One of the most awaited releases of 2023 was the Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Each new tidbit of information revealed about the show seems to heighten the enthusiasm of the fans. As someone unfamiliar with both the book series and the original movies, this Percy Jackson and the Olympians review brings a fresh perspective.
Story
Personally, I believe the adaptation is well-crafted. Some differences caught me off guard initially, as my brain instinctively sought parallels with the book’s events. However, these variances are not overly significant—certainly not on the scale of, let’s say, revealing Percy’s prophecy in his second year at camp or prematurely bringing back Kronos (still a sore point for me). The confrontation with Mrs. Dodds, the interactions between Sally and Percy with Gabe, and Percy’s claiming all featured minor alterations that stood out to me. For some reason, specific details like Sally preparing a seven-layer bean dip in the books compared to her threatening to devour Gabe’s sandwich in the show linger in my mind.
On the flip side, there are noteworthy similarities that caught my attention. The episode titles align with chapter names, and the premiere’s opening perfectly echoed Percy’s introductory lines from The Lightning Thief.
The gods’ traits shine through in their kids, and that’s just solid writing. The first two episodes lay down the perfect foundation for the entire series.
Lady Leah Brings Annabeth’s Character to Life
There was quite a stir about Leah Jeffries playing Annabeth Chase, primarily due to deviations from the character’s physical description in the books. Despite the traditional image of Annabeth being blonde with gray eyes, many argue that Leah’s portrayal brings the character to life more authentically. Comparisons are drawn to the previous film adaptations where the actress may have matched the appearance but failed to capture Annabeth’s personality, dry wit, sarcasm, leadership, and defiance. Leah Jeffries perfectly embodies these traits. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have a different cinematic Annabeth. It’ll always be her I see.
Walker Scobell as Percy is Perfect
Let’s talk about Percy, the demigod, played by the fabulous Walker Scobell. Now, forget about the hair color drama – Percy went from raven-black to a blond-ish brown, but hey, we’re not here for a hair color consultation.
A grief-stricken, self-blaming, twelve-year-old Percy. The emotional rollercoaster he took us on was nothing short of magnificent. I mean, who wouldn’t shed a tear when Percy had to torch his favorite grub just to get the gods’ attention? And that heart-to-heart with his mom instead of dear old dad? Cue the waterworks. And can we just take a moment to appreciate Scobell’s “bored preteen on a rock” act? Rick, you sly dog, you knew what you were doing. I swear I spotted a Fortnite dance move in there. Bravo, Percy, bravo.
Ending Notes
Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone. I’ll be sticking around for more, cheering on the brilliant minds behind the scenes – the set designers, the actors, the morale boosters, the producers, and, of course, the mastermind Rick Riordan. They’ve truly breathed life into these books. It’s not just the same old names and places with a different plot – this is Percy Jackson and the Olympians brought to life.
