Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) User Reviews

Back to Camp Half-Blood

[aaronjbong · 6/10 · 25 August 2013]

Greek mythology returns in "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters", the sequel to 2010's "The Lightning Thief". Based on the novels by Rick Riordan, the series puts a spin on the rich mythology by blending it with modern society, which is kind of interesting.

The bulk of all the characters here are demigods/half-bloods (offspring of gods and humans). But the protagonist is Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Poseidon. Previously, he along with his besties Annabeth (daughter of Athena) and Grover (a satyr), stopped Luke, the Lightning thief, from destroying Olympus. Here, Camp Half-Blood (demigods' safe haven) are under threat after Thalia's tree, the boundary that protects the camp, is poisoned. The only thing that can heal it is the Golden Fleece which is located on an island in the Sea of Monsters, or what we like to call the Bermuda Triangle.

The movie is quite action-packed and pits our hero against a variety of Greek monsters. I loved the scene where the half-bloods had to face the Colchis bull. The mechanical bull was quite extraordinary and that scene was entertaining. However, I felt that the climax was a bit of a letdown as all the tension that had been generated zipped away so quickly.

Characters come and go. In "Sea of Monsters", much of the ensemble cast that make up the deities from the previous film are absent. We will see no more of Zeus (Sean Bean), Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), Hades (Steve Coogan), Persephone (Rosario Dawson), and Chiron (Pierce Brosnan). That means most of the experienced actors are out (not to forget Uma Thurman as Medusa). In replacement, we get Dionysus portrayed by the reliable Stanley Tucci. The gods Hermes and Chiron have replacements (Nathan Fillion and Anthony Head, respectively). We also have the clumsy but humble Tyson (Douglas Smith), Percy's cyclops half-brother, and the self-eccentric Clarisse La Rue (Leven Rambin), demigod daughter of Ares.

The movie had lots of scenes involving special effects. It was okay but it wasn't excellent. Some of the creatures were stunning (the hippocampus was amazing and eye-candy) whereas some looked pretty cheap and effortless (Kronos).

Under the direction of a new director, the movie is more faithful to the source compared to the first movie's similarity to the book (although by a tiny bit). But that's not to say some of the scenes diverge from he book. The movie is quite well-paced and during the ride, there are plenty of laughs to enjoy.

Overall, "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" is quite an enjoyable film. It's not better than the first and it's not worse than the first. It has quite an interesting premise and some fine action sequences.

Rating: 6/10

Final Verdict: "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" is a decent sequel that provides plenty of action scenes and laughs, with passable acting and okay visual effects.

Paves a Promising path for a sequel

[seshimaroo · 7/10 · 21 August 2013]

My expectations were very low for this movie. The reviews were rotten, I could tell it was nothing like the book from just the trailer, and it was cut from the ugly cloth of the Lightning Thief movie, despite both films being based upon source material with limitless potential. After watching this movie in the theater and bracing for Logan Lerman's flawless portrayal of dirt, I ended up getting thrown a real treat.

Not to say it was a really good movie. The acting ranged from good to sickening. The plot was already cursed to be soiled due to the the first film's failure at adaptation. Half the characters introduced in the first novel, but not the first movie, came up this time. It was nice to have Mr. D and Clarisse, and even Chris Rodriguez, make an appearance on the screen. Despite this, the script itself was full of corny lines (mostly uttered through the mouths of Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario). Some of my favorite script moments were Tyson's little comments here and there,("At least there's no line." and when he sings an all too familiar song...)and then Hermes(Nathan Fillion) was well adapted and written, and also portrayed well by the actor. Another thing to note was the film's overall humor. In the first film, the characters took the story so seriously, it was hilarious without their intention. In this film, the filmmakers, writers and actors, actually intend to have fun and be ridiculous, which makes the film more worthwhile.

I can't say the visual effects were the best, but they really weren't that bad. Many reviewers site "video-gamey" CGI. Well, if it's video game graphics, then it's the best video game graphics I've ever seen. They aren't super-realistic, but the special effects are decent.I have to point out that there was an awesome scene of CGI when the Oracle explains the story of Kronos to Percy. This scene was creative and well done, especially with it's stain-glass window style.

The film's score (composed by Andrew Lockington) was pretty epic, but not entirely memorable. It won't get much awards, but it was really well done and held the movie together.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters only settles for being an "okay" movie. There are constant deviations from the novel, only decent scripting, acting, visual effects, good music, and mixed acting. However, it is not a waste, especially for fans of Percy Jackson. I enjoyed the movie, and The Sea of Monsters is my favorite book, despite changes. Now that many characters and plot points have been set into place after being shattered y the first film, the makers of this film have paved a promising path for another film that may be even better than the first two.

