Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Last time we saw teenage demigod Percy Jackson, he was saving the world from another angry demigod who stole Zeus's lightning bolt to use as a weapon to destroy the world. In Sea of Monsters, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth are still training at Camp Half-Blood, a hidden wilderness refuge for demigods until they reach their full potential.  Things seem to be going well until a mechanical bull crashes through the force field protecting the camp and wreaks havoc among the campers. Percy and his friends subdue the bull, then find out that former friend-turned-enemy named Luke is back for revenge. It seems that Luke is still angry at his father Hermes for abandoning him, so he attempts to exact his vengeance on his father (and ultimately the world) by releasing the god Kronos from his imprisonment. Percy and his friends must summon every ounce of power and courage in them if they have any hope of stopping Luke from his plans of resurrecting Kronos.

For a movie based on a series of children's books, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters was actually pretty decent. I liked the first one, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, better; however Sea of Monsters was a good installment. What interested me about the first one was the engaging story, decent action, as well as a few positive messages and certain allegories I could not help noticing throughout the film. For instance, I found it pretty funny that they made Hollywood, of all places, the entrance to hell. I wondered if that was intentional, or if they just had to choose a location so they randomly chose Hollywood. In the book the entrance is through a recording studio in Los Angeles called Dead on Arrival. Gambling is seen as a detrimental vice. Several main characters are willing to risk their lives for each other and for the greater good. There were others, but I cannot think of anymore at the moment.

Unfortunately, all of the connections I made with The Lightning Thief were lost in Sea of Monsters. It felt like it did not have the sincerity and the heart that I found in The Lightning Thief. The story was way too predictable, and a subplot involving a long-lost half brother of Percy's who happens to be a cyclops was a little unnecessary in my opinion. I still enjoyed the film overall for what it's worth, and I realize this is a kid's flick based off a popular children's series so I wasn't expecting an Oscar-winning performance. That being said, it still could have been so much more entertaining. I found myself less engaged than I was in The Lightning Thief. I do hope they continue with the series because I hate it when a series is left unfinished, but I also hope that the next installment gets back to the spirit of the first film. If all else fails, then I might suggest doing what The Chronicles of Narnia did, which was wait a few years before coming out with the next film in the franchise. Otherwise I would go ahead and reboot the series completely. If you are a fan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series and/or the first film adaptation, then you will most likely enjoy Sea of Monsters. Otherwise I would probably skip it.