Attempting to finally produce a faithful adaptation to his popular young adult novel series, Disney+ has partnered with author Rick Riordan to release a limited series adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The series so far has covered only the first book in the series, “The Lightning Thief”.
The plot centers around Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old from New York who discovers that the Greek gods of myth, such as Zeus, are actually real, and have been influencing the course of human history since ancient times.
More than this, he learns that his estranged father is the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, and as a result he has abilities such as command over water.
It’s not just the gods who turn out to be real, however; famous monsters from Greek legend are also still alive and kicking, and roam the world hunting down “demigods” (children of gods and mortals).
To stay safe, demigods have created a haven at a summer camp on Long Island, and Percy travels here for protection and to learn more about his true identity.
When he arrives, he finds the camp in uproar; Zeus’s most powerful weapon, the “Master Bolt” has been stolen, and Percy, as the son of Poseidon, is currently suspect number one.
To clear his name, and to try to find his mother who has disappeared, Percy sets off on a quest across the United States to find the bolt.
The series as a whole is a massive step up in quality compared to previous adaptations.
“The Lightning Thief” had been made into a 2010 movie starring Logan Lerman, but this version failed to live up to the hype surrounding the book series at the time, primarily as a result of sloppy writing and strange stylistic choices.
The series does a much better job of capturing the overall atmosphere created by the books.
The writing is tight and faithful to the story of the novels, only making changes when absolutely necessary.
Any changes made also feel as if they fit much more smoothly within the overall plot, flowing naturally within the story and ensuring that the most important plot points are still highlighted.
Another positive change is the decision to use actors of similar ages to the characters.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but Logan Lerman was 18 when “The Lightning Thief” released, something that despite his considerable skill as an actor couldn’t be overlooked.
The main reason for this is simple; Percy’s age is a fundamental part of his character. The book series shows his development not just within the world of Greek gods, but also as he ages, making his immaturity when we first meet him a vital aspect of who he is.
Therefore, the choice to cast Walker Scobell, who only recently turned 15 and easily passes as younger, brings a real sense of genuinity to the role.
Scobell is not just believable as Percy; he perfectly captures all aspects of the character, and fans of the books are sure to be happy with his portrayal.
The same can be said for Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as Annabeth and Grover, Percy’s companions on his quest.
All three actors are committed to their roles, and this combined with strong writing creates character adaptations more faithful than is often seen in book-to-movie transitions.
However, no adaptation is ever be without flaws.
The show, in efforts to distance itself from the movie adaptation, sometimes goes too far in the opposite direction and ends up ommitting details from the movbie that enhanced the story.
A prime example of this is the scene that takes place in the Lotus Casino, a magical casino where time passes faster on the inside than the world outside.
In the 2010 film, this sequence was the undoubted highlight; a vibrant whirl of color, neon, and glitz soundtracked by Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface”.
Compared to this, the shows adaptation feels flat and colorless, it might have to do with the shows smaller budget, or the simple fact that its a show compared to a movie, but this, along with some other larger set pieces, fall slightly flat compared to how readers may imagine