Opened: February 12, 2010

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan, Melina Kanakaredes, Rosario Dawson, Dylan Neal, Eric Cerra, Stefanie von Pfetten, Dimitri Lekkos, Ona Grauer, Serinda Swan, Conrad Coates, Ray Winstone, Luke Camilleri, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Maria Olsen, Julian Richings, Catherine Keener & Joe Pantoliano

Despite some genuine entertainment and a fun performance from Logan Lerman, The Lightning Thief strays a bit heavily from Rick Riordan’s novel and will leave fans of the book disappointed.

Teenager Percy Jackson (Lerman) discovers he’s a demigod – born the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd) and human Sally (Catherine Keener). When Zeus’ (Sean Bean) lightning bolt is stolen, Percy is sent on a quest with his protector Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) to settle the dispute between the Gods.

Many plotlines and characters are added and changed. While Ares (Ray Winstone) plays a large role in the book, he’s barely seen, but Persephone (Rosario Dawson) makes an appearance not mentioned before.

There’s a bit of magic lost but for those who didn’t read the book, it’s still an exciting adventure.

Final say: Needs more of a spark. ★★★☆☆