PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Love these takes on the Olympian myths. Great actors great story line.

Great acting

Works great !!! Thank you !!!

>>> This is a review of the BD+DVD+Digital Copy >>>Just so we know up front, I had no knowledge of the books until long after I first saw the movie. And I must say, despite a few off-beats from acting, it can fall into the epic. The plot is hashed down as it has been since times immemorial - middle-class nobody discovers powers beyond their reason. Then he gets a magic sword. Sound like Star Wars, Episode IV? That's where the similarities end. Period.Percy Jackson is a demigod, the only son of Poseidon. This is the brilliance of the movie before it even gets to the good stuff - we aren't treated to yet another in the long lines of Zeus's bastard sons. Here's a great look at what can happen when folk start to think for themselves. My understanding is that in the books, he is younger enough to make inferences to Harry Potter. And thank the cast and crew for not letting the film fall that way.The MacGuffin is nothing less then the Thunderbolt of Zeus. A short but brilliant scene between Poseidon and Zeus (portrayed by Sean Bean, and with an intensity that makes short work of Liam Neesen's own portrayal of the Greek God Zeus. Sorry, Liam). that show there is no doubt that Sean Bean's Zeus WILL kick your butt backwards if you so much as look at him wrong. The other performances range from awesome (Poseidon - epic Kevin McKidd from Grey's Anatomy, the satyr, Medusa, and best of all Persephone - a delicious and enchanting Rosario Dawson) to slightly forced (Chiron the centaur, Annabelle Chase, Percy's mom). Not that they perform poorly at all; they just fall slightly behind the power-houses previously mentioned (i.e Rosario Dawson).And the highest praise to be Logan Lerman. This is a role that could easily become a poor Harry Potter or Sorcerer's Apprentice, but he steps up to plate for an incredible performance. When he comes into his deific powers, you can see the change in his demeanor, slowly at first. By the end, we believe he can kick butt without Olympian intervention.The special features of this film includes standards like featurettes and deleted scenes. Also included is little interactive "What Are Your Powers" quiz, a bit forced itself, but the kiddos' love it.Thankfully, Olympus deems this film worthy of a sequel. Now, if you'll excuse me so I can go read a book....

I really enjoyed this movie, even though there are slight changes to the story compared to the book. First of all the plot line of the story... Percy is an ADHD and dislexic child attending Yancy Academy. One day on a field trip, a substitute teacher pulls him aside but turns into a winged creature and attacks him. Mr Brunner, another teacher, and Grover, a friend of Percy's, come to his rescue and subsequently explain that the winged creature was a furie. Percy is given a "pen" that turns into a sword from Mr. Brunner, and sent off to Camp Half-Blood. On the way to camp, Percy, his mother, and Grover are attacked by a Minotaur. Percy defeats the beast but not before he believes it has killed his mother. Percy and Grover arrive in Camp where he meets Chiron, the centaur. Chiron shows Percy the cabin that "his father built for him." The audience finds out Percy's dad is Poseidon. The campers then participate in a pretty full contact game of capture the flag, where Percy beats Annabeth. At the celebration that night Hades appears in the fire to force Percy to give Zeus' lightening bolt to him. Percy, Grover, and Annabeth then set off on a quest to get Percy's mom back from Hades even though Percy didn't take the lightening bolt that Hades wants. Luke, another camper, gives them a few items to help along the way, such as a shield and some winged shoes. In order to exit Hades they must find three of Persephone's pearls that are hidden around the USA. And off they go! They rest would just spoil it for you : )I know that it was different in ways from the book but I, overall like the flow of the movie a little better. I do wish they would have kept all the detail regarding info on the Greek gods and myths in the movie. I also feel that the movie version of Camp Half-Blood did not live up to the image the book portrays and therefore could have been done better. I was really looking forward to seeing all the cool cabins, especially Poseidon's, but they were just kind of generic camp tents in the movie. Also, they took out a lot of what went on at camp before the quest and people Percy meets. In the movie there is no Dionysus, no oracle, no prophecy, and no Thalia's tree. Oh, and Clarissa. If you have never read the book you wouldn't feel like something is missing but it would have been cool to see the oracle and in my opinion the prophecy is important for the sequels. All this said, after Percy and company leave on their quest, I like the movie better. I probably can't give you as much detail on this but....I felt the changes they made to the book to make the movie after they left camp made the story flow much more smoothly. I liked that they left out Ares and Aphrodite, which in my opinion seemed a little disjointed from the rest of the plot of the book. Instead the blame goes right to Luke, which makes sense. And when they are traveling the country in search of the pearls....makes way more sense when thinking about why they traveled all over and then Poseidon's messenger just happens to give them the pearls. Also Percy's defeat of Luke at the end is way more believeable than Percy defeating Ares, god of war!! Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the book and the movie! I would recommend both!

as promised

We loved this movie as a family!

Great book, very good movie!Although as always, the book is always better than the movie, this doesn't disappoint. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a favorite for all ages. Full of mythological creatures and a great plot there is not a student that didn't enjoy this movie.Highly suggest you order this for those "End of the year testing days"!