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.

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")

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.

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.

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!!!!

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.

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.

Decent film!

[domtaylor · 7/10 · 29 August 2013]

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters isn't a perfect film and does not exactly follow the book. Saying that, it is entertaining and has an interesting plot.

In my opinion, this film is better than the first. It has better action scenes and the actors gave more realistic and believable performances. Sometimes, I felt that the film was a bit too cheesy and it came across to me that the writers tried a little too hard to make the film funny.

I saw this film in 3D and the 3D effects were surprisingly good! Most films just have the 3D there for extra money but this one was actually worth it.

To Summarise, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is a fun family film with a lot of action and a captivating story! 7/10

Good story

[fairies-83624 · 6/10 · 30 November 2019]

Don't understand why a third movie wasn't made. Would have liked to see more

This movie makes book look like the greatest story ever told

[dannydean84 · 1/10 · 8 August 2013]

Without saying any spoilers I will tell you why you must not pay a penny or a cent to see this movie unless you want to demand your money back like I did today. First, if you have read the book do not expect a similar plot. I enjoyed the Percy Jackson stories, and their sequels the Heroes of Olympus series as reasonable light reading an I believe Rick Riordan is a rather gifted story-writer for teenagers. The film does contain a similar plot but with all the best bits removed or ruined through trashy scriptwriting to try and gain the attention for teenage Paris Hilton wannabes. The story, meaning to follow it's predecessor had to be re-scripted because all the characters are getting old now. The acting is below par by the supposedly teenage actors if most of the time you can call it acting. The greatest travesty to acting is firstly Leven Rambin who plays Clarisse who obviously knew nothing of the role which she had to portray. Brandon T. Jackson is as bad at playing Grover, usually for laughs, in this film as in it's prequel. I'm surprised he was not recast. Some of the special effects we of a reasonable standard even with 3D but there was no 'WOW' factor. However, the further it got into the film and the worse the plot, jokes, and deviation from a well-told story it got, the more I wanted to cringe and face-palm myself into oblivion. In the end I walked out and got a free ticket for The Wolverine in 3D from my local cinema. This one will be film guaranteed to put to smile to my face. The shame is I enjoyed the books and even after seeing Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief I hoped that with a new director the plot would be more on par with the original story. I wanted this film to be a good one so much and now sadly I am disappointed beyond my worst thoughts.

Every film-goer accepts that a film can never be the book on screen due to the imagination of reader getting in the way but at least they could have attempted to produce the same story. I was willing to allow huge changes to take place as long as the story was enjoyable. Sadly I believe the screenplay writer and director should be executed for crimes against cinema. Finally after decades of searching I think I may finally have found my own personal worst film.

In search of the golden fleece

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 7 September 2018]

Will admit to have not read the book, though have heard nothing but great things here and from friends. While it was still quite flawed, found myself enjoying the first film taking it on its own terms. An attitude adopted watching its follow up 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters'.

A follow up that is very much inferior, with a lot of weak elements and basically a lacklustre film in general in its own way. Flaws are far more and the faults that 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief' had are amplified. Even those who haven't read the book will find a lot wrong here, it has been said that the film takes a lot of liberties and there is a lot left out, that was very obvious in the story execution. 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters' is not a waste of time and has merits, but can definitely understand the criticisms from those who disliked it and share very nearly all of them.

'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters' has some nice photography and scenery and production design that is full of atmosphere and colour. Kronos looks cool, is an imposing character and effects-wise is by far the best-faring. While not the most memorable in the world, the music score fits very well and is rousing in its own right.

Stanley Tucci and Anthony Head are both solid and give by far the best performances. Nathan Fillion's cameo is amusing and Leven Ramin is the only standout of the younger cast, giving her all despite not liking her character for her treatment of Percy very much.

However, Logan Lerman, who has given good performances in the past, gives a dull and here charisma-free performance and Alexandra Diddario is wooden with both a lack of emotion and charm, over-acting some scenes too. Brandon T. Jackson is saddled with the clichéd comic relief role and it's often unfunny and unnecessary. Didn't get anything out of the characters, felt very little conflict or natural bond and the development was flimsy at best.

The dialogue is very forced constantly, with most of the humour falling flat due to placement and the way it's written. The story is very choppy and disjointed, with a lot of jumping about, lack of cohesive flow and it does give the sense of being cobbled together. There's very little imagination, no surprises and not much at stake, it's not hard to figure out how things are going to happen. It is further hurt by all over the place pacing, some of it draggy due to some drawn out scenes and others that felt like filler and other parts rushed with an anaemic and hastily thrown together climax. Similarly wildly variable are the effects, a few decent ones especially Kronos but others are laughably bad like the water effects and the fleece itself. The action is unexciting, lacks tension and suspense and has no wonder.

