The Lightning Thief is a movie adaptation of the book with the same name by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. He has spent his whole life up until this point not knowing the truth, but that suddenly changes.
When we meet Percy he is just a normal high school kid going on a field trip. This trip is to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While looking at an exhibit on Greek Mythology he is compelled to walk into a closed room. All of a sudden fantastical creatures are attacking him and accusing him of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt, the most powerful weapon in the universe. Of course Percy has no idea of what they are talking about since he thinks that he is a normal boy.
His best friend turns out to be a Satyr (mythical half goat, half man) and is his assigned protector. Together, they escape to a camp for half breeds. There Percy meets other half-gods and mythical creatures and begins training to become a hero. Hades arrives one night to tell Percy that he has captured Percy’s mother and is holding her hostage for the Lightning Bolt. Percy decides to go on a quest to free his mother.
The overall story of this movie feels like a young adult version of Clash of the Titans. There are many similarities between the two movies. The main difference being that Percy is the son of Poseidon and Perseus was the son of Zeus. The other obvious difference is that the Lightning Thief is set in modern times instead of ancient Greece.
The acting was a little better than most teen movies. The special effects were all gorgeous and appropriate for each scene. I would say the production quality was top notch which is surprising for these types of movies.
Overall, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a lot less than what I got when I watched it. The fresh spin on Greek mythology was refreshing and very interesting. The movie has made me want to go read the books, which is high praise indeed. It’s Geektime gives Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning an 8 on the d10 of mythology.