Movies In Review

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

Not having read the books, I have that rare ability to sit open minded in a movie theater, with no preconceived notions of what to expect, and just experience what is before me. Well, other than watching the first Percy Jackson movie. What originally drew me toward this franchise was the mythological implications. I've always enjoyed learning all the different aspects and perspectives within different mythologies (and that's why I include so much of it within my own written work).

In the beginning...

The movie opens with the foreshadowing story of Camp Half-blood's protective barrier. How

Camp Half-blood

through the death of a young half-blood daughter of Zeus produced the impenetrable protective barrier. Impenetrable, until now. During a victory celebration from the recent camp challenges, a wicked mechanical bull is able to break through this barrier. Once Percy destroys the beast, in the chaos the ensues, he sees through the wreckage fog non other than Luke, who he thought he had defeated before.

The Oracle

Luke explains to him how there are half-bloods who are joining forces and informs him of a prophecy that he needs to inquire about. How convenient that the camp has their own oracle! Percy learns of his prophecy and this begins the list of obstacles that will combine throughout their quest. The main objective: the get the golden fleece. Sounds easy? Well, to make matters worse there is a blood-hungry cyclops that has been guarding the fleece. 

Through the foreshadowed story-line of the protective barrier, the fallen half-blood still lives as she

The Fallen - Thalia

was consumed by the forest that surrounds the camp. The new life that she projects is not only the barrier itself, but this symbolical tree. To which Luke had poisoned to gain access into the camp. The fleece needs to be retrieved in order to save the tree, to which will reinstate the protective barrier for the camp.

Half-brother - Tyson

While at camp, another new arrival, Percy's half-brother who is a cyclops. Is it mere coincidence that his new half-brother is part cyclopes an they have to go and face one as well? Their plan is to use this to their advantage, if they even have one. Percy's new brother is nothing like what they have stereo-typed cyclopes. Tyson, Percy's new half-brother, is very noisy and clumsy, he's not use to their ways. Watching the special effects was interesting and my opinion is that they did a great job with creating their version of this Titan.

The main goal is to stop Luke from retrieving this golden fleece. Luke wants to use the fleece to

Percy holds the golden fleece

resurrect Khronos who would only bring death and destruction to the entire earth, including Olympus.  As you can imagine, Luke does obtain the fleece, through the help of Percy and his friends (without them knowing it), and the process begins of this resurrection. As fate would have it, Percy (who was given his father's sword) has the very weapon that cut-down Khronos before.

Clarisse delivers the golden fleece

Inevitably, once they have returned to camp and fulfilled the quests mission to restore the protective barrier, the camp soon learns that the fleece did much more than just heal the previously poisoned tree, it healed the fallen half-blood. She soon explains so she is, the half-blood daughter of Zeus - who apparently could put a new twist on Percy's prophecy.

Overall - I enjoyed the movie. What I didn't enjoy were the gang of young disrespectful and

Tyson, Percy & Annabeth
meeting their water taxi

immature idiots that sat behind us. Why yes, of course I would love to hear your excessive references to bodily-noise functions, and of course I would just love to continually hear your inability to conduct yourselves in a civilized manner. As much as I wanted to remark to them that maybe the next time they go out in public to remember to take their anti-psychotic medicine, my mother actually raised me better. 

Nathan Fillion as Hermes

I can't reference the the book to screen adaption, as I have not read the original origins - yet. But, this movie definitely set-up for the next, as Hollywood likes to do.  My favorite parts were the groups water taxi ride to Luke's yacht, the beginning during the camp challenge, and definitely Nathan Fillion's character - had some great lines!