Overall, lacklustre but not a completely regrettable experience. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Good but bad

[rodriguezjace · 6/10 · 16 May 2020]

I think if you watch the movie without thinking about the books or not knowing the books you'd find it a decent to good movie. I liked it a little more than the first one and I think it was a little more book accurate, but when you say "little" I speak about like 3% more.

I think some things are just off and I'm happy the series died and we'll get a reboot. With that sad, I do enjoy both this one and the first one, but I can't think too much about it as the Percy Jackson & The Olympians book.

While the books are so different, the movies just try to make it it's own stories inspired by the books and turn it into Harry Potter but instead of wizard we get demi-gods.

I stay thinking these movies kinda ruined Grover and Annabeth seems less interesting. Feel like Logan Lerman is a great actor, but well it's 50/50, the only ones portrayal I liked was Douglas Smith as Tyson while not thinking too much about the books.

I would've given it a 7 for the movie, but because I love the books so much I would give it like a 4 because of the effort being so low. At the end I think a 6 is a decent rating and the 5.8 is pretty accurate in this case.

A decent sequel

[akshatmahajan · 7/10 · 18 November 2021]

I watched this movie with least expectations and enjoyed it. You can't compare this one with the first part as both are on same level. I haven't read Percy Jackson novels so I can't tell if it was good adaptation or not but if you don't compare it with the novel, you will enjoy it. Movie is full of adventure, action and mysteries. The actors played their parts very well. Overall, it was a good watch.

A tepid sequel no one was really clamouring for.

[punch87 · 5/10 · 9 December 2018]

There is a better film about gods and monsters: it's called Gods and Monsters.

An Enjoyable Adventure with Familiar Characters

[sufyaanrashid95 · 7/10 · 19 June 2023]

"Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" is a sequel to the popular "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" movie, and while it may not be as fresh or innovative as the first film, it still offers plenty of fun and excitement for fans of the series.

One of the strengths of "Sea of Monsters" is its cast of familiar characters. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are all back, along with some new faces, and their chemistry and camaraderie is as strong as ever. The movie also introduces some new mythical creatures and locations, adding to the sense of wonder and adventure.

The action scenes in "Sea of Monsters" are well executed and thrilling, with plenty of suspense and excitement. The special effects are also impressive, bringing to life the various monsters and creatures that the characters encounter throughout their journey.

While "Sea of Monsters" may not have the same level of depth or complexity as the first film, it still has a positive message about friendship, loyalty, and courage. The characters learn to work together and overcome their fears and weaknesses, and they do so with humor and heart.

Overall, "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" is an enjoyable adventure that will appeal to fans of the series. While it may not be as groundbreaking or innovative as the first film, it still has plenty of fun, action, and heart to make it worth watching.

An okay movie but not okay at all for fans

[keisha_ · 22 March 2015]

Personally i think the movie isn't as bad as peoples say. I actually like how they build the camp and visualized the monsters and magic creatures. And it have a good casts list, like Nathan Fillion and Logan Lerman. And it have some of delight scenes.

But as a fan of it books series, i'm disappointed with the movie. It even didn't have a similar plot. They change the whole story. The characters even have a different personality. Like Grover, he looks like a hip-hop teen who have a groove. It's like they didn't respect the book and the author for the excellent story. I now know why Rick Riordan didn't want to watch the movie and why the every fans of Percy Jackson hate it.

Entertaining Tale of Demigods and the Golden Fleece

[3xHCCH · 7/10 · 9 August 2013]

This second installment of the Percy Jackson franchise begins with the story of how the sacrifice of Thalia, demigod daughter of Zeus gave rise to an enchanted tree which provided a protective shield over Camp Halfblood. When enemies poison this tree, our demigod hero Percy and his close friends, fellow demigod Annabeth and satyr Grover, embark on a quest to find the Golden Fleece in order to use its healing powers to heal the tree and restore its shield as soon as possible.

Along with them in this quest is Clarisse, demigod daughter of Ares, and Tyson, the gentle cyclops half-brother of Percy. This adventure not only bring them to Circe's island in the Sea of Monsters, where the Golden Fleece was protected by the vicious cyclops Polyphemus, it will also bring them face to face with the ultimate Titan, Kronos himself, who has been resurrected from the depths of Tartarus by his misguided minions.

