PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS -- Disney's New Adaptation of the Beloved YA Series Gets Off to an Uneven Start

Review by Sean Boelman

Photo Credit: Disney/David Bukach.

Almost two decades after the release of the first novel, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians young adult series continues to attract new readers, while serving as a point of nostalgia for its original fanbase. The new Disney+ adaptation can’t quite decide which one it hopes to serve, although it does show the promise to grow into something more fun when it gets into action.

Based on the first book in Rick Riordan’s hit series of young adult novels, The Lightning Thief, the show follows a pre-teen boy who discovers he is a demigod and must use his newfound powers to prevent a war from happening amongst the Greek gods. It definitely helps that Riordan is so heavily involved in the writing of this series, although it does seem like his talents are much more on the page than in crafting dialogue.

Something about the show that will excite fans of the book is that it does allow more time to dive into the underlying mythology and world. Sure, much of this is delivered through exposition, but in the first two episodes alone, we get a better glimpse into the structure and function of Camp Half-Blood than we ever did in the feature film adaptations.

Yet, even though the show has an expanded length — eight 40-minute episodes, as opposed to a two-hour movie — it feels like we are still rushing through the beats. In many ways, the episodic structure disrupts the flow of the narrative, as commercial breaks and cliffhangers prevent the emotional beats from having as much of an impact.

Photo Credit: Disney/David Bukach.

Two episodes in, the series is also taking its time to build the character development. A large part of what works so well in the books and film duology is the friendship between Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. In the first two episodes, we only get a few moments with either of them, but this is the type of thing that can be given the benefit of the doubt until the rest of the series is seen.

However, the biggest issue of the show is that the cast simply isn’t very good. Of course, a Disney+ show (at least one that’s not part of a major franchise like Star Wars or the MCU) doesn’t have the same budget as a theatrical film. As such, the biggest names to appear thus far are Glynn Turman and Jason Mantzoukas. The cast doesn’t hold a candle to the ensemble of Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, and more A-listers in the movie. That being said, this could change when some of the gods come into play later in the season.

The one area in which Percy Jackson and the Olympians doesn’t skimp is its visuals. The production design and CGI are pretty impressive. Since it’s the first two episodes, there’s not much in the way of action other than the Minotaur scene, but if that scene is any indication, the filmmakers have done a good job of making this feel cinematic rather than like a kids' show.

So far, it does feel like Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a weaker adaptation of the source material than the feature films. However, the two episodes that were provided to critics for review prior to launch are almost exclusively set up. Perhaps once the actual quest begins, the show will be able to find its rhythm and deliver a wonderful family-friendly adventure.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians streams on Disney+ beginning December 20. Two out of eight episodes reviewed.

Rating: 3/5