Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters Review

Director: Thor Freudenthal.

Cast: Logan Lerman, Stanley Tucci, Leven Rambin, Jake Abel.

Time: 106 minutes.

Certificate: PG.

Synopsis: As Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) continues his training at Camp Half-God, he faces stiff competition from a fellow demigod and questions his previous quest. This is all overshadowed by a threat which has managed to destroy the tree which protects the camp. Percy and his friends must go on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece to save the tree and the camp.

By getting rid of big actors like Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean and Steve Coogan, PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS has obviously dedicated more of its budget on story than talent. Fortunately, the lovely guest appearances are still present in the form of funny men Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion. Logan Lerman carries the film perfectly, and shows after THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER that he can bring emotion and diversity to more than the teenage angst genre.

Sadly the film has almost the same story, albeit an improved one from PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF which was good, but underwhelming. It is all about vengeance against the Gods, dealing with abandoning fathers and, of course, coming to terms with being Olympus and the Earth’s hero. Though improvements have been made on the acting, storyline and action scenes, unfortunately cheesy oneliners are still present, but this (along with no romantic subplot) is a requirement in these so-called children’s movies.

Although the first PERCY JACKSON film can blame its failure on being released too soon after HARRY POTTER, neglected due to its striking similarities and not having a fanbase the likes of THE TWILIGHT SAGA, many things draw similarities to the HARRY POTTER films. The wild chariot of damnation driven by three nonsense speaking women and the story of Kronos, the big bad great-grandfather who the scorned Luke, Son of Hermes (Jake Abel) is trying to bring back to life, are tricks taken from the HARRY POTTER flicks, but it works very well, and if you can disregard the source of inspiration you’ll enjoy the humour and change of pace it brings to the film.

A choice can be made to either hate the attempts to entertain a child by sneering and rolling your eyes, or you can ignore it and enjoy the rest of this intelligent and well put together flick. For anyone interested in mythology, PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS will be a pleasant surprise as it goes deeper into history and brings up more than Zeus, Hercules and three-legged dogs – this does however involve mention of fleeting relationships and children out-of-wedlock which are always questionable topics when it comes to a younger audience. The film stumbles a bit at the end as it reaches out for a third PERCY JACKSON flick in the silliest way possible, but again, that’s the beauty of a children’s film.

PERCY JACKSON tells a story in 106 minutes that most trilogies and epic cinematic film series attempt to do over the span of several sequels. Those 106 minutes never feel long, nor do they involve a glance at the watch, a sore yawn or sore legs as most films do these days. The truth of the matter is, PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS is surprisingly entertaining and engaging throughout thanks to its clever writing and action-packed scenes.

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS is released in UK and US cinemas on Wednesday 7th August.