Percy Jackson and the Olympians Review: Rick Riordan’s fantasy tale is a great reworking of his novel

New Delhi: One of the most talked-about TV series revivals in 2023 will undoubtedly be Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Fans have been waiting patiently for this adaptation, even though Rick Riordan’s bestselling novels were made into a film series over a decade ago since this one will have more time and room to stay true to the original.

The new Percy Jackson series, which premiered on Disney Plus Hotstar today (December 20), has performers of the right age but is devoid of the glittery Hollywood transformation that the films bestowed upon Percy and his two primary friends.

Surprise, Demigods!

Stream the two-episode premiere of #PercyJackson and the Olympians NOW on #DisneyPlus and the first episode on @Hulu. pic.twitter.com/HSHdftFfSt

— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) December 20, 2023

Plot

Living in New York, 12-year-old Percy Jackson has many unusual things every day and has few friends. Percy learns that he is a half-blood demigod one day, rather than just a typical boy. Percy Jackson, a demigod, goes on a mission across the United States to stop the Olympian gods from going to war with each other.

Review

Fans of the books have been highly complementary of the ensuing series in advance, but any television adaptation of a literary work, or comic book must succeed on its own merits.

You can’t help but notice the resemblance to the well-known wizarding series. But Percy Jackson and the Olympians has all the makings of a hit, what with its exciting action scenes and mythological origins from Greece. In addition, having visually pleasing effects is a plus.

The fact that author Rick Riordan has been keeping fans updated on all the progress made in the TV adaptation is another key consideration.

The ‘PERCY JACKSON’ series is a perfect example of what an adaption should be; respecting its source material and building upon it with brilliantly cast stars at the centre.

Find out more in our review… https://t.co/cadTNpt4b9

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 14, 2023

However, the show fails miserably at demonstrating everything in detail. The pacing is off, especially in the first three episodes, with violent scenes, prepubescent tantrums, and exposition sessions delivered by emotionally aloof adult characters abruptly beginning and ending. The main story appears to have just started, and then suddenly you find yourself halfway through.

Percy has trouble building compelling stakes without providing the viewer with a more solid backdrop. The fact is that young actors don’t always have the range of emotions and complexity to make their sequences believable.

Nevertheless, the thrill stayed constant throughout the season, so it’s reasonable to assume that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a watchable series.

Just finished watching the first two episodes of Percy Jackson & The Olympians pic.twitter.com/R3nfvOCgpm

— val ✮ (@prseabth) December 20, 2023

Latest @reckonnews✍🏽:

How the Percy Jackson & the Olympians cast builds authentic chemistry

Screen adaptations of books are often a swing & miss, but on the rare occasion, [it’s] so perfect that it’s seemingly pulled directly from the pages.
Full review:https://t.co/rdZjECqQOQ pic.twitter.com/oXgye42bVn

— Daric L. Cottingham, M.A. (@DaricCott) December 19, 2023

god my wendys, freshly showered, in my bed with a fuzzy blanket, pressing play on episode of percy jackson and the olympians

pic.twitter.com/xfhTSqqLBN

— (holly jolly Sarah) سارة (@sarsaraaaaah) December 20, 2023