Hoping for the next movie

[Canadian_Haggis · 7/10 · 10 August 2013]

I love the Percy Jackson books, it's one of my favourite book series. Thought the first film was alright, but a mediocre version of the books. When I heard that there was going to be a second one, I was very skeptical that it would work considering the number of bad changes they've done to the Lightning Thief.

But once I learned that screen writers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski were hired to adapt it (who aren't credited for some reason), I began to feel hopeful for the Sea of Monsters. Alexander and Karaszewski had previously worked on the bio-pics Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and Man on the Moon. I thought that they'd look up the books and do justice to Percy Jackson.

Just came back from seeing it and I really like it, thought it was better than The Lightning Thief. I didn't think that it was a great film, some of the dialogue felt awkward to me, but overall I had fun and felt some justice was done. Yes, there was some changes made to the Sea of Monsters but nothing as bad as the previous film. I enjoyed watching Stanley Tucci (Mr. D), Anthony Stewart Head (Chiron), and Ron Perlman (Polyphemus).

Definitely see it if you like the books. Now I'm hoping to see the next films in the series!

Best Thing About This Is The Special Effects

[jparker9899 · 11 August 2013]

This movie was a major disappointment in my opinion. I've read the books and I loved them so I thought the movie would be pretty good too! I was wrong. Problem one is that it was a little too slow. They could have easily shortened 10 to 15 minutes of this movie but yet unnecessary parts were added. Problem two is that the acting was just not good. They could have done a much better job and at least tried to act in character. The biggest problem is that this movie was just stupid. It took them up until the last 20 minutes to reach their destination and to get to the whole point. Up until then there were just time wasters. The only good thing about this film is the special effects. I saw this in 3-D and i give it applause for its amazing graphics and special effects. Other than that though, this movie isn't worth seeing, it has countless flaws and problems. Don't waste your money on it.

Entertaining Film

[urockband · 7/10 · 19 September 2013]

To start off, it was a really great movie that never failed to keep me entertained. There were, however; some bad aspects of this movie. The acting was well above average, though some characters came off as a bit corny in some of the dialogue that I believed could be said in a much better way or expression to tone down the corniness.

I have not read the books so I cannot judge how the characters portrayed their book counterparts but I will take the word of many reviewers on this title and agree with them on this issue. But, even without reading the books I couldn't imagine a better set of young actors for the roles. The actress who played "Clarisse" - Leven Rambin, mostly caught my eye with her acting. She was superb in the role as Clarisse and every scene she did was great.

Some moments or events in the movie were fairly predictable. And the idea of the movie seemed to follow every other film in the "The Main Characters never die"...The sad moments in the movie were immediately changed to bring happiness to the audience but in my opinion, I would like a little tragedy in such films.

A boy, the son of Poseidon, faces a quest to help save his home. The antagonist made such a brief appearance in the film and the problem was dealt with fairly easily. Almost, too good that there wasn't such big trouble going against the "evil boss"...But I am sure we haven't seen the end of him. I am anxiously waiting for the next movie as the story is simply great, exciting, and entertaining.

I just went today to see this movie in the theater and I actually came out of the movie feeling pretty satisfied and not at all disappointed. I chose this movie over The GetAway and I was glad I made the choice considering the rating and reviews I saw for that movie.

In summary: The actors were great, the dialogue was good except for some corny parts that definitely needed a look over. The story is simply perfect and the whole rating of the movie was good. You would love this movie if you really liked the first part. Definitely a Film Series worth watching.

We Make Our Own Destiny

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 8 December 2013]

The Camp Half-Blood is protected by Thalia, a daughter of Zeus that sacrificed her life to save the young Annabeth, Grover and Luke from an attack of Cyclops and was transformed by her father into a magical tree. Out of the blue, Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is visited by his unknown half- brother Cyclops Tyson (Douglas Smith) and they discover that Thalia was poisoned and is dying. Then the camp is attacked by a Colchis Bull but it is vanquished by Percy. Soon he learns that Luke (Jake Abel) is the one that has poisoned the magical tree.

Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) discovers the mystic Golden Fleece is capable to heal Thalia and save their camp. But Mr. D (Stanley Tucci) assigns the winner demigod Clarisse (Leven Rambin) to the quest of retrieving the magic fleece. However Percy Jackson, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson decide to follow an ancient prophecy and they go to the dangerous journey to the Sea of Monsters to recover the Golden Fleece from Luke that wants to revive the evil Kronos to destroy the Olympus.

"Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" is a reasonable infantile adventure of the demigod son of Poseidon Percy Jackson. The beautiful Clarisse is an unpleasant character and Percy Jackson is a weak hero; Tyson is too dumb and Grover is funny but coward. Therefore the only attractive character is Annabeth, gorgeous and strong. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Percy Jackson e o Mar de Monstros" ("Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters")

A Complete Embarrassment

[hastebahar · 4/10 · 9 August 2013]

If you haven't read the books, the review is not for you. This movie is enjoyable and entertaining for an action movie, and there are funny parts as well as suspenseful parts. If you have read the books, however, here you go. I'm just going to cut straight to the point here - this movie was a joke. From the acting to the attempt to bring Rick Riordan's world to life, everything was wrong. So wrong, in fact, that after the movie finished I sat there in stunned silence thinking, "That's it?". I didn't go in this movie with high expectations since the first movie was such a disaster. However, I thought that since Annabeth's hair was blonde and the trailer looked promising, this movie would be at least better than the first one. I was wrong. Let's just start with the actors; the only two that impressed me with their performances were Leven Rambin as Clarisse and Stanley Tucci as Mr. D. Even though Leven didn't look the part, her sarcasm and fieriness matched the Clarisse in the books. Mr. D was perfect, I only wish he had been in the first movie. The rest of the actors were either horrible or just mediocre. Logan Lerman was a bore as Percy, barely able to be the witty smart-aleck from the books. Brandon T. Jackson was simply a comedic relief and nothing else. I saw none of Grover's personality in him. Douglas Smith, while a good actor by himself, didn't play the Tyson I imagined. He was smart, spoke clearly, and was even attractive with two eyes. Come on Thor Freudenthal, can you cast anyone who isn't remotely good-looking? The worst was Alexandria Daddadrio. She conveyed no emotion, her lines were monotone, and the way she played the damsel-in-distress, Percy-obsessed girl was so unnatural. Since when is Annabeth the one who needs saving? Anyways, I know that book-to-movie adaptations are incredibly hard to cast, so pushing aside the disappointments with that, lets just go to the storyline. The beginning was good. I thought it was sensible, for time's sake, to cut out the whole dodge ball game at the beginning of the book and introduce Tyson in another way. The flashback to the original trio was good, the bull fight was just how I imagined it, but Grover shouldn't have been there. He should've been already away, looking for Pan. I don't understand why they had to have him in camp; this was honestly such a simple thing they could've done to please the fans. Chiron's exile from the camp was also a simple touch they could've added. Once they go on the quest however, everything turns into a big mess. Grover getting captured by Luke? Finding Clarisse in the stomach of Scylla? All of a sudden, Clarisse is agreeing with everything Percy says? Then, the most disappointing part of all, the entire Circe's island scene was skipped along with the siren scene, which was a major development point for Percy and Annabeth's relationship (but I guess they don't need any development since they had them almost kissing at the end of The Lightning Thief). The dramatic and highly unnecessary amusement park scenes with Luke were so ridiculous they had me laughing. Why did Kronos come out in his full form, and why on Earth was Percy able to defeat him with a simple slash of his sword? That made no sense at all and I'm sure that even non-book readers would be confused at how a sword, even a "cursed sword" could immediately defeat the most powerful Titan with one cut. Also, has nobody realized that the Iris message has been completely ignored in this movie and the previous? Why leave out a form of communication so vital to the books? Lastly, something that wasn't necessary but would've added a lot more comedy to the movie than Grover's lame one-liner's were the "party ponies" who rescue Percy at the end. The reviving of Thalia was well done, although I don't understand Clarisse and Percy's sudden bonding. In the books, those two hate each other for all five books, and I can never remember them exchanging a smile or an understanding nod. In conclusion, I felt almost as though the director was trying to stray as far as the book as possible. Why couldn't they have curled Annabeth's hair, had Tyson have slow and slurred speech, added the search for Pan to the story, and so many other little things that may have made up for the scene skipping and melodramatic almost- deaths. If you love the books, I say stay as far away from this movie as possible, unless you want to go home with a yearn to reread the entire series just to remind yourself of the characters and story and get the awful portrayal out of your mind. That's all I have to say.

