Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
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A teenager discovers he is a demigod and must find a stolen lightning bolt before a war breaks out between the gods.
The story
Zeus accuses Poseidon's demigod son, Percy Jackson, of stealing his master lightning bolt. Percy, a teenager struggling with dyslexia and ADHD, is unaware of his heritage until he is attacked by a monster during a school trip. His friend Grover and his teacher, Mr. Brunner, intervene and instruct him to flee to Camp Half-Blood, a secret sanctuary for demigod children. On their journey, they are attacked by the Minotaur, and Percy discovers his latent powers. He must navigate a world of mythology to find the bolt and return it to the gods before the Summer Solstice, while trying to protect his mother and his friends.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After waking up at Camp Half-Blood, Percy learns he is the son of Poseidon, Grover is a satyr, and Mr. Brunner is the centaur Chiron. He learns his struggles with school were actually signs of his demigod powers. When he learns his mother was taken to the Underworld by Hades to trade for the stolen bolt, Percy defies orders to go save her. Accompanied by Grover and Annabeth, he travels across the country, battling Medusa and a Hydra to collect three pearls that allow passage through the Underworld. They eventually reach the underworld, where they discover that Luke, a fellow camper, is the true thief who stole the bolt to overthrow the gods. After a battle in Manhattan, Percy defeats Luke and returns the bolt to Zeus. The film ends with Percy reuniting with his friends and his mother, while his stepfather is turned to stone by Medusa's head.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Columbus
- Writers
- Craig Titley · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Logan Lerman · Percy Jackson; Brandon T. Jackson · Grover Underwood; Alexandra Daddario · Annabeth Chase; Jake Abel · Luke Castellan; Sean Bean · Zeus; Pierce Brosnan · Mr. Brunner/Chiron; Steve Coogan · Hades; Rosario Dawson · Persephone; Catherine Keener · Sally Jackson; Kevin McKidd · Poseidon; Joe Pantoliano · Gabe Ugliano; Uma Thurman · Medusa
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- identity; heroism; mythology
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; fantasy
- Premise and plot tags
- demigods; mythology; quest
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2005 novel by Rick Riordan
- Franchise connections
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the action and performances but criticized the script and its unfaithfulness to the source material.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 48% · scale: percentage · review count: 150; Metacritic · score: 47 · scale: 100 · review count: 31; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film grossed $226.4 million worldwide on a $95 million budget.; A video game based on the film was released for the Nintendo DS.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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