Redemption, revisions, and the writer's "let's be deep" objective makes for a cool "Percy Jackson" remake
The Olympians thinks that Percy Jackson is the lightning thief. Upon learning that he is a demigod, the son of the sea god Posiedon, Percy must take on a quest to retrieve Zeus' stolen bolt and prevent a war among the gods.
Mortal Worthy. 3 out of 5 stars. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" stayed true to the story of the "Lightning Thief." Given the limits of its source material, it still strived to have depth at par with the level of other contemporary TV series. Though it might not probably win any awards soon, the series is a nice gift for us Percy Jackson fans. There's a feeling of somewhat lacking when you watch it, but hey, we will take it compared to nothing.
Let's get to it. Though not perfect, it's 100% much better than the movie version. As a fan of the original books, I approached the series with a mix of excitement and apprehension, but I'm thrilled to report that though it might not exceed all expectations, it is satisfying to watch with hardly any "wtf moments" from me.
One of the series' greatest strengths is its faithfulness to the source material. While some adaptations take liberties with the original story, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" stays true to the heart and soul of Rick Riordan's books. The writers deftly weave together elements from multiple novels, creating a cohesive narrative that will satisfy both long-time fans and newcomers alike.
Don't get me wrong. Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario will still be the de facto images of Percy and Annabeth in my mind whenever I reread the books. But Walker Scobell and Aryan Simhadri managed to capture the essence of Percy and Grover, respectively. In time, that's important for fans because it would be an awkward experience to watch the series if we hated the actors from the onset. Aryan as Grover is so perfect, we see that in the "We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium" episode where he sang that friendship song. I love him so much. Walker as our budding hero fits his role and it would be a thrill to see him grow. Having said that, I don't think Leah Jeffries is as fit as Annabeth. She just lacks the wit and charisma that Alessandra Daddario had.
The writers clearly wanted to be taken seriously when it comes to retelling the story, focusing on thematic depth, at its core: identity, belonging, and the power of friendship. It tackles weighty themes such as destiny, loyalty, and the nature of good and evil. But at times it endangers the plot. For the casual viewers, the idea of demigods and how they were conceived would be confusing or at the very least incredulous for it was not really explained in detail. The quest, on how it was presented, is too cheap. Also, what's with this thing about Annabeth not being aware that the gods are unjust? Funny.
Not all "let's be deep"-style of the writers is bad. In episode 3 for instance, Medusa's lair is much better with a posh house and the creepy statues underground. Using her head to get rid of Alecto is cool, too.
Other parts (most parts) are completely different from the book. In the "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of" episode, Procrustes was guarding the gateway to the underworld with his beds and not the Hollywood stuff in the book and movie. The underworld in this series is gloomy and creepy, it's amazing as were the souls in Asphodel rooted on the ground due to regret. That is master-class writing.
The production design is not at par with say Star Wars (come on Disney!) with Mount Olympus being too shabby for my taste. But some details are meticulously crafted, immersing audiences in a world where gods and monsters walk among us. I love the OBB animation and the teasers at the end, MCU-style. Also, Percy as a kid and Percy as a slighter older kid wearing shades of green? I see what they did there.
Reignell Francisco
I'm a content creator who likes traveling, history, football, and anything good on TV. Visit my YouTube channel onelostgeek for my travel stories. Business inquiry: geekgodreview@yahoo.com
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