Saw The Lightning Thief on Opening Night
Sarah and I love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series. We have been waiting for the movie, The Lightning Thief, to come out since Rick Riordan announced it at a book signing we attended last year. After seeing the movie at the midnight showing Thursday night, we had lots to talk about on the drive home. While Sarah remembers actual dialogue from the books, I just accept that no movie will ever be able to cram everything in from the book. The movie was single-planed and flat compared to the books, but it was still good fun watching the characters and Camp Half Blood come to life. Sarah felt a little short-changed at the very end (you’ll know what I mean when you get to the last scene) and I thought the sparring at the end was more like dancing than fighting. Sarah, however, has forgiven the movie makers from casting a non-blonde/gray-eyed Annabeth Chase, so that’s progress for her. I think all of the actors were cast well and did a good job. I especially liked seeing Uma Thurman in her role as Medusa. Never has Medusa been so glamorous. I also love the actors who portrayed Zeus and Poseidon even though I can never remember their names. They could have chosen a better Hades. His human form didn’t have to looks so not sexy. Hades really needs to ooze bad-boy goodness to be believable. And finally, I cannot criticize the special effects when the gods on Mount Olympus are in the “same” shot as the humans because it reminded me of Clash of the Titans. It added an unexpected dimension.
We have heard a rumor that only the first book of the series will be produced, but I have a feeling that if this movie does well, they will make more. So go watch this movie and maybe there’s hope of seeing Clarisse, in all her warrior glory, given a place on the screen.
Posted on February 13th, 2010 by trish
Filed under: Movies
I personally have not read the books, so enjoyed the movie for what it was. Shayla, on the other hand, was so mad about how different is was than the books that she cried all the way home and was raunchy to everyone. I guess she needs to learn sometime the books always have much more content than the movie and that sometimes the producers perception of characters are different than her own. She was mad too that Ares wasn’t featured.
Just finished reading the book, and am on the second one, but haven’t seen the movie. We don’t get out much, so books are my escape. Love ‘em so far. I especially like the way he relates real-life happenings to what evil characters might be causing them. And, even these mighty “gods” have character flaws. He’s a good story teller, and the sense of adventure is good.