A Story without a Soul

[RNMorton · 6/10 · 8 September 2013]

Heavy spoiler ahead. I'm not a professional movie or literature critic. I don't really think in the abstract of "character development" or other cinematic terms of art. But I know that for me there was something essential missing in this movie. To hit the high points - all the characters including Percy are well if somewhat superficially played, with the exception of course of Tucci, a perfect cast for Dionysus who seems to have found a niche in recent fantasy/sci-fi films. The special effects are pretty good, closer to overwhelming/unbelievable than necessary but better than say Transformers. And the story doesn't drag, it moves around enough to keep you semi-interested. The problem is, I never get fully involved, for two reasons: 1) I don't understand why the characters do what they do; and 2) some of what happens just doesn't make sense (neither of which were as big a problem in the first movie, which was engaging and one or two notches above this). I'll give you one example of each. 1) I missed who Annabeth's mom was (Athena), please remind me of who Athena was and how that would impact on her behavior. Hermes says he made mistakes raising Luke - like what? Tell me something about that. The satyr - what makes him unique and how does that affect his behavior? The movie is more like this happens, then that happens, and this guy is this way and that guy is that way, then this happens, and then this happens. Tryon seems more connected to Poseidon then Percy - give me a hint why. I'm having trouble articulating this but much of what happens seems artificial and arbitrary. There's also not a lot of humor in this movie, which I think is somehow connected to point 1). Percy's lack of connection with his dad is a great great opportunity - use it! (without beating it to death) At the end of the movie, close by having Percy and Tyson go the lake, commiserate about how hard it is to feel connected to dad, and then have a bubble or something come up from the middle of the lake. How could they miss that?!? One example for point 2 - Percy pretty much single-handedly defeats the Bull - how can everyone else not know about that? How can they not congratulate him? Why would Clarisse still say he's a loser? He saved the whole group! I don't know, but it seems like there's a much better way of working with the great basic premise of the Percy Jackson franchise than this.

A perfect recipe for a terrible movie

[cawleyjack73 · 3/10 · 10 August 2013]

I just watched this movie earlier, and I did go into the movie screen expecting not a lot as I hated the first one.

*NON-SPOILER* The first thing I noticed in the movie was the terrible CGI, that stuck out like a sore thumb among the background. And the next thing I noticed was the mediocre acting, worsened by the dozens of cheesy, humorless and cheesy one-liners throughout the movie.

*SPOILER* The story was downright predictable also, as it ended as most generic action/adventure movies ended, the bad guy releasing they had done bad and the main character killing the main baddie.

*NON-SPOILER* The only good thing in this movie I could think about was the locations the characters found themselves in. The locations ranged from cities, to woods to the middle of the ocean.

The main character, Percy Jackson is supposed to be the half-blood son of Poseidon (a water god) and barely uses water AT ALL throughout the movie to his advantage. *SPOILER* And an even particularly silly scene where they are about to be swallowed by a large water monster thing, the water powers Percy has don't actually 'work'.

All in all, this movie is a complete waste of money, complete with cheesy one-liners, boring story, tedious acting and just an all-over negative viewing experience.

3/10

Cute and fun for younger audiences

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 13 September 2013]

It's refreshing to see a relatively non violent adventure fantasy suitable for younger audiences again. Yet older audiences can enjoy it too. I actually prefer the story to the Hunger Games stories with all the killing.

The effects and creatures are slightly fake and unreal looking but it adds to the charm. Cute blending of mythology and the present story.

Logan Lerman still looks young enough for the role but Alexandra Daddario is looking a bit older.

I remember enjoying the first one slightly more with the novelty of the characters but this one is alright enough.

Nope, Nope, Nope.

[abes3933 · 1/10 · 28 August 2013]

Just for the record, I have read all the books multiple times and I understand that the movie won't follow the book completely.

But they could at least follow the story line a bit more.

So, the beginning of the movie starts out at camp. I actually didn't mind the very, very beginning of the movie. I thought it was fun. It all went downhill from there.

The next few scenes slightly follow the book in a way that it is good enough to pass.

Then you get to the oracle where Percy learns his destiny. THEY DIDN'T EVEN FOLLOW THE MYTHOLOGY! They said that Cronos swallowed all of his kids EXCEPT Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Then they chopped him up. Those who don't know, he swallows all of his kids except Zeus who is taken away until he's old enough to trick his father into throwing up all of his kids and they - depending on the version - castrate, or chop up their father.

They then proceeded that at the demigod's 20th birthday (I can't complain too much, Logan Lerman can't pass as a thirteen year old) he shall either save or destroy Olympus.

Setting out on the quest, to save Thalia's tree, with Annabeth, Tyson AND Grover, who we know is in Polyphemus' lair, stalling their marriage. Grover is kidnapped and sent to Polyphemus who we later see, slightly following the book, dressed as a woman, pretending to be a maid.

They don't know where Luke is, who is the one who captured Grover, so they go to see his Dad, Hermes, at the Demigod post office.

They learn he's on a boat, they leave, find the boat, and they're stuck. When they do escape, they go into the sea of monsters and get swallowed by the first monster they come by in the book. Meeting Clarisse down there. They escape together and finally get to an island.

