Percy Jackson: Movies vs. Books

So Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters has just come out on DVD. In mid October 2013, House of Hades came out in the bookshelves. From what I've seen on YWS, those who enjoy the PJatO read and enjoyed (and even cried over) House of Hades while hardly any have seen the movie.

What's your overall opinion on the series? The movies? Do you prefer one, both, or neither? Do you like the actors who portray the characters?

My opinion >> I personally love the books. I enjoy reading them and I enjoy PJatO-themed storybooks and fanfiction, and I absolutely adore Riordan and his writing skills and the things he does with his characters and plot. The movie, while having a cute boy to play Percy, sucked. They didn't do a good job of following the plotline Riordan laid down in his novels, they chose a terrible actress to play Annabeth, they also made a terrible choice by dying her hair after the first movie showed her as a brunette, and it just overall sucked. It flopped. It was horrible and it made me sad.

What's your opinon?

Lol haven't even seen it, but if the first one is any indication, the movies are awful, the books are wonderful.

And let's be honest, who didn't cry at HoH's closing line? I know I did. Do I feel anything watching the movies? nahhh

Percy Jackson and the Lightning thief is the worst movie I've ever seen. Period.

AlexSushiDog wrote:Percy Jackson and the Lightning thief is the worst movie I've ever seen. Period.

I'm guessing you never saw Eragon?

In the second book, they didn't go to Hermes, Grover was at the Cyclops cave, the place was definitely not an amusement park, etc (we could do this all day).

I haven't seen the second. The first was ... okay. But there were two inaccuracies I couldn't overlook: Annabeth's hair and the pearl hunt. They didn't introduce Kronos, either, so we're left hanging about what influenced Luke to steal the bolt.

(Playing off memory here; correct me if I'm wrong.)

Other inaccuracies: age. Grover's too young to flirt. It'll be four years until Percy learns to drive. And the Lotus Hotel--oh my goodness. Did the writers even read the books?

The last time I picked up Percy Jackson was several years ago. It's a little too elementary for me to carry through. I just remember loving them, but then again, I wasn't very analytical as an eight-to-nine-year-old.

One thing I do have to say, Rick Riordan's characterization is superb.

My opinion?

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is the best set of books ever written for the teen fantasy audience. End of story. The books were a disgusting insult to everything that the writer had succeeded in creating, completely changing the plots and themes of both books.

The "Lost Hero's" series is another matter entirely. Riordan messed up there cuz he had to dumb down his mc's to fit all the new characters in. That was stupid after having spent five books developing those three (Annabeth, Grover, and Percy).

Books rule over movies as far as PJATO goes.

P.s. House of Hades was a depressing failure that sent the whole Hero's of Olympus down a drain as far as I'm concerned.

I have no real opinion. I've read all the books, and I've seen all the movies. The thing is, there are more books than movies. Check back with me when the last book is made into a film.

It does irk me, however, to see 20 year olds play 15 year olds.

I have to say that I love the original Percy Jackson book series more, rather than the newer one. Why? Like BlackNether12 had said, there were too many new characters that I just didn't really like as much. The first movie was utterly devastating to me and my brother. I did not watch the second movie, and I don't think I ever will.
Love,
PerksOfBeingAReader a.k.a. Katie

AlexSushiDog wrote:Percy Jackson and the Lightning thief is the worst movie I've ever seen. Period.

Ummm, Eragon? It nearly destroyed Jeremy Irons's career. He wasn't in anything for another four years.


And the books, by far. Is that even a question?

I'm confused what point there is to buying a movie license only to make a mess that hardly resembles the book. Eragon and those two percy jackson movies hardly resemble the books, so much so that if they changed the title and names of the characters nobody would even realize what it's "based" off of. It's a mess of parts that seem like they were intended to draw in a wide audience. Who was these movies made for? You would assume the fans of the books but it doesn't look like the writers even read the books, just picked up a summery.

This is one of those amazing series that was twisted by Hollywood to spit out a horrible movie. Among others like "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "Eragorn", the movie adaption was so disappointing and I remember legitimately shouting in the theater.

I love the books SO SO MUCH! It's been basically most of my childhood. But the movie was just cringe-worthy. I groaned through the whole thing). It was like they took the basic idea and then totally invented a new plot that wasn't nearly as good.
And what even HAPPENED to Annabeth?! In the book she's like, "You drool in your sleep" and in the movie she's like, "OMG, Percy's so hot". *evil glare* Also, SHE HAS BLOND HAIR. Honestly. *rolls eyes*
(Though I have to admit, I do like the guy who plays Grover. He's really funny!)

ERRRMERRRGERRRSSSSHHHHH I JUST FOUND THIS!

Well really, the books are obviously better. The movies aren't bad though. But if I ever wrote a book and someone as making a movie about it, I would want the exact lines, ages, scenes, characters, plot, whatever, for it to appeal to a non book lover. And with a non book lover being a movie lover and they watch that movie that was based off of my book, it would be like watching the book.