. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Percy Jackson e o Ladrão de Raios" ("Percy Jackson and the Thief of Lightning Bolts")

Teenagers Right the Wrongs of Gods

[PlutoandVenus · 1 March 2010]

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief My nine year old daughter and I watched this movie together and enjoyed it for different reasons. Rated PG, Percy and the blah blah blah… (I can't ever remember the whole name) is not really as scary as it is intense – the emotional conflict of good v evil rather then the purely physical. This means not much in the way of gore and some really great monsters. In fact, I loved it more for its modern portrayal of teenage fury in an Old World Olympian setting, than my daughter did for the special effects. It is reminiscent of Harry Potter and the…blah blah blah with its special effects and Lord of the Rings blah blah of its battle of good v evil and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (that one I remember) for its centaurs and satyrs. So it's not original; it's a well done and effective story of generational angst. On top of this are the awe inspiring special effects, especially the waterworks of Poseidon and his offspring. However, those never interest me as much as the human drama, and should serve as background, not the whole movie. (Some of us really do believe that) In this case there is a good blend.

Logan Lerman, as Percy, is an angry, lovable misfit who thinks he's a loser and becomes an Olympian. This has nothing to do with the sweat and grind of the Olympics we just watched on TV, but the realization that his absent father wasn't just a lout, he was also a god. This sets up the perennial teenage conflict surrounding the question "Who am I?" Percy's quest is just a bit more bizarre than usual. He is a god, or half of one, and has to discover what that means. Lerman is a great choice for Percy, not a perfect beauty, just a good looking kid, who we identify with and want to succeed. His emotional range is better than that of most actors in kid movies; Percy is conflicted, afraid, puzzled, and determined and it all shows.

Brandon T. Jackson is Grover, Percy's sidekick and protector. Jackson is a solid presence, supporting the lead and lending his soulful eyes to the role. Along with Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth, the awesome fighter and love interest, the three become a team to right the wrongs of the gods. I like to see young women with more to do in a movie than stir a male's passion, and Annabeth (couldn't decide on a name?) does. She fights, she wins, she loses, she gets the boy, and her stunning eyes are clearly descended from the gods. Jake Abel as Luke has the complex role of a neglected god child seeking revenge any way he can - lying, stealing and cheating on his friends. Abel needed to show more passion, more love, more bitterness, to make his downfall all that more spectacular.

There is such a huge cast it's hard to comment on everyone. Of the older generation Pierce Brosnan as Mr. Brunner / Chiron gives a "yes I remember what it's like to be young and full of myself just like you" performance of the wise and patient mentor, Uma Thurman is a delightfully evil Medusa, Sean Bean, well, in my book Sean Bean is always a god so he played Zeus very well. Steve Coogan as Hades and Rosario Dawson as Persephone are fun. If it's possible to play a kidnapped woman as funny, these two manage it. Joe Pantoliano as Percy's step dad Gabe Ugliano (like the name) is a good creep but the character seems dated. Ordering a wife to fetch beer is very Archie Bunker – do jerky step dad's still do that? Maria Olsen's fury and Julian Richings Ferryman are small parts with a big impact and they are each perfectly evil. Max Van Ville has his three seconds on film as a 70's kid and uses them to perfection. These three are (therefore) perfect examples of bit parts making a difference - it is the accumulation of believable detail that carries us along on the fantasy. Catherine Keener is the washed out Sally Jackson, Percy's Mom. Since she is more heroic than the heroes, it would have been nice to see a little spark in her somewhere in her martyrdom – why would a god fall for her except that she can wear a pair of skinny jeans? (Maybe that's enough) Since a lot of Mom's are going to see this PG movie it's nice to have a son risk everything for her, as lame and uninspiring as she appears to be. In fact, the premise that these teenagers were all abandoned by, not loser parents, but by superior perfect god parents becomes a comment on parenting itself - maybe Hollywood parents in particular –rich and successful parents dumping their kids to be raised by mere mortals, the nannies and day cares of the world? However godlike Percy may be he is clearly ticked off at being abandoned and the scene with his Dad at the end encapsulates the drama.

At 118 minutes (let's see, 118 divide by 60, 2 minutes shy of 2 hours) it felt a little long. My daughter was squirming by the end. Part of her restlessness was likely the result of all the previews and being pummeled by the non stop wave of sound. Does it really have to be that loud? We were plastered to our seats with our fingers in our ears for the swelling crescendos of the battle scenes. Hey movie theaters, any body listening? (Take your fingers out of your ears) It's too loud! And those earnest, dedicated multi-millionaire movie stars exhorting us to reach into our pockets for Haiti? How 'bout each of you giving a million or two and be done with it.

