Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters movie poster
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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters movie poster

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Movie Review

Now available on Blu-ray and DVD (Buy on Amazon)

It's the sequel we all wanted. It's the sequel we deserved. A vast improvement over the original, more sophisticated and complex, thrilling and spectacular, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a terrific continuation of the young adult franchise. Wait, what? This is a review for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters? Disregard everything you just read.

The first Percy Jackson was a moderately entertaining but forgettable young adult film that did reasonably well, earning $227 worldwide. The sequel earned slightly less and is equally unremarkable, though fans of the original will find the fast-paced story and various encounters with Cyclops and other monsters enjoyable.

I watched Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters yesterday and already forget what it's about. There's something about a mechanical bull, a magic carpet that heals anything it touches, a girl who turns into a tree and an attempt to unleash Cronus, the not-so-friendly leader of the imprisoned Titans, upon humanity. It's a fairly generic story, assuming you consider stories involving demigods and Titans generic. It's harmless, but it doesn't exactly hook you.

I do remember the terrible writing. Young adult franchises are hit or miss when it comes to quality writing, but Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters suffers from some painfully bland dialogue and poorly constructed characters. The title character (Logan Lerman) spends the movie questioning whether he's worth the hype, and does little to prove he deserves his own movie. Or two. Sidekick Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) isn't given much to do, and newcomer Tyson (Douglas Smith), a young Cyclops, is introduced so the movie can have a teenager prove his worth to his demigod bullies. Gag.

But despite all that, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is mindless fluff. There is a time and place for mindless fluff. I didn't like the movie, but "hate" is a strong word. I simply didn't see anything particularly noteworthy. Nonetheless, the movie has plenty of action, okay special effects and a fast-paced story; that is enough for some people.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.

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