Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

A teenager (Logan Lerman) learns that not only do the gods of ancient Greece really exist, but that one of them, Poseidon, is his father. Now the youth must embark on a quest to find Zeus’ stolen thunderbolt and avert an Olympian war that will devastate humanity. Fans of Rick Riordan’s series of novels should be warned: Craig Titley’s script takes huge liberties (adding five years to Percy’s age, for starters); still, it’s a sprightly Harry Potter clone and an eye-candy-coated intro to Greek mythology. A gaggle of seasoned pros (Pierce Brosnan, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Sean Bean, Uma Thurman, etc.) support the young leads (Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario) under Chris Columbus’ brisk direction. The best scene comes midway, as our heroes become sidetracked in a sinister Vegas casino.