Contemporary Conceptions- The Sea of Monsters on the Big Screen? I Think Not.

For those not familiar with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, author Rick Riordan takes you on a mythological adventure in five books where you befriend many monsters and defeat many foes. His first installment in the series was The Lightning Thief, a great first read that got me hooked on the series and brought out the Greek-geek in me. However, when the book made its debut on the big screen in 2010, I couldn’t help but feel a sort of loss of respect for one of my favorite authors. If the first movie was this bad, then what’s to say the second won’t be worse? It has been confirmed that in 2013 the second part in the series, The Sea of Monsters, will be put in theatres for everyone to see, but given the history is that such a good idea?

Many saw The Lightning Thief, featuring Logan Lerman (Hoot, The Three Musketeer’s), Brandon T. Jackson ( Fast and Furious, The Tooth Fairy), and Jake Abel (I Am Number Four, The Lovely Bones) and thought it wasn’t half bad; for people who haven’t read the books, it wasn’t. But when you are a hardcore Percy Jackson fan (like myself), it was the epitome of terrible book based movies. I don’t even know what to make of the disappointing production of one of the greatest books I have ever read. Not only were the characters disappointing when it came to their appearance, but the whole storyline was a jumbled mess of ‘that-never-happened’ and ‘what-is-going-on-here?’

The first mistake was the fact that Annabeth Chase (Played by Alexandra Doddario), daughter of Athena, wasn’t blonde in the movie. Regularly,lo I wouldn’t care so much about such a trivial thing, but when Riordan makes it clear in his novels that she has blonde hair she should have blonde hair in the movie. I mean, the make-up crew could have at least dyed her hair or made her a wig in attempt at staying to the script. Another appearance clash was the fact that in the movies, everyone looks like they are well into high school, when in the books most of the main characters are no older than twelve. Along with mixed characterizations, there were a number of missing people. Anybody remember Clarisse La Rue? Daughter of Ares who hates Percy Jackson and the world? She seemed to have missed the invitation when it came to the production schedule. However, my mother and I (after many discussions and arguments about the movie and books) have come to the conclusion that they tried to instill Clarrise’s character into Annabeth. During capture the flag in the book, Clarisse confronts Percy as he is obtaining the flag in order to win the game. In the movie, instead of our Ares bully picking a fight with the new half-blood camper, it was none other than Annabeth. Although the characters appearances alone shouldn’t have kept you from enjoying the movie, after reading the book, the whole plot definitely definitely should have.

In the book, the whole point of the quest given to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover is to make it to the Underworld in order to find out who stole Zues’ master bolt. However, in the movie, the adventure somehow got twisted into a search for three of Persephone’s pearls (pearls that when busted open will take you back to the surface). In the book, while fighting a Chimera (A mythological, scary, and ugly beast), Percy topples off the edge of a museum, where they were visiting to look for clues, and into a pond that was conveniently located nearby. As the son of Poseidon, the fall into the water doesn’t effect him like it does normal people. While submerged in the water, he meets a water spirit sent by his father who gives him the three pearls to get them out of Hades’ palace after they have recovered the master bolt.

Do you see where I am going with my rant? If the first movie disappointed all of the Riordan fans, although it was moderately successful on its opening weekend, what is to say that the second book won’t do the same? After much research on the upcoming movie, I have found that, they haven’t started production yet (it is estimated to begin this summer), I am already prepared for the ruination of another great novel.

On the  Internet Movie Database it states that all the core actors will be making a return to the movie with the rumored addition of some new members like Gina Carano (Haywire, Blood and Bone) as Circe and Solange Knowles (Bring it On All or Nothing, sister to Beyonce) as Silena Beauregard. Solange Knowles as Silena Beauregard. Seriously? Fox 2000 really needs to hire a new casting crew, because they are doing a terrible job when it comes to casting for this particular series. Annabeth still has brunette hair and Silena, who is suppose to be 17, turns into 26 year old woman. Good job guys. Way to stink at life.

However, as the story progresses and more heroes and villains are revealed, director Chris Columbus (Harry Potter 1 and 2) will not be returning. Could the change in crew shed some light on the sequel or will it still be one of the biggest upsets for all of Riordan’s Greek-geeks out there? I guess only time will tell.

So what do you think?

Will The Sea of Monsters be a Blockbuster hit or another Hollywood fail?