[Movie Review] Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

Posted on August 23, 2013 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece while trying to stop an ancient evil from rising.

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Writer: Marc Guggenheim (screenplay), Rick Riordan (based upon the novel "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters" written by)

Runtime: 106 min

Main Cast:

Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson
Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase
Douglas Smith as Tyson
Leven Rambin as Clarisse La Rue
Brandon T. Jackson as Grover
Stanley Tucci as Mr. D

Review: by Anthony and Lee

After seeing Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief, both of us decided to read the Percy Jackson & The Olympians book series; subsequently, we also read the related book series The Heroes of Olympus. We love these books and couldn't wait to see the sequel.

What We Liked:

The set designs were great, and the CGI was cool. The monsters and other fantasy creatures didn’t look cheap or overly corny.

While later this same point will become a complaint, the story was put together in a way that seemed logical. It did not jump around, and all things were explained in due time. It was cohesive, and the writing was pretty solid.

What We Didn’t Like:

To say that the movie strayed from the book would be putting it lightly. There were plot and detail changes on every level, some major enough to cause us to question how they will finish the series. Following the books exactly is something that obviously cannot always happen; however, the changes to the plot seem to have been made without the sequels in mind.

Stanley Tucci’s immense talent seemed wasted on the role of Mr. D, whose character in general was used to compensate for at least one of the major plot changes made.

Leven Rambin did not do a convincing job of portraying Clarisse La Rue.

The fact that all of the characters are older than their book counterparts really cut out their believability. In the novels, they are young, naive, impressionable, easily deceived, and desperate for their parents approval. These qualities are not typical descriptors for older teenagers, so they came off as childish.

1.5

Summary

The movie was hard for us to appreciate, having read the books. Someone who has no knowledge of the rest of the series may enjoy it, but book-lovers should beware.

You can purchase Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters on Blu Ray from Amazon here:

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