A Fun Ride!

[PeaNUT_boY · 7/10 · 11 February 2010]

I have read the book however, I'll be writing this review as if it was purely a film only.

The film had it all it was an enjoyable fast paced action film that definitely can keep the younger viewers in there seats without them becoming to restless. It even pleased some of the older viewers so its a well balanced film suitable for all ages. It's one of the more light hearted but exciting action films that will keep viewers engaged from beginning to end.

In terms of acting the lead trio to a wonderful job and the supporting cast were strong as well.

One downside I would like to comment on is that for a relatively large budget film technically its not great. There were noticeable lack of continuity from the make-up department. i.e. Percy's hair is neat, next scene its scruffy, next scene its neat again. In addition, the choreography of the sword fighting scenes were disjointed thus not allowing the fighting to feel natural. I don't want to go into too much detail as to not accidentally reveal any spoilers. There are a few more technical issues I had with it but it doesn't really matter.

Overall it is a wonderful film that I would recommend everyone to watch.

Good Idea, Rashly Executed

[ProScrybed · 4/10 · 8 July 2010]

The premise of this movie - that Greek gods were real and have offspring in the modern world - is interesting. But the execution of this idea felt very rushed in this movie. I haven't read the book, so can't judge where the blame lies for this.

The movie is an enjoyable way to kill a couple of hours, but isn't as engrossing as other movies of this genre.

Several big stars feature in cameo roles and for anyone who knows a fair bit about who celebrities are, this tends to distract from the movie. Uma Thurman, Brosnan, etc., aren't really given the screen time to build a strong character for themselves. Perhaps the best of these is Steve Coogan playing Hades, but even here you send most of his screen time thinking "oh look, it's Steve Coogan" rather than being drawn into the movie. It could have benefited from having the minor roles played by less known actors - as it is, their appearances tend to detract from the main characters who actually do a good job with the material they have been given.

But these are minor concerns - the biggest problem with this movie is that Percy finds out he's a demigod and suddenly seems to develop gifts with no effort or training, just by virtue of knowing his past. At the start of the movie, he already demonstrated an exceptional ability to remain underwater for long periods of time. But after finding out he's a demigod, he develops strong sword fighting skills with no training or effort (the start of the fight between the red helmets and the blue helmets, before the water "thing"), and later is capable of manipulating water in a couple of scenes without being taught this skill or having any difficulty or doubts about his ability to do it. This is just preposterous. The mythical/other worldly framework is generally used to provide a context to display human failings, struggles, and virtues. Instead, in Percy Jackson, this framework is used to simply give the lead character a loose justification for overcoming other mythical creatures. He doesn't have to question how to use his powers, nor does he have to put any effort into developing these powers.

Like I say, the movie isn't so bad as to make it unwatchable, but they really missed a chance to make this movie have a strong impact by failing to give it any depth. It is all just the bells and whistles of CGI and having mythological creatures just to have some interesting looking battles and a trip to the underworld. It could have been so much more. Whether this is a failing of the movie, the books, or both, is up to those who have read the books to decide. But the movie reeks of jumping on the Harry Potter bandwagon in an attempt to get box- office success, while ignoring the fact that those movies were built on books that had some depth to them. That is what gave them their cultural poignancy. This movie lacks it completely.

5 points for movies, 2 points for effort

[darkmax · 6/10 · 11 February 2010]

I have not read the book or even know what the story is about. I have been careful not to build any sort of expectations for this one. Well... here's the way I would break down the movie.

1. Story/Screenplay - If this is an adaptation from a book, it has failed miserably. the is flat and two dimensional. Plot wise, the movie is extremely straight forward, but it is nothing you would not expect out of a PG rated movie.

2. Actors - The veterans are well within their comfort zones. Sean Bean, though a good actor in his own right, is in the wrong role. I see him more as Poseidon than Zeus. The youngsters are fairly wooden and 2D in their craft. Believable but sorely lacking in emotions.

3. CGI - Okay, after Jurassic Park so many years ago, CGI has become so fundamental, it no longer holds much ground in 99% of all Hollywood movies. Nothing fantastic at all. That is my humble opinion.

