[pulpworker]

'Lightning Thief' sparks with promise but never ignites


.slideImage{filterrogidXImageTransform.Microso ft.Fade()}And the king of boy heroes is...
Percy Jackson? Harry Potter? Let's just say the path to Mount Olympus is littered with daring overachievers who bit off more than they could chew. Sadly, director Chris Columbus joins that list.
His latest movie, "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," is loaded with all the obvious magic required to kick Hogwarts' hero to the curb.
Brimming with gods, goddesses and mythological monsters, this colossal fantasy about a scrappy New York teen (Logan Lerman) who learns that he is Poseidon's son is packed with adventure and edgy promise.
The CGI spectacle, Lerman's winning performance and an ex-"Harry Potter" director at the helm adds more cache -- at least on paper.
Appearances, however, are deceiving.
For all its apparent strong points "The Lightning Thief" never fully ignites as it should. That remains the real mystery here, not who stole Zeus's freaking lightning bolt.
That audacious theft sets Percy's adventures in motion.
It also sends silent thunder clouds pooling over the Big Apple, their dark, brewing menace hinting that something's up on Mount Olympus and it's hurtling this way.
'Lightning Thief' suffers surprising hero complex
Based on Rick Riordan's hit novel, "The Lightning Thief" is no ordinary tale of gods or demigods behaving badly.
That difference literally screams out at us when Percy visits a museum and is chased within an inch of his life by a winged fury. Leaping out from a teacher's body, the screeching monster has Percy and us jumping out of our skins.
That's hardly the vibe that launched "Harry Potter and The Philospher's Stone," the first film in that franchise.
But, darker is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the lines blur between humanity's foibles and the fickle inanities of the gods.
That happens remarkably well when Uma Thurman slinks onto the screen as the legendary monster, Medusa. Within seconds of unfurling her chic, black headdress Medusa seethes like the hissing serpents sprouting from her head.
Maybe it's because Poseidon dumped her? Maybe her sandals are too tight? Whatever her reasons, Medusa's Olympian pettiness and near-human vulnerability gives this moment some serious chops.
The franchise formula produces little wonder
Ex-Bond star Pierce Brosnan also brings a fine blend of fatherly wisdom and mythic fight to the centaur Chiron. Think of Dumbledore with a horse's *** and you'll get the picture.
Despite these fun moments "The Lightning Thief" unfolds like a franchise to-do list.
Out to entice Potter fans, "New Moon" diehards and everyone in between, Columbus and company take loads of liberties with Riordan's text.
Twelve-year-old Percy is aged to fit 18-year-old Lerman.
Percy's pals Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) are also tweaked to grab hipper, older teens. Think "Xena: Warrior Princess" meets the Chris Rock of satyrs and that sums up these sidekicks and the crowd they should pull in.
"Percy Jackson & the Olympians" is a fun family ride at a Saturday matinee. Sadly, it's no classic.
Perhaps that failure lies in Percy himself.
While Harry is a vulnerable, brilliant nerd, Percy is a swaggering hottie. He grabs his winged sneakers, whips out his broadsword and keeps Armageddon at bay with ease.
Some might buy that kind of teen hero for countless sequels.
I don't.
Maybe the makers of "Percy Jackson 2" (we know it's coming) should think less about franchise formulas and consider Diana Vreeland's famous words: "Never give people what they want. Give them what they never dreamed they'd ever want."
Until then, Percy Jackson has rip-roaring myths to amuse him. Harry Potter has the magic.
2.5 stars out of four.

[alwatches]

Pulp, your reviews sound better than the movie.

[Victor Hugo]

Thanks PW. for the information.