Disney+’s ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Is a Riveting and Stunning Adaptation: TV Review
14.12.2023 - 17:12
/ variety.com
Aramide Tinubu Transitions are challenging, and for preteens encountering those first pivotal life shifts, change can feel overwhelming. For 12-year-old Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), who has always felt like an outsider, coming of age means godly encounters, foretold prophecies and cross-country quests. Based on the acclaimed books by Rick Riordan, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is a gorgeous, intriguing narrative about self-discovery, courage and friendship.
For viewers who haven’t read Riordan’s expansive series and have never seen the lackluster film adaptations, the premiere, “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher,” lays the groundwork of who Percy is, and the obstacles he’s faced thus far. The only child of a single mother, Sally (Virginia Kull), Percy has dealt with a slew of school expulsions, bullies and ADHD and dyslexia diagnoses. The middle schooler is used to things not going his way, but a class field trip to the Met in New York City is a doozy.
After retaliating against a bully and getting ratted out by his best friend, Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Percy is booted from Yancy Academy. Being ousted is the least of his worries. While Percy is still reeling from Grover’s betrayal, his mother reveals he is the son of a god, aka a demigod, and that the terrifying creatures he’s spotted and dreamed of throughout his childhood are real.
On a harrowing trek to Camp, the place where half-bloods are safely sequestered away from monsters, Percy grapples with his lineage and the news that Grover is actually a satyr, a horned forest spirit who’s been tasked with protecting him. Camp brings new challenges. Just as he’s getting his bearings, Percy finds himself on a mission to clear his name and make his father,
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