4. Actions/Fight Scenes - So much potential wasted from start to end. To say it meets basic action fight scene requirement for a movie in this genre would be somewhat of an insult to its peers.

5. Overall Experience - The first half an hour felt as though we are going to get to know the characters well, but that ended abruptly. At this point the movie switch to an action mode but not long after it got toned down again. the pace can only be described as taking a joyride up a series of rolling hills.

Read books, Like movie even tho different

[brandas2000 · 9/10 · 15 February 2010]

I will not ramble on and on with opinions that include comparisons to other movies, books or characters. I will only say "This is a MOVIE and NOT REAL" before I continue....

As far as the books - I purchased these books for my 11 year old daughter last year and started to read them myself. I love Greek mythology and enjoy the premise of these books. My daughter and all her friends are totally obsessed with them (oops, here comes a comparison), something that hasn't happened since Harry Potter. I think the first book was a little monotonous with the kids continuing to get in the same binds over and over and never catching on. The other books are not so much his way. They are fun, full of action and humor, fast-read books.

As far as the movie of the first book - The screenplay is very loosely based on the book. The characters are older in the movie and can drive (significant since they cannot drive themselves anywhere in the book). Yet, I still enjoyed the adaptation. There is *no way* the movie could have all the content of the book.

Only very slightly unnerving was all the sexual innuendo. This really was not in the book and would not have been since the kids are much younger. So, for my daughter and her friends, this kind of freaked them out, but just a little bit.

Summary - we all enjoyed it and will definitely buy the DVD. They did a good job of keeping the basic idea of the book including the action and clever comedic lines.

Disappointed

[jin4739 · 16 February 2010]

Here's the deal. I read the first book, I'm currently reading the second... I loved the books, the imagination, the way it ties the mythology with the 21st century, all great. Now, the movie... the only thing I really have to say is PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give me back the 2 hours you just unmercifully wasted in my life. I saw this flick with my fiancé on Valentine's Day, my pick. It was so bad even I nearly fell asleep. They changed major plot lines in the book, took out some of the characters that I really wanted to see, added a few that didn't exist in the book, and it was overall just kind of boring. Big effects don't do enough to keep me awake when I was really looking forward to knowing what would happen next in the movie and how it would be made. Instead I just sit there mindless, wondering if it wasn't too late to sneak into Avatar instead. If there is a movie made from the other books in the series... I'll probably download it online, but I won't spend money to see it. Huge, huge disappointment.

Fun Mythology

[TourettesPersonal · 7/10 · 13 February 2010]

I haven't red the book yet. here's what i think about this movie: The script is gay, good story, weak plot, the acting is not that good. but the directing makes this movie fun, but sometimes it's slow. the special effects is just ordinary like G.I. Joe but better. the movie is entertaining, and funny. this is not the best movie ever, but this is one of those movies that you want to watch it all over again without being tired of watching it. It's easy to understand the story. the action scenes are fast and entertaining. the music is just ordinary to a fantasy movie. the script is gay. The monsters in this movie (not spoilers! shown in trailer!) are like vampires or zombies or giant infected bull. Don't forget this is a Greek Mythology! Logan Lerman is good being a main hero of this movie. Alexandra Daddario's acting is weak. Brandon T. Jackson makes this film funny. Uma Thurman is a great Medusa (only when she was decapitated(don't worry it's not spoilers. everybody who knows Greek Myths knows that will happen to her)). Percy Jackson is not better then AVATAR or Sherlock Holmes but if you want to watch a fun movie this week, watch this. I don't know if the fans of the book will like this.

3.5/5

go percy go!

[dschlatter · 7/10 · 16 February 2010]

don't take my rating too seriously... I'll explain why. when I first saw the trailer, my first thought was: which one of my friends would possibly be willing to watch that movie with me? well, i found one. i didn't know the percy-books, i know only the basics of creek mythology (don't care about it either) and I would never watch harry potter. so in theory I should not be able to like PJ. but somehow the movie promised to have some action, humor and a decent entertainment value. and it did. i didn't care about the plot (it didn't matter who turned out to be the actual lightning thief) and about the whole silliness of the movie (the entrance to the olymp is through an elevator in the empire state building. for crying out loud!)... i just enjoyed it. and you viewers should do the same. just go into the cinema thinking 'ah, what the hell' and you will not be disappointed.

A very good movie, and overall appropriate for children!

