Review:
"Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters"
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2013
Rating: PG Running Time: 106 minutes Remember how the Harry Potter franchise enjoyed significant creative growth immediately after the departure of director Chris Columbus? The same can be said about the nascent Percy Jackson franchise. Columbus’ one and done following 2010’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and the sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is all the better for it. Thor Freudenthal previously directed Hotel for Dogs and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but don’t hold this against him. The second adventure to feature Logan Lerman’s demigod son of Poseidon is an exciting, fast-paced fantasy epic that will satisfy fans of Rick Riordan’s literary series despite some of the inevitable condensing of the plot. Percy and his trusted companions travel to the Sea of Monsters—or the Bermuda Triangle, as we know it—to stop Luke (Jake Abel), the treacherous demigod son of Hermes, from freeing the imprisoned evil titan Kronos. Yes, that’s the same Kronos who most recently created all sorts of mayhem in Wrath of the Titans. From its opening moments, when the demigods' supposedly secure hideaway Camp Half-Blood is breached by a rampaging mechanical bull under Luke’s command, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters doesn’t let up on the action. Freudenthal brings a lot of humor to Lerman’s quest, most notably when Percy attempts to rescue sidekick Grover, played by Brandon T. Jackson, from a Cyclops with an appetite for demigods. He also allows Percy plenty of time to explore his place among his half-blood brethren and the destiny that awaits him in and beyond Sea of Monsters. Franchise newcomer Leven Rambin kicks butt as Clarisse, the demigod daughter of Ares, while Douglas Smith generates much empathy as Percy’s misunderstood Cyclops half-brother Tyson. Both are welcome additions to a franchise that shows great promise with Sea of Monsters. Robert Sims Aired: Aug. 8, 2013 Web site: http://www.percyjacksonthemovie.com/us/ |
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