Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Coping with dyslexia, ADHD, and a substitute English teacher who literally becomes an avenging Fury, frustrated teenager Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is dispatched from New York to Camp Half-Blood, where he discovers to his amazement that he's a demi-god—specifically, a son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), Greek god of the sea. According to his mentor, the centaur Chiron (Pierce Brosnan), Percy's been accused of stealing the lightning bolt belonging to his father's brother, Zeus (Sean Bean), and if it is not returned quickly, a war between the deities will break out, endangering all of humankind. With two friends in tow—Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), a wisecracking satyr, and butt-kicking Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a road trip across America, determined to discover who really stole Zeus' most-prized weapon and to rescue his mortal mother, Sally (Catherine Keener), who is being held hostage by Hades (Steve Coogan), ruler of the underworld. Since Percy's real name is Perseus (like the mythological monster-slaying hero), it's inevitable that the trio will meet up with and decapitate the snake-haired Medusa (Uma Thurman), as well as battle a Minotaur and a multi-headed Hydra along the way. Directed by Chris Columbus, this adaptation of the first installment in Rick Riordan's popular five-volume YA fantasy series offers a fun and imaginative CGI-laden romp through classical Greek mythology with a contemporary twist. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (7 min.), “The Book Comes to Life” featurette with author Rick Riordan (5 min.), a “Discover Your Powers” quiz, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are additional deleted scenes (7 min.), an “On Set with Brandon T. Jackson” featurette with the actor (6 min.), an “Inside Camp Half-Blood” production featurette (5 min.), a “Meet the Demigods” cast featurette (4 min.), “Composing for the Gods: A Conversation with Christophe Beck” on the score (4 min.), a “Secrets of the Gods” interactive featurette with character profiles, and trailers. Also included are DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid family fantasy film.] (S. Granger)