The biggest takeaways from Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV show all point toward the series’ imminent success. The undeniably glowing reviews should come as a welcome relief to long-time book fans who were let down by the 2010 film adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-selling series. Co-created by Riordan for Disney+, Percy Jackson and the Olympians centers on the titular 12-year-old demigod son of Poseidon, the Greek god who’s best-known for presiding over the sea. After discovering his lineage, Walker Scobell’s Percy attends Camp Half-Blood, a training facility, only to be accused by Zeus himself of stealing the king of Olympus’ thunderbolt.
When Percy is sent on a quest to find the thunderbolt and quell the long-brewing feud between the Olympians, he’s aided by his best friend Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), who’s actually a satyr, and Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), a demigod who’s the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. The Percy Jackson TV show’s eight-episode first season adapts the whole of The Lightning Thief, the first book in Riordan’s initial series. As the coming-of-age novels have proven, Percy Jackson has all the elements needed to be the next big fantasy epic — and the glowing reviews prove it.
10 Disney’s Percy Jackson Show Is Extremely Faithful To The Book
Dubbed a “lovingly realized odyssey through adolescence and myth” by Rotten Tomatoes aggregation of critical reviews, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is poised to be a big hit for Disney, which is suffering from a lack of consistency and fan excitement in realms of Marvel and Star Wars. The biggest consensus among early reviews is that Percy Jackson remains incredibly faithful to the books. Given that Riordan is a co-creator of the series, it’s not surprising that the show is devout, but it is a huge relief for readers who want a thoughtful adaptation.
9 Percy Jackson’s TV Show Is A Huge Improvement From The Movies
Many of the show’s reviews focus on another point of comparison: the 2010 Percy Jackson film, also an adaptation of The Lightning Thief, that starred Logan Lerman in the titular role. Notoriously, Riordan hates the movie version of his story. Not only does it take huge liberties with the plot and pacing, but it ages the characters up in a way that does a disservice to the coming-of-age themes in the source material. Making a better version of Percy Jackson than the 2010 film and its sequel isn’t necessarily a challenge, but Disney’s show also succeeds in making what feels like the definitive adaptation of the beloved story.
8 Disney Is Proving It Can Still Revive Hit YA Franchises (& Make Them Better)
With its recent adaptation of Goosebumps, Disney proved successful at translating young-adult fiction to the small screen. Much like Goosebumps, Percy Jackson is lovingly made — created by fans of the original stories who care about making something just as compelling. While Disney’s tent-pole films, from The Marvels to Wish, may be faltering, Percy Jackson proves that the company can still revive hit YA franchises — and make them even better, so long as it takes the time and care required.
7 Percy Jackson Depicts A World That’s Genuinely Inclusive
Instead of shoehorning in representation or tokenizing its characters, Percy Jackson and the Olympians builds a genuinely inclusive world. Of course, that stems from the book series and its spinoffs. Riordan has used his success, and his massive platform, to amplify stories by, about, and for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folks. The characters in Percy Jackson are authentic and fully realized, carrying on the author’s dedication to representation. As one reviewer puts it, “The series depicts a genuinely inclusive world, showcasing storylines and characters that will captivate fans for the next decade” (via Variety).
6 Disney’s Percy Jackson Succeeds By Working With Rick Riordan
If it wasn’t abundantly clear already, Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians succeeds, in part, because of its strong ties to the book series’ creator, Rick Riordan. In addition to co-creating the series, Riordan was involved in the process every step of the way, and Disney clearly made it a priority to include him. Given the backlash, from both Riordan and fans, in regard to the films, this was a smart move. Since Riordan knows the material inside and out, he’s the perfect person to have in the room when the adaptation needs to make changes in order to work with its new medium.
5 Casting Age-Appropriate Actors In Percy Jackson Was The Right Move
One of the biggest missteps of the Lerman films was that actors in their late teens and early twenties were cast in the principal roles. While aging Percy and his friends may not seem like a big deal at first, the alteration deeply impacted the story and its themes. Not only is Percy a middle-schooler, but he’s substantially younger in The Lightning Thief — just 12 years old. Having a protagonist-turned-hero who’s on the verge of young adulthood is totally different from someone on the verge of adulthood, plain and simple. Few shows center on middle-school-aged characters, making Percy Jackson a great moment for representation.
4 The Story Of Percy Jackson And The Olympians Benefits From An Episodic Format
The Lightning Thief novel is a fast-paced romp: every chapter sees Percy, Grover, and Annabeth moving through different obstacles on their quest to secure Zeus’ missing thunderbolt. The movie struggled to cover all the ground — and fun, updated references to Greek mythology — that’s packed into the novel. That said, the miniseries format gives Percy Jackson some much-needed breathing room. Plus, since the novel is broken into chapters, the episodic format of the TV show is an extremely natural transition that allows for a well-plotted story and exciting cliffhangers.
3 Disney’s Percy Jackson Boasts Stunning Visuals & Action Sequences
According to critics, Percy Jackson and the Olympians includes some stunning CGI visuals as well as robust action sequences. Given that Disney’s MCU entries have started to feel a bit stale — and have undoubtedly suffered as a result of the company’s break-neck pace and release schedule — this is a welcome relief. The story is filled with all sorts of characters and creatures from Greek mythology, from a Minotaur to Medusa, a Gorgon who has a past with Percy’s father. If the visuals had been cheesy, they definitely would’ve taken away from the show and undercut its more action-packed, thrilling battle sequences.
2 Disney’s Percy Jackson Adds Some Surprises (While Respecting The Books)
While critics have been understandably tight-lipped about some of the show’s finer details, a few have alluded to the fact that Disney’s Percy Jackson TV show makes some changes to the source material. The key, of course, is that the series respects the novels, but makes alterations to, presumably, better suit the medium of television. That’s something the Percy Jackson films didn’t balance very well at all. While it made changes to fit the runtime, the massive liberties it took undermined the characters, tone, and themes of the source material — all the things fans loved about the books.
1 Percy Jackson’s TV Show Sets Itself Up To Be Streaming’s Next Epic Fantasy Binge
The sum of Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ parts makes for a satisfying whole. Not only does the series adapt the book faithfully, but it isn’t afraid to throw in some surprises if those changes suit the medium of television. The Percy Jackson cast of characters deliver strong performances all around, the writing is sharp and quick-witted, and both the CGI and action sequences have impressed viewers. It’s hard to imagine a better cascade of pre-release reviews. With Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians holding steady at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, fans will have little to worry about — and a lot to enjoy.
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Variety
