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Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

movies|percy%20jackson%20%26%20the%20olympians%3A%20the%20lightning%20thief|2010-02-11

Trouble-prone teen Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out school - but that's the least of his problems. The gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters seem to have walked out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology texts and into his life - and they're not happy. Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, Percy and his friends must embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true thief, save Percy's family, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

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Editorial

The highest grossing film series of all time, Harry Potter's franchise dominates its marketplace, making it difficult for newbies to rise up. Especially when a contender shares umpteen similarities with the boy wizard.

While those who instantly write off Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief as a copycat will needlessly miss out on a zesty, enjoyable romp, many of the elements it shares with Potter pictures are what prevent it from truly making its own name.

Looking past the obvious stuff – from a five-lettered first name to Percy's pals being a jokey bloke and warrior girl – is easy when Percy Jackson's make-believe world quickly beats a path away from Voldemort. As happens, New York teen Percy (Logan Lerman) learns he is the demi-god son of greek god Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) and mortal mum Sally (Catherine Keener).

Beating the imminent Clash Of The Titans remake to many mythic punches, this has Percy embarking upon a cross-country quest to defeat monsters and prevent Zeus (Sean Bean) from waging war on the universe. Like its cool yet kind dorky leading man, The Lightning Thief has more enthusiasm and pep than those stiff Potter adaptations. However, suitably huge special-effects and blockbuster-worthy sequences can be let down by director Chris Columbus (who made the first two Potter films) not imbuing them with the force or energy they demand.

Having also originated from a successful series of books, The Lightning Thief is predictably founded upon dense mythology which regulates Percy and the surrounding immortal action. Again, like Potter, these imaginative but often distracting rules and ancient laws can be excessively complicated or riddled with logic lapses. Holding him back from franchise possibilities, though, could be Harry Potter. Unless audiences give Percy Jackson a chance to prove his mettle, he will be cursed by Hogwarts' famous graduate.

Zach Gibson