April 28, 2011
Isn’t it sad that I enjoyed Percy Jackson more than Clash of the Titans?
Yeah, Percy Jackson was a silly, glossy film for kids, while Clash was a serious action/adventure film, but at least Percy Jackson wasn’t completely joyless. Sam Worthington didn’t look like he was enjoying his epic adventure AT ALL, while Logan Lerman seemed to be having a fucking blast…maybe because he got to eat lotus flowers and trip balls in a casino? What teenager wouldn’t love that?
In the same vein as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson is a popular series of young adult fiction. There are thematic similarities to Harry Potter – Percy has issues in the “real” world that are conveyed into strengths in the “mythical” world. His ADHD translates into fighting skills, while his Dyslexia enables him to read Ancient Greek. I can see how kids like that…all I had to read in Middle School was Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High, is it any wonder I turned to Stephen King the summer after 6th grade? Kids are not likely to find the escapism they desire reading about perfect size 6 twins in a Fiat Spyder…however, I’m not so sure I’m on the “everybody’s special” bandwagon either, because face it – we’re NOT all special. To be continued…
It’s rated PG, so we let the kids watch it. I should have know that something in this film would make my six year old son totally lose his shit, but I was utterly surprised at what it was. Care to hazard a guess? It wasn’t the Harpies. It wasn’t the Minotaur or the Hydra. It wasn’t Cerberus or even the mild child abuse depicted. It was Medusa! He screamed at the TV every time Uma Thurman and her snake hair made an appearance. I admit, partially CGI Medusa Uma was much more fearsome than the entirely CGI Medusa in Clash of the Titans. He begged us to turn it off, but we believe in tough love, baby. He was fine after Percy cut her head off (please don’t tell me that’s a spoiler), although he did make unhappy noises every time her head made another appearance. For the record, no nightmares have been reported, so I don’t think he is permanently damaged.
A sequel is coming in 2012, so I’m guessing we’ll see it on cable sometime in 2013?
Rating – PG
Runtime – 118 minutes
Genre – Kids Action-Adventure
Director(s) – Chris Columbus
Writer(s) – Craig Titley
Actor(s) – Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Steve Coogan, Uma Thurman
BOB Rating – Three BOBs
Favorite Quote – "So rude not looking people in the eyes. Come on, sneak a peak." - Medua (Uma Thurman)