Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Lightning Strikes Twice

Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) has always felt different and out of place.  He sees things that couldn’t possibly be true, and has been told his entire life that he is a daydreamer with an overactive imagination.  He was a loner until he met Grover (Aryan Simhadri) who became his best friend.  At twelve years old, an event at a museum field trip, gets him kicked out of school and puts him at odds with Grover and his life in danger.  His mother (Virginia Kull) tells him the truth, that the things he has seen are real and that he isn’t human, but a demigod, also called a half-blood, and because of this, he is in danger.  The trio begin the journey to “Camp Half-blood”, a training facility and sanctuary for kids like Percy.  Can Percy make it to safety before the very real monsters find him?  Watch and find out!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a new fantasy series streaming on Disney+ and based on the book series of the same name by rick Riordan.  This is the second attempt at utilizing the Percy Jackson novels as a media franchise.  The first is the 2010 movie, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief followed by 2013’s Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. Although the movies weren’t bad, they deviated from the source material and Riordan had very little input in the production of the films.  The second film in particular uses the plot from multiple books. Whenever a franchise is rebooted, it is hard not to compare the new to the original, and with just viewing the first episode, I can already tell that this new series is far superior to the films.  The depth in the story telling and emotional connections is much greater and where the films felt a lot like a Harry Potter rip off (possibly due to the proximity of the films release), the television series has its own identity and feels more unique.

I really enjoyed the first episode and felt a connection to the young actor playing Percy.  He is able to encompass the bravery of the character and the vulnerability as well.  He goes through a range of emotions in a very short period of time, and it never feels abrupt or fake.  The rest of the cast (so far) also feels more grounded and realistic than in the previously mentioned films. The production value on the series is high, with the monster special effects implemented seamlessly. The production utilized an LED stage powered by Industrial Light & Magic’s StageCraft visual effect technology. The unfurling of Alecto’s (Megan Mullally) wings and the attack of the Minotaur are both excellently portrayed with some great framing and imagery.  The music is wonderful, which doesn’t surprise me at all, as it is done by Bear McCreary and Sparks & Shadows, a music company that McCreary co-founded.  Overall, this is a great reboot and a more faithful adaptation of the book series, with a good story, performances and visuals.