Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a mouthful of a title, but the movie it adorns is actually a slick, entertaining fantasy for young and old viewers alike. “Based on the popular series of books” is a common tag-line these days — movie studios snatch up anything that resembles a bestseller — but the fantasy genre is littered with stories that failed to make the jump to the big screen. Put another way: For every Harry Potter there's abut five of The Golden Compass. Sure, Potter director Chris Columbus is at the helm, but does Percy Jackson have what it takes to rival the mega-grossing young wizard?
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2010.