Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Movie Review

The kids and I were invited to a local screening of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. All opinions are 100% mine. No compensation was received to share my thoughts.

I will be honest with the fact that I have never read the Percy Jackson books.  My only expectations going into the theater to see Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters was my enjoyment of the first movie; Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.  The kids and I watched the first Percy Jackson movie the day before we headed to this screening.  It had been over a year since I had seen it and I wanted to refresh my memory on how the plot played out.

I do not believe we actually needed to watch the first movie before heading to the theaters for the second one.  The story did not pick up exactly where the first one left off.  However, it is nice to be refreshed on the back story and character relationships – especially with Grover, the satyr, becoming Percy’s protector.

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First Impressions of Movie without Spoilers…

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The costumes, makeup and graphics were stunning.  I enjoyed the visual effects more in this movie than I did in the first one.  Mythological characters are introduced, including sea creators that are beyond realistic looking and some are even beautiful.  I felt they did an immaculate job at bringing to life true imagination.  Being a fan of Greek Mythology I loved this aspect of the movie.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a new character or creature be introduced within each scene throughout the entire movie.  It will hold the attention of children and adults, far from boring.

We saw the screening in 3D.  Usually I am asked if I think the extra expense of the 3D movie is worth it therefore I tried to consciously watch for three dimensional effects in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.  There are many times that the characters are walking around things like bushes or down a path and you can clearly notice the objects around them are in 3D.  However I didn’t notice any visual effects jumping off the screen or coming towards the audience like some will expect, not even during the fight scenes.  My teen believes it is a waste of money to see Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in 3D, although she really enjoyed the movie more than me. In this case I think it is truly a personal choice; whether you are simply a die-hard fan of 3D movies.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters involves Percy, Annabeth and Grover sneaking out of Camp Half Blood again.  Similar to the first movie the three are on a mission to save someone, except this time around they have another partner join them – Percy’s half-brother, Tyson.  I love how the movie shows friendships being made among enemies, people coming together to help one another and the lesson of how a team working towards the same goal is better than one doing it alone.

My children ages 16, 11 and 7 all enjoyed the movie.  My 7 year old son sometimes gets startled in movies and he loved this one.  There are some fight scenes and even slightly scary scenes where the group is in danger when battling sea monsters.  If you have little ones under the age of 5 I would suggest watching the movie first before determining if they would be bothered by it.

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…Slight Spoiler Alert – Inside Look at Movie…

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The opening of the movie starts at Camp Half Blood.  You are immediately introduced to the new character, Clarisse, and with her strong personality most of the audience instantly dislikes her.  She’s beyond confident – just cocky.  I’m interested to read what her character’s personality is in the book. Although Clarisse is adamantly cocky you learn a back story about her defeating Percy in every challenge they have competed one another for.  This story makes the audience wonder if she has a reason to act empowered and confident.

The plot starts with Percy being down on himself.  He is in the middle of an inner struggle and instantly starts doubting his ability to save Camp Half Blood or fulfill his prophecy in a positive way.  I was a little put off with his mediocre attitude.  It’s a big difference from the first movie where he learns who is he, finds himself and steps into the larger shoes of a half blood.  Percy’s friends and superiors continue to believe in him and show support, however he has no contact with his father.  It’s like Poseidon is not listening when Percy reaches out or he just does not want to respond to him.  This part of the story was a little confusing and the only assumption is because Percy does not believe in himself anymore.  When Percy’s half-brother, Tyson, is introduced he has clear open communication with Poseidon and even receives help from his father numerous times therefore you know that Poseidon is still playing a role in the movie.

One other part I was kind of shocked about is the final fight scene…  After Percy doubts himself so heavily throughout the movie I expected the final fight to show more of a struggle.  Instead it ends rather quickly.  I have thought about this part of the movie and even spoke with the Director about it which you can read in my interview of Thor Freudenthal.  All I can say is that Percy Jackson did overcome obstacles throughout the movie which built up his confidence.

When the movie comes out on Blu-ray we will purchase it to add to our Percy Jackson collection and will eagerly watch it again at home.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is open in theaters now and I recommend you take your family to see it.