Reviews

Percy Jackson and his exploits will no doubt be compared over and over again to Harry Potter. Yes, at times it seems like a cash-in on the Harry Potter hype -- Camp Half Blood, really? Putting that aside, it ends up being a fresh take on the ancient stories we grew up learning in school. I remember thinking as a kid how cool it would be if these gods actually existed and if these stories were true. It's fascinating to think of ancient gods in modern day civilization doing the same types of things they used to do in ancient times. While this movie about Percy's adventures indeed caters to a younger audience, it isn't without its charms. It will hold up with fans of the books, and with people just looking to take their children to a family-friendly film.

By Aaron Peck

I have not read a single Percy Jackson book. I'd never even heard of the books until news of the movie version of Percy Jackson the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (man, that's an annoying long title) first surfaced. I assume that since the Harry Potter franchise is almost played out on the big screen, Hollywood might be looking for a fresh new series to pick up the baton once the Potter clan rides off into the sunset in their 24 carat gold, diamond encrusted Aston Martins...

Overall I actually found the film to be pretty good (for what it was) although it didn't have the richness and depth that's presented in the Harry Potter films -- then again, maybe in those films I'm just impressed by all the British accents... Kidding aside, there's just a little something that's missing here, similar to the feeling I get from watching the Narnia movies -- just something that's a little too shallow about them that doesn't really hook you and drag you deep into the film.

By Vic Holtreman