Percy Jackson Disney+ Series Has Rotten Tomatoes Critics United
Rick Riordan's beloved "Percy Jackson" children's series may finally be getting the adaptation it deserves. The author famously wrote the mythology-inspired series to appeal to his son and other children who felt out of place. The titular character of the book is exactly that; Percy is 12 years old when he discovers he is actually the son of the famous Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. The boy's struggles with dyslexia prove to be a secret power, as is his magical pen that turns into a sword.
The Disney+ adaptation has Riordan's stamp of approval and it appears that critics agree. Early reactions from critics on Rotten Tomatoes have all been positive, with Certified Fresh reviews. "For the first time, the lightning in a bottle that was the simple yet sturdy series of books has actually been captured on screen," Chase Hutchinson of Collider wrote. "Uncle Rick has worked hard to give us something that adheres to the spirit of his original works, something fast-paced and bonkers (in the best possible way) and thoroughly entertaining," wrote Kayleigh Dray of The A.V. Club.
Other critics commended the show for its clever writing and the relationships between the characters. TV Guide's Gavia Baker-Whitelaw agreed, stating, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians is at its best when dealing with Percy's friendships and personal struggles, quickly establishing him as a funny and relatable protagonist."
Percy (Walker Scobell) and fellow Half-Bloods Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) have a friendship that defines the series in a way only a young adult series can. For those of us with long memories, this is another good sign considering the previous attempt at an adaptation.
The feature films weren't winning any favors
Judging from the cultural imprint that young adult franchises like "Harry Potter" have left, 2010's "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" probably seemed like a good idea. Starring Logan Lerman as the titular son of Poseidon, the first film follows the book of the same name. However, it is in the details where the film and its sequel, "Sea of Monsters," failed, explaining why we never got a third Percy Jackson movie.
The crimes of the past decade are still felt heavily in the fandom, especially with the current resurgence of the material. Reviewers such as Aprille' Morris for Off Colour noted as much in her review for the Disney+ series, stating, "After the poor performance of the first adaptation, so bad that even the series author has decried it for years, it seems redemption and kleos (Greek for glory) have finally arrived for Percy Jackson and the Olympians!"
One inexplicable decision the original films made was aging up the characters. Instead of the preteens found in Rick Riordan's books, the featured characters were high school-aged. Riordan wrote on his personal blog that the film had essentially butchered the work he had put out there, in a thinly veiled attempt to appeal to a teenage audience.
If anything is obvious from early reactions to the Disney+ series, "Percy Jackson" will not fall into the same trap. Expanding the live-action adaptation into a television series allows for more exploration of the books and supplies the nuance that the films lacked.