Lots of eye-candy
One nice thing about Percy Jackson:Sea of Monsters is there’s no shortage of eye-candy: from the cast to the special effects used in every scene. Daddario, who played Annabeth, was good to look at. And since her character seemed to have been demoted to a boring sidekick it helped that she looked awesome. Otherwise, you’d forget she’s in the movie.
The effects were crazy. The mechanical bull could’ve very well been from Transformers and the Hippocampus is magnificent. Production design is also commendable. Camp Half-Blood looked really good. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about the Sea of Monsters and the belly of the Charybdis.
Speaking of Sea of Monsters…
I was a little disappointed because I expected a lot of action happening at the Sea of Monsters. Because it’s basically the movie title, so one would expect it would get enough air time. Unfortunately, it didn’t. There were far more action at the amusement park.
When it comes to thrill levels, the movie didn’t disappoint. The battle for the Fleece is a good one. There were lots of running and grabbing and stumbling. What I felt was missing, though, was the use of magic in the fight scenes. I was hoping that Percy and Luke would engage in a magic showdown fit for sons of gods where lots of lightning, explosions, and bursts of water are involved. Sadly, there was none.
It did, however, made up with extremely well-executed narration of how the elder gods overthrew the Titan Kronos using
And since Chris Columbus (director of the first Harry Potter films) is among the producers, you can’t help but compare it to the franchise about the young wizard. And if you’re going to base it on stunts, special effects, and jaw-dropping moments, then Harry Potter trumps Percy Jackson.
But that doesn’t mean this movie sucked. It was good considering the fact that it’s geared towards the younger audience. The fire-yielding mechanical bull that invaded the demigods’ haven is cool as well as the fluid Hippocampus, which I initially thought was a sea horse.
Good and wasted portrayals
I was surprised to see one of my favorite actors, Giles, err, Anthony Stewart Head as the centaur camp director. However he was like a priceless vase dumped in the basement where no one would see it. He’s got only few scenes and none stood out. It’s a waste of his acting chops. The producers were better off casting an unknown actor.
Stanley Tucci (who played the wine god Dionysus) was alright. Though watching his scenes kind of brings back his scenes from The Devil Wears Prada. He might’ve  fared better had he tried to play the role differently. But that’s just me.
It’s nice to see Nathan Fillion (Hermes) in a cameo even though I barely understood half his dialogue because he was talking fast.
Image credit: aceshowbiz.com
When it comes to our protagonist, I’d say that he did alright. Not memorable but not forgettable. Not the greatest acting, certainly, but being in all scenes has definitely worked to his advantage.
The biggest disappointment was Alexandra Daddario (Annabeth). Her storyline is potentially good but the treatment deprived audiences of some real acting. It may not be her fault for not having enough lines and tender moments, so I can cut her some slack. It was more fun watching her scream in Texas Chainsaw.
Douglas Smith (Tyson) did amazingly well. It’s the first time I’ve seen or heard of him but it’s clear he has potential. You’ll learn in the next section why he’s got one of the best portrayals.
Hits and misses with character development
Image credit: hypable.com
There’s more to this film than the superficial plot. It’s trying to show us the inner struggle our hero is going through. And the director, Thor Freudental, was able to properly address it. Percy’s doubts about his self-worth reflects every young kid’s journey towards self-discovery and his journey towards saving Half Blood Camp ended up solving a lot of his problems.
It’s a good metaphor for all our experiences as a teen that involved angst, the need to prove ourselves, self-discovery, and our desires to save the day. Let’s face it, we’ve all, at some point, thought that we know how to solve other people’s problems. What Percy taught us is that it’s normal.
I would have loved to see more of Annabeth because here, she was merely a sidekick. Her beautiful face was, sadly, wasted. She runs, thinks of the solution on how to find Grover, and figures out how to run away from enemies–but that’s all she did. The only moment where we saw a glimpse of emotion was when she finally revealed to Percy why she distrust his half-brother.
Her character was completely overshadowed by Grover, who excellently provided comical relief. Clarisse, on the other hand, was fine. Not memorable but you won’t get out of the cinema wondering who she was.
It was Tyson who seemed to show more depth and the most character development. From being shy and innocent, he’s matured into a more courageous ally (not sidekick). And he solely provided some of the most important lessons in the movie: loyalty, having a happy disposition, and selflessness.
He was able to change Percy at the end. And honestly, I thought that he was more the hero in this film. His constant attempt to call Percy “brother” and get reciprocated is heart-warming. It speaks to everyone of us who have tried so hard to make another person we care about look at us, feel, and treat us the same way.
 Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Movie Review
