This weekend, I had the extreme fortune to see the advance screening of the first two episodes of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series! And when I say extreme fortune, I mean it: I got in line an hour and ten minutes prior to showtime, and I was the third to last person to make it into the showing. The Percy Jackson series has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. Rick Riordan is definitely my author idol. When the TV show was announced, I was thrilled. I hoped it would live up to everything I hoped it would.
I'm going to keep my following opinions as spoiler-free as possible, quickly breaking down my overall view and thoughts on characters/casting, plot adherence, scenery, soundtrack, and cinematography. I'm gonna put headings on each section in big capital letters so you can avoid them if you want to. All I will say now is that I cannot wait for everyone to watch the premiere on Wednesday!
OVERALL VIEW:
It was... everything. More than I could have possibly dreamed of. Every detail was perfect. This show absolutely sets the bar for book-to-TV and book-to-movie adaptations in the future. This is how it should be done.
CHARACTERS/CASTING:
From the moment you meet the characters, it is extremely clear why Rick chose the three main actors for Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. The chemistry between them is fantastic, and they all bring amazing life to the characters. In particular, Walker Scobell plays Percy like fans would want Percy to be played. It comes off so naturally, and it's fantastic. I also really like the casting choice for Luke. I don't know much about the actor, but I enjoyed the way he was portrayed on screen, particularly in this first season corresponding with book 1.
PLOT ADHERENCE:
Don't worry, readers. Rick came through for us. All is well. The condensing makes sense, the additions make sense, and it will not be a repeat of the movie franchise.
SCENERY:
Camp Half Blood looks incredible. I know many of us saw the first images of the cabins when they came out around the original teaser trailer, and I have to say that they meet my expectations. I really love that the cabins are kind of the fancier side of the setting, but the rest of the camp is pretty much your average outdoor summer camp environment. It isn't what I expected, but at the same time, exactly what I expected.
SOUNDTRACK:
Beautiful. All the music fits well with the scene it is behind.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The filming, the blocking, the fight choreography was perfect. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. The movement of the characters and the mannerisms meet my expectations from both a plot and a character point of view. The few moments that include CGI are done very well; it's not jarring at all, and it was not overused thus far.
I absolutely cannot wait to watch the show all over again on Wednesday! This is absolutely about to be my new obsession.
Also, I got a Camp Half Blood shirt at the end of the screening! I have always wanted one!!!
