BY ROMEY NORTON DECEMBER 18, 2023
*Review covers Episodes 1 to 4 for Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Audiences have had their fill of vampires, zombies and disaster movies, so rise the genre of the Gods. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the fantasy series everyone has been waiting for.
As a fan of the books, and the film adaptations starring Logan Lerman, I have been overwhelmingly excited for this series, and it did not disappoint. Disney+ needs to put down the Marvel mallet and start producing more quality, desired content like this if they want to keep audiences entertained. This is, by far, one of the best young adult adventure series available for streaming. It is a wonderful story about friendship, courage and growing up with gods.
SYNOPSIS
Based on the best-selling book series by award-winning author Rick Riordan, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians'' is a Disney+ Original series which tells the story of 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who is coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god, Zeus, accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With his friend's help, Percy is on a quest to restore order to Olympus and save his mother from Hades.
Percy’s mother reveals he is the son of a God, and he sets off to Camp, a place where half-bloods are safely sequestered away from monsters. Here Percy is faced with many challenges, and he finds himself on a mission to clear his name and make his father Poseidon (Toby Stephens), proud. Standing beside Percy on his journey are Grover (his goat protector) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), the most fearsome among the demigods. Together, across the episodes we’re taken on a magical, mystical journey, and their lives will never be the same again.
REVIEW
After a slightly disjointed beginning to the first episode, once introductions are complete, the series soars. Walker Scobell does a fantastic job as Percy - croaky teenager voice included. He’s charming and complicated, and portrays a troubling dorky teen extremely well. I can’t complain with any casting as everyone does a stellar job in telling this Godly tale.
There are twists and turns in the plot, with drama, corruption and lies that will keep you invested and on your toes at times. The story development is clear, and even though the episode runtimes fluctuate this doesn’t affect the fluidity of the series. However, I do believe it will be better to binge episodes than watch one weekly. The first four episodes' runtime is roughly the same as a feature film and it can be watched as so.
The CGI elements aren’t overdone and the props, the creatures are captivating and have a loveliness that mirrors that of Harry Potter and Fate, the Wix Saga. You know, a series that, as a millennial, makes my teenage heart scream!
I also want to give a shout out to the composer, Bear McCreary for his eerily excellent musical score throughout the series. His innovative work reminded me a lot of Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings scores, but with a gentler undertone. It’s fresh and magical and I simply loved it. Some overwhelmingly strong build-ups which added that extra umph to the scenes and helped with the smooth transitions.
Over-all this series is one to watch. It offers adventure, fantasy and a genre that has seriously lacked attention in the past. Captivating elements, solid framework and compelling acting all line up for this series to be a huge success and pave the way for many more in the future.
STAR RATING
