"Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" Movie Trailer Review
11/21/2009 Posted by Admin
In the wake of success the "Harry Potter" film series has garnered, plenty of other children's fantasy novels have been optioned and set for adaption. Some have worked ("The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe") and some haven't ("Inkheart," among plenty of others). Here we have another in this long line of fantasy adaptations, "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief." This might just be me, but the title certainly makes it seem like its aping the "Potter" series. I doubt it's a coincidence that the helmer is Chris Columbus, who gave us the first two "Potter" films.
The new international trailer is pretty cliched from the start. Percy Jackson is an outsider who doesn't realize he has magnificent gifts and a more unbelievable past than he can possibly imagine. No, he's not a boy wizard, nor were his parents--turns out his father is the sea god Poseidon, and Percy is, in effect, a demigod. He's half human, half god.
Columbus also seems to be bringing his typical blandness to the direction. The whole thing just seems incredibly uninspired, more a Xerox copy of fantasy elements we've seen a million times before with new kids in the lead roles and an ensemble of generally good performers making up the supporting cast that will inevitably be underused.
At the very least, I expect that kids may find it enjoyable, so I'll give it credit for knowing its audience, though it would be nice if studios stopped shamelessly adhering to audience expectations and simply gave them something a little different every now and then.
The film is set for release February 12, 2010.
The Trailer for "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is below. Thoughts?
December 22, 2009 at 4:39 PM
I agree with that article completely. The movie looks like some sort of Harry Potter rip-of that's trying to imitate a Harry Potter rip-of that's trying to imitate Harry Potter. Columbus did a fine, albeit rather dull job with Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, but he will fail with this since the sorce novel isn't nearly as good as HP. Watch Percy Jackson fail...Epically.
Even if it does do moderately well at the box office, in no possible way will this become the next Harry Potter. I'll guarantee it on my soul, my sister's soul, all my friends' souls, and my mom and dad's souls. Nothing ever again can be like Harry Potter. It is a once in a millenium thing. Not even Twilight comes close. That is amazingly far away still.
December 27, 2009 at 11:10 AM
I've read the source material--yes, it's a lot like Hogwarts with greek gods. IMO it was a mistake to get Chris Columbus on this, because he will make it into Sorcerer's Stone part deux. What's needed is a completely different angle. In the book, a lot of the humor came from the first person comments and thoughts of Percy Jackson...that is lost in anything by Chris Columbus.