Percy Jackson and the Olympians -- The Lightning Thief

I must first warn readers of the book that the film is quite different. Major characters have been added and subtracted and the quest is pursued very differently. And for the parents out there, our central trio -- Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are older. They have all been fast-forwarded several years. This changes the story some but the dynamic more. Percy and Annabeth are no longer simply rivals/friends. Instead there is an immediate attraction between the two, a high school level attraction. And Grover is no longer a bushy haired nerd, but rather a hipster and something of a ladies man. He runs around spouting, "that's nasty" and hitting on every girl/goddess he sees. So there is a level of innuendo that is nonexistent in the books.

That said, I enjoyed the movie and my son thought it was terrific. While there were "danger times" which is what my son calls scary moments, nothing was too disturbing for him. I will say, however, that you should judge based on your own child's level of fear. There are several monsters, including a snake-headed Uma Thurman as Medusa. The film is fast-paced (at times to the detriment of the story) and overall a fun film I feel that I could recommend for school-aged children. It is definitely not appropriate for younger children or those who are uncomfortable with stories involving monstrous creatures. There is some fighting and (SPOILER ALERT) a parent's life is taken early on. Also, Percy's step-dad (played by the always great Joey Pantaliano) is abusive and unpleasant.

With those caveats, I give the film a "Step Out".

Overall:


Age Appropriateness (Over 6):


Child Attention Span (Over 6):


Adult Enjoyment: