Percy Jackson and The Olympians

Perfectly suited to welcome youngsters into the realm of fantasy television. Enjoyable for not only established fans and young newcomers, but also folks of all ages, the series is a wonderful feat of adaptation and genre storytelling.

I would think fans of the books would be more than satisfied, but anyone ought to be; from script to casting to direction to production design to cinematography to special effects, the series never puts a foot wrong. Of course, as with any such invented world, one must accept some arbitrary rules without worrying too much about what strictly makes sense.

Full of action, and all of those magnificent revelations of adolescence, “Percy Jackson” is one of the strongest YA television outings in a long time.

The casting is on point, particularly Simhadri, who brings a lovely gentleness to Grover. .... “Percy Jackson” works for kids and adults thanks in part to the attention to detail in casting those guest stars.

More than worthy of its source material and the massive mythology behind it.

The eight-episode show attempts to right the wrongs of the films, and the result is a charming adventure that was well worth the wait.

Sure, it has a bit of a Disney sheen to it (make of that what you will). Sure, it’s aimed at a younger audience than those who originally grew up obsessing over the books. But the result is something that feels like it has some staying power—and like it will, just as the books did all those years ago, grow up alongside its audience.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians tells a straightforward quest story with good writing and well-defined characters, but takes its time to set up Percy’s story without dragging the show to a halt.

The new series certainly isn’t perfect, but it succeeds in shaking off the specter of the earlier films. .... Above all, 2023’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians promises to be faithful—and, coming from a longtime Riordan hive member, that’s the best thing it can be.

Disney’s series is unapologetically a children’s show. But the stellar production values – the monsters look genuinely terrifying and the battle scenes are electric – coupled with the original story’s richness make for a series the entire family will gobble up over those fuzzy, lazy days before Christmas.

For the first time, the lightning in a bottle that was the simple yet sturdy series of books has actually been captured on screen. Readers needn’t pray to the gods for anything more, as this series is already delivering everything they could have hoped for.

Two theatrical films (both received poor reviews and not the blessing of Riordan) preceded this impressive eight-episode spectacle, which wields a Riordan-approved (he executive produced) Midas touch that’ll appeal to kids and Bullfinch-loving adults.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” probably won’t be the next big thing, but enough kids will enjoy it, and maybe even learn a bit along the way.

Despite some limitations in writing and consequently acting (even if the cast still does its best job at effectively navigating such a fantastical, novel world), Percy Jackson and the Olympians is fully secure in its tone and identity.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians uses its first four episodes wisely, adapting Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief as accurately as possible. At times it feels like an overcorrection, cramming in as many details from the book as it can to the detriment of the series’ pacing. But at it's best, it reimagines the story for a modern audience – and looking good while doing so.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians gets off to a fun and well-paced start, but it's a rather generic example of the coming-of-age fantasy formula.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians comes roaring out of the starting gate like a raging minotaur, before settling into a slower-moving groove that plays a little too much like another Harry Potter wannabe, only for demigods instead of wizards. Still generally fun, the Disney+ series doesn’t quite catch lightning in a bottle, but as coming-of-age sagas go this half-blood isn’t half bad.

With a charming central trio, an intriguing quest and plenty of magical moments, this faithful reboot is a fun (if familiar) family-friendly fantasy.

It does sometimes lack the depth and complexity of the novels, it’s true, and Greek mythology nerds might hanker for a bit more intricacy. But it captures the magic, which is the essential.

This show will be fighting to survive in challenging terrain. But in the two episodes provided for review, at least, we’re off to an encouraging start.

I hope there’s more room for the characters to grow once the explanations end and the quest really begins. Unlike Medusa, Percy Jackson and the Olympians won’t turn you to stone, but nor does it quite soar like Daedalus.

Through the first four episodes, Percy Jackson and the Olympians works because of its good-natured spirit of wonder, its blandly acceptable core cast and several seasoned veterans delighting in taking part in this often goofy world.

"Percy" doesn't have quite enough substance and panache. Confusing, with jagged pacing and an over-reliance on novice young actors, "Percy" just doesn't quite click. It strides for epic but ends up far more ho hum.

This show may yet win an audience, but feels like a somewhat dull echo of the film that preceded it by a decade.