With two episodes now available on Disney+, the Percy Jackson premiere has everything fans wanted to see
After much waiting, Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered this Wednesday (20th) onwards Disney+. The fantasy series based on Rick Riordan’s books that tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who discovers he is a demigod was one of the most anticipated titles on the platform this year, especially by its legion of fans.
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Although only two episodes of the series have been released (the other six will be released weekly on streaming), the series has already generated quite a response on social media, earning much praise for its faithfulness to the source material – a problem that fans have already faced with the 2010 adaptations.
Furthermore, the two episodes already gave a taste of what is to come and covered a good part of the plot, showing Percy’s discovery of his origins, his journey to Camp Half-Blood and the decision to pursue Lightning, Lord of Zeus.
A coherent adaptation
The fear that the Disney+ reboot was a production very detached from the original story certainly did not materialize. Although it is clear that changes have been made to the audiovisual, respecting the production format, the series is quite faithful Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thiefthe book that serves as the basis for this first season.
The first episode begins with Percy’s classic narration about the dangers of being a demigod and gradually introduces the other characters, giving the viewer space to make a connection and understand each other’s purposes. The feature of having voice-over narration from the protagonist is also used in other moments of the show and helps a lot in understanding Percy’s feelings and decisions throughout the story.
Another positive point of the new Disney+ series is the CGI. Even if in some moments something seems “off on the screen”, such as in the scenes where the centaur Chiron rides through the camp on horseback or when Poseidon claims Percy as his son, the images in general were well made and it is possible to believe in the fantasy. which takes place on the screen, without major inconveniences.
However, if there’s anything problematic to say about these first two episodes, it’s that Percy’s battle with the minotaur needed more illumination. While you can get a better look at the monster when the demigod, Sally, and Grover arrive at the entrance to the camp (very well done CGI, by the way), the car chase is quite dark, which might push many people to want to increase the brightness of the television.
The perfect combination
While the show doesn’t lack in quality, nothing can beat the perfect match between the characters and the cast. In addition to the young protagonist Walker Scobell who seems hand-drawn for the role, Aryan Simhadri, who plays the satyr Grover, and Leah Jeffries, who plays the intelligent Annabeth, managed to create their own (charming) versions of the characters. .
Although the trio have yet to be seen together on screen (a combination that has the potential to be one of the highlights of the show), their chemistry as a couple works very well. A compliment that can also be paid to Virginia Kull, the actress who plays Percy’s mother.
One of the big highlights of this season opener, Kull manages to show a surprising connection with Percy. Something that has been explored very little in the Fox films and which serves as an important basis for the development of the next episodes.
Fun, but not silly
Finally, it is also worth underlining that an interesting choice by Disney – which in the project was supervised by Rick Riodan himself – was to give the series a serious tone when necessary, without ever losing the good humor.
There are little (and big) jokes scattered throughout the script, responsible for making the production more dynamic and allowing characters like Dionísio (also known as Mr. D, the camp director) to gain even more prominence. On the other hand, scenes like the fight with Fury and even the Minotaur don’t feel silly or forced, and bring with them just the right amount of drama for this type of production.
With the potential to suit any age, Percy Jackson and the Olympians had a great start to the season. With no intention of treating audiences like fools or even turning the story into something it’s not, the Disney+ series seems to have found the perfect balance between listening to what fans had to say, but also following its own instincts.
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Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
