Percy Jackson and The Olympians : Review
By Sioph Leal
Based on the best-selling book series by author Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows Percy (Walker Scobell) as he embarks on a quest to save his mother, return a stolen lightning bolt, and save the world after discovering he is a demigod. As a half-blood, he is targeted by all kinds of monsters and Gods as his quest to find the Underworld evolves, but with the help of his camp and quest mates Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri), his journey is filled with moments of friendship and answers to who he is destined to be. Fans of the beloved book series have eagerly awaited the series after feeling the 2010 movie did not live up to the book and missed out on many character-defining moments. Thanks to Disney, fans have an adaptation they can marvel at with performances straight from the page and a Camp Half-Blood that is vast, layered, and inclusive of all characters from the source material.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians entwined reality and Greek mythology in a modern world, as well as a diverse cast of characters, and leading the way is Perseus “Percy” Jackson. Percy is impetuous and impatient, but cares deeply for those that he loves. Scobell manages to capture Percy’s quick-fire temper but also offers viewers a vulnerable child who, as well as being quick-tempered, has funny one-liners and excellent comedic timing. Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood join Percy on his quest, and both Jeffries and Simhadri prove to be the perfect cast for Percy’s friends. Jeffries captures Annabeth’s intelligence in a subtle way, yet also her self-righteousness that comes with being the daughter of Athena, while Simhardi has the potential to draw focus to Grover in any situation, using his compassion and loyalty as Grover’s main drive. Combining Scobell, Jeffries, and Simhadri as the three leads of Disney+’Percy Jackson and The Olympians is perfection, with each member of this god-like trio having the natural chemistry that most actors would die for.
Supporting characters can make or break a show, and Percy Jackson and The Olympians have not failed so far in their casting. Mr. D (Jason Mantzoukas), Ms. Dodds (Megan Mullally), Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull), and Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell) all prove invaluable to Percy’s quest and manage to prove vital to the story without taking focus from the main storyline. Casting Kull as Sally Jackson was perfection, as she captures the fierceness and worry of motherhood effortlessly and somehow will have you honestly believing she had raised a demi-god before! Bushnell, as Luke Castellan, has this effortlessness and charismatic ease that both book and TV fans will adore. Luke and Sally are integral parts of Percy’s story, with Sally teaching her son the heroics of the gods while Luke shows Percy the harsh reality of having a godly parent.
Beloved are the books for the themes that accompany the heroes quest, done in a way to appeal to a variety of ages that appeal to all despite the spectacular nature of Gods, legends, myths, and demigods. Part of a demigod's structure is parental abandonment from their Godly half; even those that are claimed by their God parent never see them, and those that are unclaimed still search for who they are and who they belong to. Camp Half-Blood is filled with children searching for a family, for validation, for glory for themselves, or to prove to their godly parent that they should be claimed or be worth their time. Arriving as an unclaimed child in the camp, Percy has the determination to find his father to force him to save his mother and calls out his father for abandoning him, yet proudly saying he is not the child of a God but the son of Sally Jackson, giving more worth to the parent that stayed and raised him. It is a universal feeling of abandonment from those with only one or no parental figure, but Scobell gives a layered performance to convey all the complex emotions that give weight to the themes. One thing the movie missed was the sheer volume of half-blood children abandoned by their God parent and how resentful and hurt the children are. The half-bloods live in danger because of their parents, yet they are abandoned by them. The series not only corrects this mistake but also brings home the sense of found family and their own sense of belonging. The dynamic carries well on screen in every way.
Throughout the first four episodes, not only is parental abandonment a key issue and driving force, but the extra nuance of who the real monsters are plays a vital part in shaping the narrative and exposes another layer to the cruelty of the Gods. With every monster the quest trio meets, they are exposed to the Gods cruelty and how their actions have seeped down as the monsters seek revenge on the Gods via their children. There is nothing more dangerous than a demigod; a monster laments while another expresses the hurt and vengeance of the Gods because they were swayed by another Godly figure. With only the first four episodes available for screening, it is a compelling viewpoint that we hope continues into the remaining episodes and a clever part on the writers to explore this theme in conjunction with the abandonment. Percy does not see the Gods as something to be worshiped; he sees them as someone who doesn't care but learns of their cruelty to others.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a true adaptation of the Rick Riordon series of the same name. Disney+ has managed to bring to life the beloved book series with perfect casting, from the main characters to the guest stars. The series manages to explore the complex parental relationships between the demigods and their parents as well as effortlessly combining the mythical and modern worlds. While targeted for a teenage audience, viewers of all ages can enjoy this series without needing to read the book first, as the world and lore are well established.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiers 20th December on Disney Plus.