In the book, Polyphemus lives on a nice island that has green grass and is completely healthy, thanks to the fleece. You've got the flesh-eating sheep and all that jazz.

In the movie, they get to the island that is an abandoned amusement park. They go down this roller coaster for a few seconds until they get stopped by rocks, which marks the entrance to Polyphemus' lair.

Fast forward, they have the fleece, and locked Polyphemus into he lair with a boulder. They meet Luke and his men, including Selena Beauregard (I might not have spelt that right) who practically saves the day in the fifth book, and they shoot Tyson who falls into a chasm.

Finally, they're tied up and Luke uses the fleece to revive Cronos. He succeeds and Cronos swallows Luke and Grover.

Percy's blade saves the day and they put Cronos back in the coffin. Grover is back and Luke is thrown into Polyphemus' cave where we assume he's eaten.

Annabeth is stabbed and she dies. Then is revived by the fleece. Tyson is back and they head back where the camp is waiting.

The rest makes sense, they go back to normal life, but alas, Thalia has been healed and is back.

I hope to god they don't make another movie. There isn't a way for them to make another one and still have the same outcome that they have in the book unless they do some crazy thing that barely passes for OK. I don't know what Rick Riordan was thinking when he helped - if he helped - with the making of this movie.

DO NOT SEE IT IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK. It's a waste of money and time.

An unexpected adventure

[forgotmypassword2009 · 10/10 · 29 August 2013]

I personally adore the books, and although I think that they are targeted towards 10 year old boys who enjoy adventure, they are worth the read!

Therefore, when I watched the film adaptation of Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters I was slightly nervous. This was because the first film was so good as measured up so well, including all of the vital facts from the first book; and also because there's always an underlying fear that the second part of a series is never as good as the first.

However, this film took me completely by surprise. Great for all of the family, it serves the purpose of danger, drama and adventure, just as Percy Jackson should always be. The slightest hint of romance was also present in this film, with the Percy/Annabeth plot line much more vibrant in this second film than in either it's corresponding book, or the first film, which should help to keep the audience enthralled with the series. Although this was different in the books (there was nothing but friendship between the two until book 4) I think this was a strong move for the writers to make.

I do wonder how many of these films they are planning to develop; with five books I would hope all five would be filmed. There are hints that the final book at least will be developed into a film, with the introduction of Percy's prophecy in the Sea of Monsters.

The characters were ever lovable; Percy's charm, Annabeth's wit and Grover's humour. Leven Rambin made a extraordinary portrayal of the character Clarisse, capturing her fire and competitiveness, much like her portrayal of Glimmer in The Hunger Games. Douglas Smith also made the character of Tyson lovable, with his goofiness; the character proving himself, mostly to Annabeth by the end of the film.

This film is great family entertainment (Logan Lerman attracting the attention of the teenage girls) and one of my favourite aspects of the series is the lessons that they teach children about mythology (though I would suggest reading up on it, as many of the myths and fables are changed to suit the film!) These books actually helped me a lot in my Latin classes, so I would recommend them to anyone!

A decent sequel

[abraham-abeach · 7/10 · 6 August 2013]

Keying in my first review in IMDb after watching a premiere show for the first time.

Percy Jackson: Sea Monsters is a decent effort as a sequel to the lighting thief. It is not entirely necessary to watch the first part to watch. The story is good on its own. However I did notice that there were many dialogs just out of line. The script might have over worked to make it humorous.

The visual effects are not up to the mark overall but some places are pretty sweet and worth watching in 3D otherwise the depth is not that great. With that one can easily notice work of CG in not so important parts of the movie.

The actors have done well and delivered the script good that the subtle jokes and wits were understood and 95% effective. I was pretty much impressed by the actress in the lead and supporting roles than the men.

Overall, the movie is a good watch but not a great effort. If you really into 3D movies, I would watch in on the big screen with the expectation some weakness in CG. Otherwise I would wait for BluRay. I give it a 7 of 10.

I despise these movies and they do the books NO justice

[tickledgiraffe · 1/10 · 12 August 2013]

OK, so to ANYONE who saw the Sea of Monters, can you honestly tell me that after Percy is crushed by Kronos, Annabeth's reaction is NOT the worst piece of acting you've ever saw? I mean, the movie as a whole sucked, not following the books in the slightest, but that one shot was just SO horrible.

So yes, I despised this movie. Annabeth was a bitch and kept getting knocked over. I mean, in so many scenes, Annabeth was just knocked over and out until Percy came over to help her up. And when the bull attacked Percy, she didn't even go back to return the favor! She just left him. These movies are killing one of my all time favorite female characters.

