Since the kids were champing at the bit to see this film, weeks before it was even released (superb marketing – everyone knew that it was coming) the day after it released, we did. Now I have not a clue about the son of Poseidon a.k.a Percy Jackson, unlike the kids who’ve read the series, and went gaga over the movie. This is a kid/teen oriented film, but it didn’t do so well for us adults even considering that you get to see ex-Bond guy Pierce Brosnan in centaur form.
OK, so here are the basics : Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is your average high-school kid (he’s younger in the book) leading a fairly normal life, when one day he is attacked by a devil/dragon “fury” (my daughter tells me that there are 3 of them, although the other 2 remain un-named and appear in later books) who demands that he return Zeus’s lightning bolt. Jackson of course has no clue what this is all about, but soon learns that he is a demi-God; although his mother is a human, his father is Poseidon the Greek God of Water.
For his own protection he must go live at Camp Half-Blood, where other demi-Gods like him (apparently the Gods have a penchant for “hooking up” with humans) live and train. Also Zeus thinks that Poseidon’s son i.e.; Percy has stolen his lightning bolt, and wants him to return it else there will be war, which will have catastrophic effects on earth. The film then takes off with Percy sneaking out of the camp with his satyr “protector” and old friend Grover, and newly made friend Annabeth (daughter of Athena), to prove his innocence and rescue his mother Sally (Catherine Keener) from Hell (literally).
The trio on the way to Hades’s netherworld wander through Medusa’s garden, the Parthenon at Nashville and Las Vegas, and come across many enemies. There’s Uma Thurman doing a superb impression of Medusa in sun-glasses. Ever wonder how the mythical Greek Gods would look if brought forward to modern day ? I imagine they’d take a leaf out of Thurman’s book, and appear clad in leather, and very Trinity-ish. That coif really suited her; she should probably think about it for every day !
This film dragged in parts – all that needless wandering around in Medusa’s garden really grated after a while. Plus inspite of some excellent casting like Medusa, Hades, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and Mr. Brunner (Brosnan’s character), the main lead wasn’t all he could have been. Logan, who looks like a younger version of Josh Hartnett, seemed unable to breathe life into his character. I couldn’t sympathize with his character or his predicament.
The demi-Gods seemed kind of nonchalant about their lineage and their powers, and Camp Half-blood looked a little silly and a lot like play-acting; they practice with medieval weapons, apparently not having heard of how a sword won’t match up against modern-day firearms. But then that’s probably Rick Riordan and not the film. Plus what’s with the medieval costumes? You’d think that if Medusa could go all hip in leather, the good guys could sport some trendy God-wear !
As far as special effects go this was upto par – there were demons, a fury, Medusa’s roiling hair, satyrs, centaurs, a 5 headed dog and Hades in all his inhumanly glory, and that’s probably what carried this film. Minus the special effects, I would categorize this film as B-grade, suffering from a weak script, wishy-washy characters and a lack of much needed emotion and gusto.
