Disney+’s new show “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” did not live up to its high expectations. After they announced its development in 2020, fans were eager for Disney to make something better than the 2010 movie, which has a paltry 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, this version of the beloved book also disappoints.
The plot picks up exactly where it does in the original story. The audience learns that Percy is a demi-god, and he goes on a mission with his two best friends, Grover and Annabelle, to recover Zeus’ lightning bolt that the gods on Mount Olympus falsely accuse Percy of stealing. On their mission, the trio experiences many obstacles and monsters that are sent to stop them from achieving their goal.
The show itself is very entertaining, and I never felt bored or wanted to skip a couple of scenes. The show’s writing was a bit cheesy, but that can be expected for a Percy Jackson production, as it is mostly intended to appeal to younger audiences.
However, the acting is one of the weaker parts of the show’s production. Contrary to the movie where the actors are older, the actors are middle schoolers, and watching it, I could tell the difference. Whether this is due to the writing of the show or how the characters deliver their lines, the kids’ acting is not good and the show’s quality takes a big hit as a result.
The visual effects are also poorly done. In the fighting scenes, the characters felt very slow with their movements, and it felt like they were following choreography like robots to perfect their moves. Additionally, in scenes where Percy or his friends fight characters that are monsters, the visual effects dip even lower as it doesn’t even look like the characters are making contact with each other.
On the positive side, the storyline stays true to the books, and there are not many scenes in the show that the audience would not find in the book. Most Percy Jackson fans wouldn’t be pleased if the highly anticipated show had veered away from the original plot.
Overall, the show fails to live up to the book and doesn’t do anything to elevate itself above the 2010 movie. It contains the same scenes as the movie without any new creativity. It is an accurate representation of the books, and it is entertaining to watch with your family and spend some time reminiscing about Percy Jackson. Once again, though, a Percy Jackson production doesn’t have that “wow” factor that will make you fall in love with it.
If you are a Percy Jackson fan, I recommend that you watch the show. Even though there are aspects of it that can be improved, it’s still an entertaining production that I enjoyed watching. The Percy Jackson story and Greek mythology monsters are fun, and even though it was slightly disappointing, you get to see a Percy Jackson show in which Rick Riordan is heavily involved.