Now onto Annabeth's racism. I get that a cyclops killed Thalia, but that should not have been enough mental scarring to make her hate the whole race. Now in the books, Annabeth is traumatized by a cyclops who abducted her friends and used the voice of her neglectful father to lure her to what would have been her death. Everything bad in her life was thrown at her there! And her heroes were held captive, completely relying on her to save them.

New topic!

So I was very disappointed with the missing scenes. Particularly Circe's Island. Yes, I get that they incorporated it with the theme park, but I wanted to see Percy turned into a guinea pig! And Annabeth save him! And the pirates, and stealing the ship! Which leads me to another missing scene: The Sirens. I feel as if that was not only a bonding moment for Percy and Annabeth, but also for the readers to connect with her.

Another bad part was the fighting. The fights were practically all just monsters throwing people against walls! There was some hand to hand, and some sword action(That sounds wrong...), but mostly it was clobbering time with fifty monster hulks!

I was very glad that they changed Annabeth's hair to blonde though, It made the movie seem significantly more on key with the book, even though the plot was so far off.

I also say kudos for the CGI. Especially that Steampunk bull at the beginning. That was cool.

I'm almost glad I paid to see it, just so I could force myself to sit through the whole thing.

Better than the first but not good enough

[princss-dirctioner · 7/10 · 16 August 2013]

Percy Jackson the Sea of Monsters was generally a better movie than the Lightning Thief. However, it still did not reach my level of satisfaction. I'll give them props that they put Clarisse La Rue, didn't disappoint with Tyson in and actually died Annabeth's hair blond, but there was one thing that really ticked me off: the fight with Kronos. This fight wasn't supposed to happen until the 5th book and it doesn't take 5 minutes to kill him. Tyson's appearance wasn't a disappointment but his personality didn't reflect the book version of him. In the book he is "a big baby" as Percy put it, not a normal personality for his age. And if they didn't mess up the first movie, Percy would've been 14-15 in the Sea of Monsters which would hold the prophecy at 16 not 20. I honestly believe I could be a better director towards these Percy Jackson movies then the previous 2. In other words, the director was better than the first, but he was still not good enough.

Give it a shot! It's worth it!

[vtvh333 · 7/10 · 10 August 2013]

A movie that everyone should watch because it's good to have in their arsenal.

First off, I've read ALL of the Percy Jackson books and I love the series.

Now, obviously when a book turns into a movie not every single detail, dialogue, etc. is the same. Don't expect everything to be EXACTLY like the book or else what's the point of watching a movie!

I honestly think the movie was great! I love seeing the characters develop and interact with each other! It's an awesome movie everyone should watch! ...And I really hope this movie has enough "umphh" to get to "The Titan's Curse" because a lot of movies these days are getting a little dull... I'd love to see more mythological movies!!!!

A bit of a disappointment

[bravesfanc · 4/10 · 9 August 2013]

Percy Jackson and his friends return for the sequel "Sea of Monsters". I have not read the books so I can't compare the film to the book. But, if the title is "Sea of Monsters", shouldn't we see some monsters??? If you want to get technical, sure, there is a one (yeah just one) sea monster they have to encounter, and they are able to manage it with relative ease.

Logan Lerman is a pretty good young actor and I've enjoyed his other films as well as the first Percy Jackson which was a lot better than this sequel. The story is simple, the barrier that protects their camp is broken and we find out in the beginning that it was put there because of a sacrifice from one of their own when she was a child. Zues turns the young child into a tree essentially and its the tree that protects the camp. But the tree is poisoned and the barrier is broken through by a very large mechanical bull who shoots fire.

The quest is given to retrieve the golden fleece which lies in the Sea of Monsters, which to us humans is the Bermuda Triangle. Percy isn't chosen, but of course, he and his friends decide they need to go because it's part of a prophecy he's involved in. And from there the story goes.

There's a couple action scenes here and there but just when it seemed like it might be getting good, it abruptly ends. I'm not sure if the actors tried to improvise or not, because there are more than a few attempts to get quick laughs with one liners which I didn't find all too funny. The one bright spot was Nathan Fillion's character "Hermes" who does successfully get the laughs he deserves.

Towards the end it gets a bit more entertaining, but by that time it might be too late to get the audience's full attention and not thinking about what to eat after the movie. This is more suited for the young adult genre, (I'm 25) but I enjoyed the first one that I thought I would give this one a shot.

