PERCY JACKSON GOES DOWN TO TEH CHUCK!!! REVIEWED!

Percy Jackson.  Olympians.  Lightening.  Thief.  The.  Words that should inspire images of epic clashes and heroic deeds falls a little short in actuality.

Based on the novel by Rick Riordan, the story centers around Percy Jackson (LOGAN LERMAN) and his life as an average male protagonist.  Leaning heavily on the old American adage that anyone can rise up and be a hero, as most films of this kind do, Percy discovers that he is the son of Poseidon.  His best friend Grover (BRANDON T. JACKSON) turns out to be a Satyr who is his personal guardian, wisks him and his mother away to Camp Half Blood, a place of training for children born of humans and Gods when a minotaur captures his mother and delivers her to Hades (STEVE COOGAN).  With now Zeus suspecting Percy as the Lightening Thief and Hades holding his mother hostage in exchange for the bolt, Percy must set out with Grover and Annabeth (ALEXANDRA DADDARIO) to seize the bolt and return it to Zeus before the start of the summer solstice and the end of life on Earth as we know it.
Not really much for spoilers.

I liked the Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario quite a bit in these roles.  I thought they were interesting and a little engaging as leads so they kept me seated.  There were times I could see the director (CHRIS COLUMBUS) wanting a stronger reaction from the Lerman but, young actors sometimes can't channel those feelings just yet.  When Percy lost his mother, he really didn't fell anything.  I don't know about anyone else but if I was young and watched a giant bull squash my mother...I'm gone.  Could use a little more committment.
Most of the big name actors in the films mostly phoned in their performances.  Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, and Rosario Dawson didn't really have any depth whatosever.  Actually, I really enjoyed Poseidon (KEVIN MCKIDD)  I felt like his performance was truer and made me feel for him and his situation with abandoning his son.

I haven't read the book so I have no source material reference to go on.  What I do know is I felt the film was entertaining and easily accessible for a younger audience.  For us non younger audience types, it's still a little fun, it's just about as thick as a wet piece of paper.

2.5 out of 5 stars but fun to watch.

Chuck

Photo provided by: http://www.flickdirect.com/images/movies/percy-jackson-lightning-thief/percy-jackson-lightning-thief-poster.jpg