Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief [M]

Zeus's most powerful weapon, his lightning bolt, has been stolen and Zeus has put a name to the suspected thief: Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Now with Zeus and Poseidon preparing for war, it's up to Percy to prove his innocence.

Unlike that annoying remake Clash of the Titans, this movie actually worked in that it made the whole mythology thing appealing to a modern audience. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was a fun movie filled with action, adventure, and humour.

Zeus's lightning bolt has been stolen and he has put a name to the thief: Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. If the bolt is not returned by midnight on the summer solstice, there will be war between Zeus and Poseidon. Percy has grown up thinking that he is just an ordinary boy with dyslexia and ADHD, but all that he thinks he knows about himself goes out the window when he learns that he is the son of Poseidon and a demigod.

"This is a lot to process."

Upon learning that he is being accused of stealing, Percy goes to a special camp for demigods where he gets told that he must go to Olympus and prove his innocence to Zeus so as to prevent the war. It sounds easy enough, but things take a downhill turn when Hades, whom wants the bolt so he can rule Olympus, abducts Percy's mother and holds her hostage. Now it's up to Percy to go to the underworld, save his mother, then go on to Olympus to prove his innocence. All before a deadline.

This movie was a little like Stardust, only not as brilliant. I say this because I feel the same way when I'm watching Stardust as when I watch Percy Jackson. The film was a perfect balance of action, adventure, great characters, and comedy. It had a good script that consisted of mythical references as well as the modern ones. The special effects were pretty cool too, I particularly liked the many-headed Hydra and the centaurs. I think the only downside to the movie was that everything happened so fast and for some time during the flick, you're playing catch-up, trying to understand everything. Aside from that, the film made it into my collection, so you know that I really liked it.

Packed with familiar faces such as Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson, and Pierce Brosnan, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was a great movie filled with action and adventure. A well-balanced flick that will appeal to anyone. It's just fun a time.