Percy Jackson movie
I've recently purchased and read all but 1 of the Percy Jackson books and throughly enjoyed them (in spite of the blatant inspiration from HP). This series and the latest Clash of the Titans movie also inspired me to brush up on greek mythology - which I used to be quite well-versed in.
BASICALLY, I went to see the Percy Jackson movie today. Has been on for quite a while, and so there was only 1 showing, and it was on Kids Club. Upside - only cost £2.50!
It kinda annoyed me right from the start.
I shouldn't have been surprised, with it being a Chris Columbus directed movie, by just HOW MUCH they moved away from the book.
For starters, the books move through 5 years, with Percy growing up from 11-16.
However, in movie? He's 14 at the youngest.
The movie itself starts with a completely MADE UP scene that wasn't ever in the book! Instead of allowing the watchers to discover the truth ALONG with Percy, we have to be told outright via a Zeus/Poseidon discussion; which ALSO changes the story. The gods did not know Poseidon had a son until he CLAIMS Percy @ camp. But in the movie, we get told he's his son at the start by during this discussion, and Percy gets told by Chiron.
Chiron is Pierce Brosnan - which weirdly works.
BUT, still far to many alterations.
GROVER is there in the infirmary when Percy wakes up, not Annabeth. The first time Percy meets Annabeth is watching her training - AND being attracted to her! The 11 year old Percy never even THOUGHT of that!
Because in the movie they all knew that Percy was Poseidon's son already, he never spent any time in the Hermes cabin with Luke. He also never received any formal training in swordmanship - he just touched the water during his first fight (with ANNABETH!) and became invincable!
No Clarisse! How are they going to do the later books without mentioning her?
He doesn't even officially GET a quest - he sneaks off! Which means he doesn't go to the Oracle! There's also no mention of the prophecy - which is good because he only has until he's 16 - which if he's 14, doesn't give them long to do the books!
I mean, even the stuff at the start with him in school - he doesn't technically get expelled!! He goes straight from Mrs Dodds the Fury to camp; whereas in the book, the 'Mist' is explained, and Grover and Chiron have to feign ignorance to Percy's rants about Mrs Doods - because none of the other students remember her!
Riptide is never named!
Wtf was up with the Persephone thing?! She wasn't even in the book!
Without them being sent on the quest, there had to be another plotline to give them something to do; which was Lukes search for Persephones pearls. It would have been easier to stick to the original storyline. ALSO, in the book they did not steal a uberfast car and drive to LA to get to the Underworld. They got on a plane!
And the Hydra in Nashville?!
Generally, It just annoyed me because they took a well written and thoughtout story and just rewrote it while still trying to maintain its core and basically making a large hash of it all!
And yet I'm still glad I saw it.
Even the bonus scene was off-book, because we are never explictly told the stepdad turns to stone, the mum IMPLIES it later - meaning that it was HER that turns him to stone, not ercy (and in the book, Medusa's head is left at Olympus and Poseidon mails it to Percy @ home).
I could go on and on, but I won't. because I can't be arsed anymore.
BASICALLY, I went to see the Percy Jackson movie today. Has been on for quite a while, and so there was only 1 showing, and it was on Kids Club. Upside - only cost £2.50!
It kinda annoyed me right from the start.
I shouldn't have been surprised, with it being a Chris Columbus directed movie, by just HOW MUCH they moved away from the book.
For starters, the books move through 5 years, with Percy growing up from 11-16.
However, in movie? He's 14 at the youngest.
The movie itself starts with a completely MADE UP scene that wasn't ever in the book! Instead of allowing the watchers to discover the truth ALONG with Percy, we have to be told outright via a Zeus/Poseidon discussion; which ALSO changes the story. The gods did not know Poseidon had a son until he CLAIMS Percy @ camp. But in the movie, we get told he's his son at the start by during this discussion, and Percy gets told by Chiron.
Chiron is Pierce Brosnan - which weirdly works.
BUT, still far to many alterations.
GROVER is there in the infirmary when Percy wakes up, not Annabeth. The first time Percy meets Annabeth is watching her training - AND being attracted to her! The 11 year old Percy never even THOUGHT of that!
Because in the movie they all knew that Percy was Poseidon's son already, he never spent any time in the Hermes cabin with Luke. He also never received any formal training in swordmanship - he just touched the water during his first fight (with ANNABETH!) and became invincable!
No Clarisse! How are they going to do the later books without mentioning her?
He doesn't even officially GET a quest - he sneaks off! Which means he doesn't go to the Oracle! There's also no mention of the prophecy - which is good because he only has until he's 16 - which if he's 14, doesn't give them long to do the books!
I mean, even the stuff at the start with him in school - he doesn't technically get expelled!! He goes straight from Mrs Dodds the Fury to camp; whereas in the book, the 'Mist' is explained, and Grover and Chiron have to feign ignorance to Percy's rants about Mrs Doods - because none of the other students remember her!
Riptide is never named!
Wtf was up with the Persephone thing?! She wasn't even in the book!
Without them being sent on the quest, there had to be another plotline to give them something to do; which was Lukes search for Persephones pearls. It would have been easier to stick to the original storyline. ALSO, in the book they did not steal a uberfast car and drive to LA to get to the Underworld. They got on a plane!
And the Hydra in Nashville?!
Generally, It just annoyed me because they took a well written and thoughtout story and just rewrote it while still trying to maintain its core and basically making a large hash of it all!
And yet I'm still glad I saw it.
Even the bonus scene was off-book, because we are never explictly told the stepdad turns to stone, the mum IMPLIES it later - meaning that it was HER that turns him to stone, not ercy (and in the book, Medusa's head is left at Olympus and Poseidon mails it to Percy @ home).
I could go on and on, but I won't. because I can't be arsed anymore.