#140RVW
Better than 1st in most ways. Tony Head replaces Brosnan. Clearer but maybe not as epic; toothless. New characters mixed bag – Tyson cool…
What’s more:
Since the first movie doesn’t seem to have many supporters, it was a little surprising a sequel was green-lit. Thank the gods for international receipts. Personally, I think a sequel was warranted; it’s a great premise, a good setting, and the books have sold well.
The feedback on this one was almost universally, “it’s much better than the first movie”. Damning with faint praise, maybe, but after listening to the bitterness and derision towards the Lightning Thief film from fans of the book, I guess this is progress.
And it is better. Not night and day better. Despite my protestations, my daughter couldn’t wait to tell me all the things they got wrong, and which parts actually were in the first book and that they made up the majority of the ending. I was trying to review the films themselves, not the adaptations. But it’s very hard to divorce the two when watching anything that has been adapted.
Character development is slightly better, but then, it couldn’t have been worse. The ridiculous looking centaur played by Pierce Brosnan has been replaced by a ridiculous looking centaur played by Anthony Stewart Head. A very cool character named Tyson has been added. A very annoying character named Clarisse has also been added. These take time away from the sidekicks Grover & Annabeth, who really didn’t have time to spare.
Stanley Tucci continues to make the rounds on the cameo circuit to no useful end, but the cameo of 2013 goes to Captain Hammer, Nathan Fillion.
All in all, I thought this movie was exactly ok. I didn’t have the baggage that the fans of the novels were burdened with, so I took this as it came. And it was fine. No more than fine, but fine.
Poster:
