The sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) chronicles the adventures the title character and his friends encounter on their journey to find the Golden Fleece. Percy Jackson, a Half-Blood, is the son of Poseidon (the Greek God of the sea). Percy (Logan Lerman) and other Half-Bloods are enlisted in a camp where they train until adulthood. When the tree that creates a protective barrier becomes poisoned, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece to cure the ailing tree.
Having watched the first film I was glad a sequel was made. I find the Percy Jackson series entertaining. I’ve always been fascinated with the Greek Gods and other Greek mythology. While the movie and book of which it is adapted take some liberties from the original mythologies many of the details remain the same. I have not read any of the novels and my review is purely based from an adult perspective.
I found the movie mildly interesting. There were parts in the movie where I’m left wondering why certain plot points are transpiring, but I had to remind myself the movie is not intended for my age group. It really is a film for teenagers. Lerman is perfectly cast in this film. I think he is a great young actor (see: The Perks of Being a Wallflower). While watching the movie I kept waiting for something more. For a movie entitled “Sea of Monsters” you don’t really see many sea monsters. In fact there is only one sea monster and that scene took no longer than five minutes. I was a bit let down by that.
The visual effects were decent. As many others have pointed out there are some similarities between the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series. I found it somewhat surprising that these Greek Gods they speak of so much are never to be found; but to the movie’s credit it is inferred that the gods are for the most part disconnected with the world below them.
Overall, I think the film is a decent addition to the supernatural PG genre. There is a twist at the end of the movie that was a welcome delight. Despite my feeling that I think the movie has potential to be greater; I think the movie is a good family film to watch. If you are seeking a film to take your kids or if you are teenage fans of the genre/books then this is good choice for you. Otherwise I would simply rent it at the most. No need to spend anymore than a matinée.
Run Time: 107 minutes
My Grade: C+
*There are NO extra scenes after the credits.
Will you be watching this movie?
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