Two cult-classic YA action movies based on both Greek mythology and a wildly popular series of novels are finally coming to Netflix, making them super accessible to fans. And while audiences were divided over how the films handled the canon material and a television series was born of that division, there’s no denying the films themselves were wildly entertaining, helping bolster the careers of a handful of young actors.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters will be streaming on Netflix on June 15th, so if you’ve been missing the movies starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson, then the wait is over. The first movie, The Lightning Thief, centers on Percy as he discovers that he’s the son of Poseidon. Sent to a training ground for the children of the deities, Percy must learn how to harness his divine powers. But things get more complicated when he becomes responsible for stopping a feud among the Olympians and has to rescue his mother from Hades. The second film, Sea of Monsters, reimagines the tale of the Golden Fleece, sending Percy and his companions on a journey to obtain it in hopes of saving Camp Half-Blood.
Did the First Screen Iteration of Percy Jackson Get Its Due?
Both performed poorly with critics and audiences, though they did manage to carve out their own corner of fandom, boasting fans that are incredibly loyal to the franchise’s first step into film and television. And while both movies boast a fun, witty edge, they fell flat with mainstream viewers, who felt they succumbed to style over substance at every turn. “Not great, but not bad. The movie kind of feels like Christopher Columbus didn’t want to make 5 movies, so he just made 2 mediocre ones so Fox would cancel before the series was over,” said one viewer. Although other audience members found things to love about the films, with one adding, “The Percy Jackson movies, especially Sea of Monsters, offer a fun, fast-paced escape that the recent show just doesn’t match. While the show drags with a slow pace and an overly serious tone, Sea of Monsters delivers humor, heart, and thrilling action. It captures the spirit of adventure and the charm of Percy’s world without getting bogged down in exposition.”
Overall, the films are good on their own, though not great adaptations of the novels they were based on. And when you’re adapting an IP as beloved as the Percy Jackson novels for the screen, being faithful is going to earn you a ton of points from the audience. That doesn’t take away from the fact that they’re a fun way to kill a weekend, though.
Will you be catching the original Percy Jackson movies once they’re on Netflix? Let us know your thoughts on the movies versus the show in the comments. And don’t forget to take a peek at what’s going on over at the ComicBook forums.