I really liked the fluid way the story telling in this film flowed. Even young audiences can easily follow the story. However, there are a few head-scratchers may arise when you look back in retrospect, but they did not diminish my enjoyment at all. Audiences who have not read the book will probably enjoy it more since they go in without very big expectations.

There are so many big computer-generated effects which looked very good, like the bronze bull that attacked Camp Half-Blood, the colorful stained-glass rendition of the big prophecy involving Percy, the gentle and graceful Hippocampus creature, the two bickering snakes on the rod on Hermes -- I thought all of these visual effects were done really well.

Logan Lehrmann is really a very good young actor. He can convey his internal conflicts very well, and he can also execute some pretty intense action stunts. Alexandra Daddario is a very beautiful Annabeth, though her character in the movie sort of diminishes the strength and daring of her book character. Brandon T. Jackson plays the sidekick Grover with adeptness for physical comedy.

The character of Clarisse was played by slim and pretty actress Leven Rambin. This was pretty much against the way brusque and hefty Clarisse was described in the books. Tyson was played with much charm and sensitivity by Douglas Scott, despite the rather distractingly poor way the CGI of his cyclops eye was achieved.

Their camp trainers are now portrayed by new actors. The god Dionysus, lovingly called Mr. D, is now played by the ever-reliable Stanley Tucci. The centaur Chiron, previously played by Pierce Brosnan, is now portrayed by Anthony Head. They managed to be memorable despite their limited screen time.

After the movie, my youngest son asked me, "The title is "Sea of Monsters". But why was there only ONE sea monster?" And as I have already read the book before, I noted that a lot of events and details described in the book had to be sacrificed or altered for the sake of streamlining this film version. Despite this, the final result is actually a neat, easy to follow, very entertaining adventure film for young and old alike. 8/10.

Butchered

[iheartmilkshake · 2/10 · 3 May 2018]

This movie butchered the story from the book. It literally changed so much.

Fun fact: the kids in the books are meant to be 13. This film is a horrific representation of the book.

The only way you can like this film is if you didn't read the book.

The Power of the Golden Fleece

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 23 August 2013]

Nearly all of the principal characters in the first Percy Jackson movie returned for this sequel Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters. The one notable exception was Pierce Brosnan and his role as a centaur is now played by Anthony Head.

Young Logan Lerman has come to grips with his semi-divine nature and he now lives in the camp his mother brought him to in the first film, a place with a barrier put there by Zeus to protect the demi-gods from those on the outside who wish to do them harm. That first film taught us there were many.

Now the barrier has been smashed and the tree that gave it life is dying. To save the tree and the camp Lerman goes on a quest for the legendary Golden Fleece which can heal all things. His is the second quest, another demi-god kid Leven Rambin who is most competitive with Lerman is taking her own team.

And there's Jake Abel who is another demi-god kid who went over the dark side in the first film. He's back with his own agenda and it involves nothing less than destroying the community of immortals on Olympus.

One new regular came on board here. I was really impressed by young Douglas Smith in his portrayal of Tyson who is a half brother to Lerman and a young cyclops. He was very charming in a goofy sort of way and proves to be valuable in the clinch.

As I wrote in the first Percy Jackson film, the Lightning Thief it's good entertainment and if it gets kids interested in classical Greek history and mythology so much the better. Sea Of Monsters continues in that tradition.

Youth action shading towards kiddie comedy

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 10 February 2014]

Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) and his friends are enjoying life in the sanctuary. However Luke (Jake Abel) returns after surviving his battle with Percy in the last movie, and poisons the tree that protects the sanctuary. A quest to the Sea of Monsters is needed to retrieve the Golden Fleece to revive the tree. Competitive Clarisse (Leven Rambin) daughter of Aries is given the quest. However, Percy and his friends (Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario) as well as his newly discovered cyclops half-brother Tyson (Douglas Smith) decide to go on their own quest for the Fleece.

I understand the complaints of the critics that this is a lesser superhero fare. When the world is full of realism Batman/Superman and blockbuster Ironman, the CGI here looks lesser and cheesier. This is less realistic taking a lot of 'Harry Potter' DNA to build a mix of funny and action. Logan has fully embraced his Harry Potter, and Alexandra is turning into Hermione. The new half-brother is Ron. I like Leven's energy injection. It is a little bit disappointing to lose Brandon for much of the middle.

They are definitely going for a lot of comedy in this one. The new director Thor Freudenthal probably had a lot to do with that being more used to kiddie comedies. Nathan Fillion snags a funny cameo as Hermes who complains about canceled TV shows. And I think the young actors are gelling a lot better and having more fun this time around.