[canadasmoviefan · 8/10 · 16 February 2010]

Though i have not yet read this book, the movie seemed to be very well done. I took my little brother and sister and two of their friends to this movie today and they loved it! There was a decent amount of humour in this movie and the 3 new, young leads did a great job carrying this movie throughout. Though this movie seemed to have quite an original ideal behind it, flashes of chronicles of narnia seemed to creep there way into my head. Horse men, mystical worlds, and the young leaders that hold the hopes of keeping the world together all produced a similar feel to the chronicles series however, the Lightening Thief held its own and was overall a very good movie, one of which i would strongly advise ANY age group to go see in theatres:)

Spoiled Lotus

[tedg · 22 August 2010]

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.

Olympian Adventures with a Sense of Humor

[patrik_andersson · 7/10 · 12 February 2023]

This movie is like a big, fat slice of fun-filled, lighthearted adventure cake, topped with a generous serving of humor and charm. And let's be real, sometimes that humor can be a bit stupid, but I for one, loved every silly moment of it.

Now, let's talk about the parts that dragged a little. I mean, we all know the Lotus scene was pretty much the equivalent of watching paint dry. But, I still find myself giving it a pass because, well, it's just that charming. And let's be honest, we all could use a little bit of lighthearted humor and charm in our lives, especially after the year we've all had.

But despite its flaws, I still found myself thoroughly enjoying Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It's a movie that transports you to a world of mythical creatures, heroes, and adventure, and that's pretty darn magical if you ask me. The plot is somewhat predictable, but in a good way. It's comforting to know that you can sit back and enjoy the ride without having to constantly guess what's going to happen next.

If you're in the mood for some good old-fashioned fantasy fun, this movie is a must-watch. And who knows, you might even learn a thing or two about Greek mythology along the way.

So, all in all, I'd say that Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a movie that's definitely worth your time. Just remember, it's all about suspending your disbelief, embracing the charm, and enjoying the ride.

Logic errors to the max

[fast-giga · 1/10 · 4 August 2013]

I haven't read the book and watch this movie only on TV. I can't agree with all critics. There are many things about this movie which are not terrible. Its obviously a movie for children. The child actors are not extremely terrible and the effects are also not terrible, the famous actors play even acceptable...thats about it. The story and the behaviour of all characters is just ridiculous. If you really pay attention and don't shut of your brain completely you will experience logic flaws all over the movie. If you haven't heard anything about Greek mythology you may be able to overlook some of them.

All in all you can just say that the idea behind the story is really good, but the way this story is portrayed, how it evolves is just incredible stupid. I'm not talking about my personal opinion, I'm talking about logic errors everywhere.

Not book friendly

[aaliciaranea · 6/10 · 13 August 2023]

Overall, this was a good movie... But if you are a fan of the book series you will be extremely disappointed. Next to none of it corresponded with the books. Personally, I absolutely hated how they aged up all the demigods... I get it, they have been doing it a lot with book to screen adaptations but I still really hated it. That being said, if you disregard the fact that it is in fact a book to screen adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lighting Theif it was a good movie. It progressed nicely and some of the effects were amazing. Genuinely, it's not a bad movie... however, )as a big fan of not only the Percy Jackson series but of Rick Riordan) it is definitely not something that I would recommend to watch.

Entertaining

[gianmarcoronconi · 7/10 · 30 January 2022]

Quite entertaining films for children and without too many problems, which however focus a lot on the plot and its meaning, because the plot has some parts that are logically wrong. Otherwise the film is very good and with nice special effects.

Enjoyable (+ Important Note)

[Celestial_Star_ · 8/10 · 16 February 2010]

I am a fan of the books and wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the movie. I was worried it would be another fiasco like the great-book-to-not-so-great-movie Eragon.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, the movie didn't follow the book exactly, but that would be difficult considering how long the original book was. I thought the movie managed to stay close enough to the book that it was still an enjoyable experience to watch it for a fan of the book.

I think, overall, the actors fit their characters quite well-- especially Logan Lerman. If they had just started the movie with him a few years younger, it would have been perfect.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a funny clip halfway through the credits- so stick around!

Awful adaptation. If you're a book fan, stay away

[katyaamog · 3/10 · 26 March 2018]

The title pretty much says it all. This is one of the most infuriatingly bad and lazy adaptations I've ever seen. 20 year old actors pretending to be teenagers who are supposed to be kids, plot lines completely missing, new and dumb additions that don't contribute whatsoever to the movie. The spirit or the book series is nowhere to be seen.