Caitlin Barr
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was a book I treasured, having had it handed down to me by my older sister after she’d read it. We both devoured the whole series, and when I discovered a film had been made, I eagerly plonked myself down on the sofa to watch it. I’m not sure if disappointment had ever hit me quite so hard before. Gone were the awkward tweens, replaced by attractive 16-year olds, leading to an accelerated romance plot that had taken an entire 4 books to develop. Percy was less sardonic, Annabeth far more arrogant, and Grover’s shy nature was replaced by confidence. Of course, it is far easier to communicate specific character quirks and traits in a book, when inner monologues and observations can be utilised, but these changes were fairly drastic in the films. And then there were the huge and uncalled for plot alterations. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover go on a formulaic journey to find pearls, with
each pearl meaning a fight against a monster. In the book, the monsters appear far more organically – the reader doesn’t feel patronised in the same way they do when watching the film. The book doesn’t feature a fight between Percy and its surprise villain, leaving that until the end of the second book of the series. However, the film has this mystery antihero reveal themselves half-way through the film, with a not-so-epic showdown far too soon. This takes away so much of the tension and thrill the books fostered, as did the decision to introduce monsters and storylines that appear far later in the book series. It’s unclear what the makers of the movie thought they would have left to incorporate – no wonder they cancelled the franchise after just two book adaptations. However, Disney+ have announced a new TV series based on the book series, with author Rick Riordan actively involved – all I can do is hold out hope that I’m not left wondering whether anyone actually consulted the source text!
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