Overall, it doesn't live up to its predecessor and the quick attempts at humor and the all too short action sequences leave the audience unsatisfied. 4/10 You can find all my reviews here http://imdb.com/user/ur6157371/comments

Better than the first for the most part, enjoyable, fun and simple

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 17 August 2013]

I waited a long time to finally watch the first Percy Jackson and I got the opportunity to watch the first one right before going into the second so I could really compare the two. I thought there were a few fatal flaws in the first one including some really campy dialogue and performances and a story that felt a little rushed at times. It was still fun and a great adventure so I had modest expectations for this second one. It absolutely met my expectations and I think in many ways exceeded the first!! Sea of Monsters focused far more on our three heroes with the addition of some new characters which was a wise decision. There was virtually no poorly delivered dialogue because they got rid of the adult culprits that felt so out of place in the first one. This is truly about Percy finding his way as a demigod. The special effects were good in this as they were in the first but I will give the winning points in that department to the first film. That might be due to Chris Columbus having directed the first film because he certainly knows his way around epic special effects and fantasy. The effects were still good in this one, great in some scenes, but not as prolific as the first film.

Logan Lerman returns as Percy. He is great in the role and has a ton of chemistry on screen and absolutely keeps you interested in his demigod hero. It was nice that there wasn't as many plot holes with his character as there was in the first film because now we can accept that he has had time to train and learn about his abilities instead of just suddenly knowing exactly what he can do. Alexandra Daddario also returns as Annabeth. She is good and her and Lerman work well together (although where's the romance angle? I expected more in that way.) However, my complaint with her character is the same as it was in the first...she doesn't get enough scenes to really show off her ability. I want to see her sword fight or just be a really strong heroine and she doesn't get to do that though I have no doubt she could pull it off. She's just underused in this sequel and the first film. Brandon T. Jackson also returns as comic relief Grover. I found him a little more fun in this one though used less. His character is very predictable and stereotypical but he works well for comedy purposes and the "best friend" role. He does get some more action scenes this time around so that was good. Douglas Smith joins the cast as Tyson, Percy's half brother. It was a great addition to the story because it added some depth and emotion to the characters especially towards the end and added a layer of moral message for the younger crowd and the older for that matter. Smith is good in the role, and just a little bit cheesy but that's almost necessary. Leven Rambin is also new to the cast as an adversarial ally for Percy. She's good and fun and gets some solid action scenes. Anthony Head and Stanley Tucci were terrific in their little cameos as Chiron and Mr. D. Unlike the first film neither one were campy or delivered poor lines. Head was a great replacement for Brosnan in the first film. Jake Abel also returns in his role as Luke, our villain so to speak. He is as good as he was the first time around and a worthy young villain.

New director Thor Freudenthal (Thor!?! Talk about irony) takes over the helm. He does a good job and has big shoes to fill after Columbus did the first one but he made a film as good, if not slightly better so bravo to him. The characters felt more lively and important. The biggest thing I was waiting for was the rebirth of Chronos, I thought that would be amazing to see and it was!! The special effects on Chronos were very impressive and although I thought he went down a little easy, the build up and fight was good enough that it didn't bother me a lot. I'm not sure we'll ever see a third instalment which is a shame because while this is nowhere near the quality and depth of Harry Potter it is still a solid, fun fantasy adventure that entertains. Both films are absolutely worth checking out. 7.5/10

Why even bother

[mertcanhfo · 2/10 · 14 June 2021]

Why did you even bother after the disaster of the first movie? It was even worse than the first one.

a badly written fantasy adventure film

[YJLcool · 6/10 · 8 August 2013]

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters feels like a cheap ripoff of the Harry Potter series made for younger kids or teenagers who read the books and would like to see it on the big screen. The script is awfully written, some of the dialogues were bad. Some of the funny scenes earlier in the film feel forced and the jokes were not delivered properly by the characters (found out the screenplay is actually written by the screenwriter who wrote Green Lantern).

The storyline is weak and feels out of place. There's simply not enough adventure in the Sea of Monster'S' and the actual quest felt a little too rushed for the audience to feel satisfied. Furthermore, the big finale near the end of the film feels disappointing and lame. Not sure about the novels as I've never read them before, but it seems as if the gods doesn't seem to care much about their half-blood kids (Poseidon seemed to be ignoring Percy despite his many attempts in communicating with him)...There's no appearances of the Greek Gods - Zeus, Poseidon or Hades throughout the film...despite the fact that there's an issue of utmost urgency that requires their immediate attention. One could even question why bother making the half-bloods in the first place?

Most of the plot elements felt contrived or questionable...they're just simply there for the sake of the plot (sorry for mentioning some of the plot element, I just couldn't help it):

-Out of nowhere, Luke just 'magically' found the Tomb of Kronos?

-A powerful crucial magical item such as the golden fleece is only guarded by a Cyclops on an island?

