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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

tomatometer

49

Average Rating: 5.3/10
Reviews Counted: 138
Fresh: 67 | Rotten: 71

Though it may seem like just another Harry Potter knockoff, Percy Jackson benefits from a strong supporting cast, a speedy plot, and plenty of fun with Greek mythology.

37

Average Rating: 5.3/10
Critic Reviews: 27
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 17

Though it may seem like just another Harry Potter knockoff, Percy Jackson benefits from a strong supporting cast, a speedy plot, and plenty of fun with Greek mythology.

audience

57

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 228,536

My Rating

Movie Info

A teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.

PG, 2 hr.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

Joe Stillman, Rick Riordan

Jun 29, 2010

$86.7M

20th Century Fox

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Trailer & Photos

More Photos (12)
More Trailers and Videos (14)

Cast

Critic Reviews for Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

All Critics (138) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (71) | DVD (10)

I thought it was mischievous and witty and amusing and I was just sort of drawn into it.

February 16, 2010 Full Review Source: At the Movies | Comments (4)
A.O. Scott
At the Movies
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Director Chris Columbus has brought together the modern and mythical spheres with sharp pacing and a nifty sense of fun that atone for the film's dippier moments. It's his most enjoyable effort since Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

February 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | Comment (1)
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Dutifully Potteresque it begins, and dutifully Potteresque it ends.

February 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | Comments (3)
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Has all the CGI sorcery of a Harry Potter pic, but none of the magic.

February 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | Comment
Adam Markovitz
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Percy Jackson, you are no Harry Potter. You are not fit to walk in a hobbit's wake.

February 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Detroit News | Comments (10)
Tom Long
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Harry, Ron and Hermione: Relax. You could whip Percy Jackson and his pals with your wand hands tied behind your backs.

February 12, 2010 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comments (10)
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The premise of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief holds great potential potential the film never realizes.

November 5, 2011 Full Review Source: Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) | Comment
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

Percy Jackson is simply uninspired in every single meaning of the word. It's probably the crassest, most obviously derivative work of this sort since Eragon.

April 25, 2011 Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | Comment (1)
Joshua Starnes
ComingSoon.net

It kind of just builds up to a lot of Not Much.

April 4, 2011 Full Review Source: Movies.com | Comment
Dave White
Movies.com

Manages to pay its respects to the Greek myths and actually convey them as fun.

August 4, 2010 Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | Comment
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief proves to be a satisfying beginning to what is sure to be a promising film franchise.

July 17, 2010 Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews | Comment
Matthew Pejkovic
Matt's Movie Reviews

Mildly diverting.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | Comment
Brett Michel
Boston Phoenix

Just another mediocre fantasy flick, but if you enjoyed the books, I'm sure you'll enjoy the film.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | Comments (5)
Chris Bumbray
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

An enjoyable PG-rated family adventure in its own right, but Columbus' film can't live up to the Potter gold standard, and it strays enough from Riordan's source material to make its tween readership blow a gasket every few minutes. [Blu-ray]

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | Comment (1)
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews Source: Groucho Reviews

Not a perfect film, but the movie does have a certain passion that a lot of other franchise attempts have lacked. If you like Greek mythology and are looking for an antidote to Clash of the Titans, this may be what you're looking for.

July 4, 2010 Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | Comment
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy

A great family film, with just the right measures of action, mythological allusions, humor, and adventure.

June 30, 2010 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
James Plath
Movie Metropolis

Of all the would-be Potter projects that have hit the screen over the years, this is one of more polished and enjoyable ones.

May 16, 2010 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

click to read full review

March 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | Comment
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

... a sprightly Harry Potter clone and an eye-candy-coated intro to Greek mythology.

March 14, 2010 Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | Comment
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review

While this flick may not have Harry Potter's complex world and multiple layers, it also doesn't have the angst and darkness. It replaces them with one thing in bulk: Fun.

March 5, 2010 Full Review Source: Christianity Today | Comment
Todd Hertz
Christianity Today Source: Christianity Today

Another attempted launch of a teen-aimed franchise, but this show-boat is rowing through the motions. Seen-that, been-there fantasy-epic stuff with dialogue more wooden and hollow than the Trojan Horse.

March 3, 2010 Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | Comments (6)
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

What surprised me is that I had some affection for an action adventure film the way I would have in the days of the Ray Harryhausen's best films.

February 24, 2010 Full Review | Comment
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

A Harry Potter wannabe - but not a bad one . . .

February 24, 2010 Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | Comment
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page

A fun, effects-filled, escapist adventure, with several clever notions: Medusa sells garden statuary as a cover, and the Parthenon in Nashville is home to a hydra.

February 19, 2010 Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | Comments (3)
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

A safe, bland, test-marketed product made for tween mass consumption. Like most films arriving with ampersands and colons in the title, it's a bore.

February 19, 2010 Full Review Source: Tulsa World | Comment
Michael Smith
Tulsa World

It looks like the characters of color in Percy Jackson have been paired off, a remarkable choice in a movie that is, in essence, about the glories of half-breeds.

February 19, 2010 Full Review Source: PopMatters | Comments (2)
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

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Harry Potter meets Clash of the Titans and this book translation does pretty good for itself. My daughter and I laughed cringed and enjoyed it all the way through. I then made sure to tell my daughter its a book and she is already to read it!

February 10, 2010
jmanard52
John Manard

Super Reviewer

Even though I am unfamiliar with the source material, it is pretty obvious that someone has been trying to create the next Harry Potter. The idea of taking Greek mythology and bringing it into our world for a teenage audience may even work, giving the right ingredients. Sadly, the film has very few of these. Its main

February 8, 2010
ironclad1609
Jens S.

Super Reviewer

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Quotes

View All

    1. Mr. Brunner/Chiron: Percy take this, it's a powerful weapon.
    2. Percy Jackson: This is a pen?
    – Submitted by Daniel R (6 months ago)
    1. Percy Jackson: Your half donkey!
    2. Grover: I'm half goat.
    – Submitted by Daire H (7 months ago)
    1. Annabeth: Mm-hmm. I definitely have strong feelings for you. I just haven't decided if they're positive or negative yet.
    2. Percy Jackson: Well, you let me know when you figure it out.
    3. Annabeth: You'll be the first.
    – Submitted by Bobby J (7 months ago)

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Latest News for Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

June 17, 2011:
Wimpy Kid Director Hired for Percy Jackson Sequel
Thor Freudenthal is on board to direct; Logan Lerman is under contract to star.

March 2, 2011:
Percy Jackson Sequel in Development
The first installment wasn't a huge hit, but Fox 2000 is still eyeing a sequel to "Percy Jackson and...

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Foreign Titles

  • Percy Jackson - Diebe im Olymp (DE)
  • Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (UK)
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