PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF

I guess after a failed attempt with the coming-of-age genre ("I Love You, Beth Cooper"), director Christopher Columbus decided to bring his movie making ship back into the familiar waters of fantasy. Better still... serial fantasy much like "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" both of which he guided to create a franchise.

"Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" has some striking similarities with the Potter series one can't help but notice.

Both are based on a boy who learns that he has yet undeveloped and untested powers genetically derived from his parents. Both feature a Dungeons and Dragons like quest for truth. Both have this boy fighting enemies much more powerful than he.

But what it lacks is a smooth transitional narrative. I don't know if Rick Riordan's first book (of a five book series) was poorly adapted, of if this is the nature of the series.

Logan Lerman is Percy Jackson, an underachieving New York kid with an unnatural affinity with water. What he doesn't know is he's about to get a quick lesson on Greek Mythology. Zeus, the big god is pissed with Percy as he thinks Percy has swiped his lightning bolt. The bolt is the most powerful weapon in the universe and it's loss could spell the doom on mankind.

More importantly, it could spell the doom of Percy's mother Sally (Catherine Keener) who has been kidnapped by Hades to use as a bargaining chip. Hades, as you know is the god of the underworld. All this is news to Percy, especially when he finds out that his daddy is Poseidon, god of the seas. You see Poseidon had a one-night tryst with Sally.

Under the protection of Mr Brunner (Pierce Brosnan), Percy goes to demigod camp which Brunner is a instructor - Chiron a Centaur. Percy is there with his longtime friend Grover (Brandon T Jackson) who also happens to be a demigod. While at camp they meet Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) yet another demigod.

After a far too brief training session, the three set out on a quest to collect some doo-dads that will help them reacquire his mother and hopefully resolve the case of the missing bolt.

Their quest sends them to places like the Parthenon in Nashville Tennessee (although the statue of Athena in Nashville is gold toned and not white) where they battle a fire-breathing dragon-like critter.

They'll even fight Medusa (Uma Thurman) while encountering every Greek myth available: Athena (Melina Kanakaredes) and even daddy Poseidon (Kevin McKidd).

But unfortunately it is all very hurky-jerky without one smooth transition between tasks through out the movie. It's very much like a dozen or so snippets though it will refresh viewers on their characters of Greek mythology.

Logan Lerman gave us a great turn as young George Hamilton in "My One and Only" as well as a wonderful job in previous films "3:10 to Yuma", and "The Number 23". He is a talent to be reckoned with as he gets older. He should have a legacy series that he can fall back on for a continuous cash flow like Daniel Radcliffe has with "Harry Potter" and William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley have with Narnia. However, he will need to get pass this first entry to make it to book two.

The special effects are top notch and for teens, that may be enough to hold them. But for most adults a better narrative is needed. If "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief" makes a run, Columbus will need to rethink the storyline with book two "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters". --GEOFFREY BURTON

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