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| Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson |
Those looking for a magical adventure about a teenage boy trying to fulfill his destiny should...reread the Harry Potter books. "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," the big screen sequel to "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is a mildly entertaining but weak mish-mash of stuff that was probably much more fun in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" novel series upon which this is loosely based. In this outing, Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), the son of Poseidon, continues his epic journey to fulfill his destiny, as he teams with his demigod friends (Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Levin Rambin and Douglas Smith) to retrieve the Golden Fleece, which has the power to save their home and training ground, Camp Half-Blood. Directed by Thor Freudenthal ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") with a screenplay by Marvel and DC Comic writer Mark Guggenheim ("The Green Lantern"), "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" a jumbled attempt to bring Riordan's novels to life, though it plays like a junior-league Harry Potter. The producers of the film haven't figured out that the real magic lies in the story, not the overload of CG visuals that they seem to bombard the audience with, though there are a handful of nifty special effects, such as the Sea of Monsters, which resembles a much deadlier Bermuda Triangle. Though Lerman (seen to better effect in last year's "The Perks of Being a Wildflower") is a charming, pleasant Percy, the film lacks a strong emotional core, a deliciously evil villain (as the primary antagonist, Jake Abel is one of the most milquetoast bad guys seen in some time) and some real magic to make this truly effective. There is one nifty, all-too brief cameo from Nathan Fillion as Hermes, who provides our hero with some clever resources to get himself out of a jam. The overload of CG, particularly in an action-packed climax, puts the film at arms length from its audience, giving "Sea of Monsters" a fake sheen that would make the gods unahppy. The young set may still get a kick out of it and help to make a modest hit the first one was (not to mention huge overseas grosses, the only reason for this sequel). Modestly entertaining, somewhat odd and oddly charming, "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" has a handful of sublime visuals but its weak storytelling drags it down to ocean depths. Much like the first one, this could've been much better with a stronger script and direction.
Wes's Grade: C
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