Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief directed by Chris Columbus has great promise and material that encouraged one’s eagerness but was unable to steal my heart.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Building in Anticipation

I’ve been looking forward to watching this movie for weeks. Ever since I read the book, I’ve been re-viewing my favorite scenes in my mind which fans the flames of my anticipation. I really wanted to see how the movie would relate the Lotus Casino visually. I also really wanted to see Echidna and Chimera in the Seams Tower in Seattle. I particularly love going over that part where Echidna is threatening Percy Jackson and making a very impressive speech about her name, intending to strike fear. All Percy could reply was to question the name Echidna as a type of anteater down under. In response, Echidna throws a tantrum saying how much she hates Australia. Very witty stuff that makes you just laugh out loud. Unfortunately this did not find it’s way into the movie. Rick Riordian must be steamed. His baby, his intelligent, entertaining, baby is watered down into a movie that has half the cleverness and almost none of the humor. The only humor in the movie came from Grover, the satyr. Yet, his humor was a little strained, as if he was really just playing for laughs and not really embodying the humor.

A date movie it is not

I watched this movie on Valentine’s Day with a great date, my brother. We’re both Greek Myth buffs and he appeared to enjoy the movie. For a two-hour movie, it felt relatively less than that. The production is above average as A-list stars play secondary roles, albeit the meatier ones. Uma Thurman makes a show of being Medusa (which is quite reminscient of her work in Batman Forever as, Poison Ivy). Rosario Dawson plays to her strengths, she has the most three-dimensional character as Persephone, despairing one moment then becoming seductive the next.

Awaiting the sequel

This movie really has great promise with the outstanding the material it had. Yet, the writers and producers were unable to translate this into the movie. Hopefully, they do a better job if ever they do come up with a sequel. I recommend this to people who want a respite from all the romantic movies being shown because of Valentine’s weekend.

The Movie is starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Pierce Brosnan,  Uma Thurman and Rosario Dawson.

And that’s “Lightning Thief the Movie” unclanked!