Before the superhero movie craze reached its current levels, Hollywood spent much of the 2000s and the first years of the 2010s obsessed with adaptations of young adult science-fiction and fantasy novels before the craze gradually died off. Harry Potter was a global phenomenon with audiences of all ages passionately reading the books and attending the movies in droves. Twilight mixed vampire mythology with teenage romance drama to the delight of adolescent viewers, despite the haters. But for every hit like these two series, there were several misses.
One such failed attempt was the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, a planned adaptation of Rick Riordan’s beloved books which brought Greek mythology to a YA audience. The movies fell well short of fully capturing Riordan’s vision and were met with fiercely negative reviews from critics and fans, with plans for future installments ending after only two of the five novels were adapted. But while most of the criticism against the films’ efforts at adaptation are warranted, the first film, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, does benefit from strong work by its star, Logan Lerman. After Lerman’s shorter-than-expected tenure as Percy, he has gone on to do great work in television and film, and this retroactively makes The Lightning Thief a bit more watchable, as viewers can enjoy seeing a young talent come into his own.
Like the novel, The Lightning Thief follows Percy Jackson (Lerman), a troubled adolescent, as he discovers that the gods and other creatures of Greek mythology are real. Percy is attacked by a fury disguised as his English teacher but is rescued by his best friend Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), who is secretly a satyr, and his Latin teacher Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan), who is actually a centaur named Chiron. Grover brings Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a mystical haven in Long Island that serves as a training center for half-bloods/demigods, children who were born due to affairs between gods and mortals. Chiron informs Percy that he is the son of Poseidon, god of the seas, and that he has been framed for stealing Zeus’ (Sean Bean) lightning bolt as part of a mysterious plot to start a war between the gods. When Percy learns that Hades (Steve Coogan) is holding his mother, Sally (Catherine Keener) captive in the Underworld, he sets out with Grover and Annabeth Chase (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena, to rescue her, unraveling the mystery of the lightning thief along the way.
'The Lightning Thief' Is a Failed Adaptation — Even With Christopher Columbus
Director Chris Columbus, who made the first two Potter films delightful modern classics, attempted to repeat his success with The Lightning Thief but was unable to recapture the same magic. The script is unable to condense the nuances of the relatively complicated novel into a runtime of less than two hours, which leaves the film without nearly as much substance as it could have. The film often seems in a rush to get to its next VFX-heavy action sequence or campy comedic bit rather than taking the time to slow down and fully explore its characters and world. Despite this, Logan Lerman turns in a strong performance that elevates the film’s portrayal of Percy.
Logan Lerman Is 'The Lightning Thief's Saving Grace
The most drastic difference between Percy in The Lightning Thief book and film is his age. In the book, Percy is only 12-years-old, with the series taking place over the course of four years, until the dramatic events prophesied about his 16th year come to pass in The Last Olympian. Lerman was 18 when the film was released and his version is consequently much older, appearing to be at least a starting high schooler. The sequel, The Sea of Monsters, adjusted the prophecy to refer to when Percy turns 20. Despite this significant age gap, Lerman characterizes Percy very similarly to how he is portrayed in the novel. Like many half-bloods, Percy suffers from physical and emotional issues including ADHD and dyslexia. Lerman captures the anxiety and social discomfort this brings the character well while also showing how Percy becomes more confident and comfortable as he adjusts to the truth about his lineage and bonds with Annabeth and Grover, creating a hero who is well-rounded and worth rooting for. Lerman has especially vibrant chemistry with Daddario, who turns in similarly strong work despite the changes to her character. The books thinly disguise Percy and Annabeth’s romantic feelings for each other for several installments, but in the film they’re immediately apparent, even if the pair don’t become an overt couple. It’s a noticeable change, but one that benefits the film by giving it a more passionate central relationship.
The Lightning Thief is far from a career highlight for Lerman. He’s been a part of both stronger genre projects like Fury and Hunters and ably handled central roles in acclaimed dramas like The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Indignation. The upcoming Percy Jackson Disney Plus series also looks to be at least a much more accurate adaptation of the novels. But if one is looking for a family friendly adventure film with a capable lead, they could do a lot worse than The Lightning Thief. Unfortunately, even Lerman wasn't able to save The Sea of Monsters.
If you want to see Lerman completely in his element, check out the trailer for the latest season of Hunters below. Every episode of Seasons 1 and 2 is now available on Prime Video.