Movie review: Not a lot of epic in 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters'

I thought “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” was going to be spectacular and action-filled. Not that I'm a fan of action-filled movies. It was more of a “Pacific Rim” hangover — when I read "Sea of Monsters," I immediately thought, "Kaiju!"

 

Not exactly, as most Percy Jackson fans know. The fans are, as I've observed, quite passionate about the characters in the Percy Jackson world. My own daughter, who is turning 10, has read Rick Riordan's books several times. 

 

From time to time, a name crops up in her stories and it takes me a while to figure out if this is a person we know, or another teen demigod. Of course, my daughter was excited at the prospect of seeing “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.” Although she said the first movie was "just okay," she came to the “Sea of Monsters” premiere with Percy Jackson doodles on her hand.

 

On the other hand, I was curious to finally see what all the fuss was about. Although my daughter repeatedly told me to read the books, I hadn't, so I found myself watching the second installment with no background knowledge, apart from some basics.

 

Percy is the son of Poseidon and a human. The only place that's safe for him is Camp Half-Blood, where all the demigods hang out. Good enough, I thought to myself, as the movie opened with a scene where Percy is neck and neck with Clarisse LaRue in an outdoor competition much too deadly for teenagers, or anyone, for that matter.

 

But demigods aren't just anyone. Clarisse, daughter of Ares, the god of war, wins the competition. There's a lot of trash talk, “Mean Girls”-style. Demigods they may be, but they're still teenagers, complete with the typical angst.

 

Percy feels lost and unsure — maybe his saving the world in his last quest was just beginner's luck. Also, he hasn't heard from his dad, except for the sudden appearance of a half-brother cyclops, Tyson.

 

As it turns out, Tyson's presence is a good thing, because Percy must go on another quest, this time to find the Golden Fleece, which they need to heal a poisoned tree and repair the camp's protective bubble. Oh, and the fate of the world is at stake, too.

 

Watching the movie, I could see why “Harry Potter” comparisons were inescapable. “Sea of Monsters” felt too much like “Harry Potter” — but not in a good way. There's a prophecy, and a hero who goes on a quest, battling evil with his two best friends. However, the in-between details, such as the other characters and the relationships, weren't quite there. 

 

Logan Lerman is convincing enough as a conflicted Percy Jackson, although the role is far from Charlie in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." 

 

Meanwhile, his best friend Annabeth Chase, played by Alexandra Daddario, is his Hermione — the smart girl best friend, except there isn't too much opportunity for puzzle solving in this movie.

 

On the other hand, there were some tender moments, mostly thanks to Tyson's character, played by Douglas Smith. There's also some humor, mostly thanks to Grover Underwood, a satyr played by Brandon Jackson. Still, for a movie about Olympians, this was no epic.

 

The movie, although almost two hours long, was not able to capture the audience. The opening scene was lively, but the actual battles were too simple, with no surprises, and not enough monsters. Scenes that were supposed to be moving were just slightly sad, jokes fell flat, and one just did not feel like they knew the characters. At least, that was what it was like for someone who wasn't familiar with the series to begin with.

 

The acting was not bad, but it wasn't great, either. It was convincing, as far as they had to be teen demigods with issues, but it wasn't enough to inspire any emotions. Somehow it felt more like a summary of a story, moving the plot forward but not quite diving into it.

 

Still, it was fun, and my daughter was upset when the movie ended. "What? It can't be over! That was too short," she said. On the way home, I pestered her with questions, like "Why are there satyrs in Camp Half-Blood?" and "Don't the people see all the weird monsters?"

 

"You should really read the book," she said. Maybe that was the problem, I thought, and promised to read the series before the next movie, which will hopefully be better than this one. After all, there are a lot of fans counting on it, as well as their clueless parents. —KG, GMA News

 

“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” from 20th Century Fox and distributed by Warner Bros., opens August 7 in cinemas nationwide.

Photos from 20th Century Fox