Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters' Reviews Lack Enthusiasm

Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters, the sequel to 2010’s child-friendly fantasy thriller Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Rod, returns Logan Lerman as the title character – a teen demigod who frequently finds himself saving the world (aka Olympus.)

In this latest franchise installment, Percy is joining by satyr Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), Athena’s daughter Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Annabeth’s Cyclops brother Tyson (Douglas Smith). Together they endeavor to capture the Golden Fleece, which possesses the power to restore Camp Half-Blood’s invisible shield, from a Cyclops in the Sea of Monsters.

Reviews for the Percy Jackson sequel have come back mixed, though even those that verge on the positive lack enthusiasm:

"The film, directed by Thor Freudenthal (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) from a script by Marc Guggenheim, doubles as a kind of crash course in Greek mythology, though its more academic references and middling-joke asides may elude much younger viewers. Still, tweens and young teens should be sufficiently distracted by the movie's brisk pace and heroic mayhem — if they're not too unnerved by its at times nightmarish imagery." – Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

"In Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, choosing the dumbest character is a colossal task. Is it one of the young heroes, who stand around staring when they should be running or share tender moments when they should be finishing off an evil opponent? Is it the young villain, who doesn’t understand that resurrecting a carnivorous god famous for eating his children is perhaps not the safest or smartest way to rebel against the status quo? Or are these characters merely prisoners — much like the audience — of a script so uninspired that it demands their stupidity?" – Connie Ogle, Miami Herald

“Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters … may make some moviegoers feel like they’ve stepped into an actual Greek myth — one that banishes them to the underworld for nearly two hours.Well, maybe not quite the underworld, since a trip down there presumably wouldn’t feature droll quips from Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion, who play small but enjoyable supporting roles in this desperately-trying-to-be-epic adventure. But even likable actors can’t obscure the fact that, holy gods on Mount Olympus, this thing is a slog, a movie that dutifully hits its plot points involving prophecies and fleeces without evoking a whiff of spirit or imagination.” – Jen Chaney, The Washington Post

"The sequel effectively executes its simple vision – to provide clever PG entertainment for preteens whose parents are too strict to let them watch "The Wolverine." … discriminating adults may find the dialogue a bit groan-worthy. ("It's not cool to Bogart someone else's quest!") Middle school English teachers and librarians, who see the parallels to Greek mythology, may be more forgiving. […]It's an easy film to pick apart, but the result is positive – especially if you're a child or sitting next to one. There are plenty of bad films to get riled up about in the summer. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters isn't one of them. This is harmless tween-centric fun.” – Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, rated PG, is currently in wide release.

– Chelsea Regan

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