Percy Jackson and the Olympians is incredibly by the book
It’s been over 10 years since the infamous Percy Jackson & the Olympians movie broke hearts by inexplicably aging the cast and warping the novel, and fans of Rick Riordan’s beloved book series have eagerly been waiting for sweet vindication.
The creators behind the Disney Plus series have made a huge promise: an adaptation the fans of the franchise — of which there are very many, who picked up the books when they first came out in 2005 or fell in love with the world somewhere in the past 18 years — will love, one backed by the author.
Judging by the first two episodes, Disney Plus’ Percy Jackson and the Olympians does deliver on that promise of recreating the plotline of the book, almost beat by beat. With a stellar cast bringing the cherished characters to life, it seems like a dream come true for Percy Jackson fans. It’s an adaptation that takes its source material seriously — and that just might be its biggest fault.
[Ed. note: This review contains some spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians the show, as well as the book series.]
Like the first book of the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians follows Percy Jackson, a troubled middle school student who learns that all the Greek myths he grew up hearing are real, and that his mysterious absent father is actually one of those gods. The first two episodes of the show get Percy to Camp Half-Blood, setting up everything for the eventual cross-country quest that makes up the first entry of the book series. Since the central story is strong, following it beat for beat means the show will have a solid foundation. Because the series seems designed to trust its fans fully, some of the exposition feels like it’s missing, and viewers unfamiliar with the nuances of the
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