-The film's title mentioned Sea of Monster'S', but in the end the audience just get to see just a monster that looks like a maelstrom?

-How Grover managed to reach the island in the first place?

-How Luke and his crew gets to have a rat-scorpion hybrid monster as a pet in the first place?

-Seriously, if Kronos was defeated that easily, then why it needs 3 powerful Greek Gods to defeat him in the first place?

-Annabelle mentioned that Poseidon's powers don't work in the sea of monsters since the sea is not within Poseidon's domain of power, but Tyson managed to heal his wound?

Not to mention, the film ends in an unsatisfactory cliffhanger as well.

There's some character development in the film, especially Tyson, Percy and Luke. The acting performances from actors were fine and the film is entertaining in some parts of the film, but it certainly didn't reach the heights and complexity of the adventures in the Harry Potter series. While fans of the book series might love the film, but for general audiences, this fantasy action adventure is certainly a miss.

There's spoilers but who cares

[jaredperalta · 1/10 · 11 August 2013]

Alright let me say now, I want you to imagine a cheese ball. OK good well you just saw the movie. This movie is horrible despite the fact that Alexandra dadandrio is hot, and the firs 5 mins are good. And I'm the target for this trash, I'm 13.5 and love movies, and this is just complete trash. Avoid at all costs. Let me tell u a line for this s*** ( after Percy's brother dies) " I didn't even call him brother, a brother is a he wanted" COME ON! This is garbage. I will not tolerate this.

Geez this is bad oh here is my review for ABCs of death DON'T FN SEE IT!!

All in all entertaining

[mars_0103 · 8/10 · 10 August 2013]

The film was a good adaptation of the book. It had funny bits in, a nod to firefly and Anthony Head in it (loads better than Pierce Bronson). The film starts with a action scene showing the growth of Percy. The film doesn't have any slow parts in my opinion.

There are two main issues with the film that fans of the books will pick out. One is the fact that Percy has not shown his ability to talk to horses or sea life. The second thing is on the andromada that will make the other adaptation of the films more difficult to keep on track with the books.

In conclusion the film is a must for kids will keep them entertained for the length of the film. For fans of the books fun to talk about the differences.

Better than expected

[zterrell · 7/10 · 14 August 2013]

Having read many of the early reviews my wife and I had fairly low expectations for this. We had bought the hype on Wolverine 2 and were very disappointed. That said, we thought the acting was better this go around and the humor was more than welcome, it was refreshing. Not so much for the wit involved, but it added a sense of actual kids (in spite of the age of the actors). Alex was much better this time...and it helped that she didn't have to do as much sword play. She was very weak in the first Percy Jackson. Maybe it had to do with dying her hair. Any way, my wife and I are retired, but we enjoy adventure and clean entertainment. This show filled the bill.

A spectacle to watch

[tonybaiden · 4/10 · 7 August 2013]

There comes a time when book adaptions don't stick to the original source material much. Like number 1, Sea of Monsters didn't, but I guess that is good as you don't know what might happen, like other films. It was a fun journey with nice 1st person views. The special effects were epic. It was exciting and had great action sequences. The film flowed really well, but like most films it had quite a few downsides. I didn't find it as fun The Lightning Thief and it was far to easy to tell what was going to be in 3D and what wasn't, kind of like it wanted to own the box office desperately and some CGI was unrealistic. 7/10

Better than I was expecting.

[Christian_Dimartino · 6/10 · 14 August 2013]

Why would they give Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief a sequel? The critics didn't exactly like it, and it didn't make that much money, and in Hollywood standards, that really isn't good enough for a sequel. But surely enough, after three years, they bring us Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. I didn't exactly want to see it, mainly because I didn't like the first one. But I actually liked this one.

We find Percy (Logan Lerman, who will most likely be playing a teenager for life) at Camp Half Blood. But the good times don't last long, because the barrier surrounding the camp is wearing off. So, Percy and his friends must embark on a quest to find the Golden Fleece, which is going to save the camp.

I know that I left out a lot of plot details, but I really didn't want to ruin anything. Percy Jackson 2 is better than the original. It is at times too goofy, but it's fine for a fantasy to have a sense of humor. Look at the first three Harry Potter movies. Also, some of the lines made me roll my head and some of the visuals look a little cheesy. But this movie is fun.

Some of the special effects are pretty good, and it I did laugh here and there. But it obviously comes no where near The Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Harry Potter series. Was I expecting it to? Nope. So, I can't quite call it a disappointment. But for what it is, it is a good way to kill nearly two hours. Those two hours zoom by also, which is pretty nice. I say see it.

B-