Spring is in the air people! It’s time for a brand new theme to dissect and discuss, and this month we’re talking all things mythology and folklore. To kick things off, we’re analyzing the 2010 film adaptation of the young adult novel The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. This is the first book in Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson series about modern-day teenage demigods.
We provide background that the title character Percy Jackson is the 12-year-old son of the Greek god Poseidon. He discovers he is a demigod and goes on various mythological adventures. The series has garnered a huge middle-grade readership over several installments.
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In this film adaptation, the main characters have been aged up to late teens, about 16 years old. Percy is depicted by actor Logan Lerman as a high schooler who struggles with ADHD and dyslexia. We find the excessive mentions of his learning disabilities in the script stilted and clunky rather than compelling backstory.
The Lightning Thief’s Convoluted Plot
The plot involves Zeus’ master lightning bolt being stolen. Zeus wrongly accuses Poseidon’s demigod son Percy of taking it. If the bolt isn’t returned to Mount Olympus by the summer solstice, war will break out between the gods. Percy decides he must retrieve the bolt in order to rescue his mother, who he thinks has been killed but later learns has been kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld.
Percy embarks on a quest with his disabled best friend Grover, who reveals he is a guardian satyr, and Annabeth, an athletic teen demigod daughter of Athena who becomes Percy’s love interest. We point out inconsistencies with traditional myths and illogical leaps in the storyline. For example, Percy suddenly manifests an ability to wield a magical sword despite no combat training. The group’s travels lead them to fight Medusa (played by Uma Thurman) and recover three magical pearls needed to enter the Underworld.
A constant theme we return to is how poorly executed the film adaptation is, despite big-name actors like Pierce Brosnan cast as the centaur Chiron. The writing proves sloppy and fails to establish clear magic rules or tap the excitement of the book’s worldbuilding. We feel centering the story on a 16 rather than 12-year-old Percy removes relatability, as does having twenty-somethings portray teen characters. Visually, elements like Medusa’s snake hair animation look cheap rather than cool and thrilling. No one seems committed to having fun with the outrageousness of demigods fighting mythological monsters in the modern world.
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We share intel that author Rick Riordan has publicly bashed the film for radically changing and severely dimming the shine of his source material. We sympathize, agreeing this adaptation does his creative concept a huge disservice. It fails to deliver an engaging hero’s journey or use the Greek pantheon in meaningful ways. We feel Riordan’s frustration is evident in Percy’s father Poseidon essentially phoning it in with sporadic telepathic advice to his son when he should be by Percy’s side.
A Messy Execution
By the climax when Percy returns Zeus’ bolt, resolving the gods’ quarreling immediately, we have mentally checked out from the lightweight plot and inconsistent world. We agree the movie seems to bank on the books’ popularity versus crafting an enduring fantasy franchise anchored by stellar writing and commitment to the uniqueness of the premise. The fact a sequel exists suggests profits outweighed artistic merit, likely due to a wider international audience enjoying Greek mythological surface dressing.
In summary, we find this adaptation to be illogical, poorly written, and failing to tap the innate pleasures of Greek myths or teen underdog stories in creative ways. The direction and acting prove cartoonish while the visual effects look cheap rather than thrilling. It’s clear that the filmmakers were banking on the next big YA franchise, but the execution of the film proved that you can’t make a hit without honoring the source material correctly. We express hope that the TV incarnation better serves devoted Percy Jackson fans. We conclude by inviting listeners to share their own opinions on the books, films, and portrayal of Greek mythology in popular culture.
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