‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ review: The adaptation fans have been waiting for

Let me tell you a story about the first time I was ever truly disappointed by a film adaptation. The year? 2010. The place? An AMC theater packed with teens and pre-teens, all anxiously awaiting a screening of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Anticipation reached a fever pitch as the lights dimmed — finally, we would get to see Camp Half-Blood and all its heroes come to life! But when the lights came back up, the atmosphere was not one of joyous fandom, but of confusion. Where were the characters we’d all fallen in love with in Rick Riordan’s original novels? Why had the film shoehorned in an entirely new side quest about finding Persephone’s pearls? Sure, the movie had some high points: Logan Lerman brought heartthrob energy to Percy Jackson, while the casino scene set to “Poker Face” is, dare I say, life-changing. Still, though, this was not the Percy Jackson adaptation I’d had wanted, and my adolescent heart was duly shattered.

So when news broke that Disney+ would be producing a Percy Jackson series, I was cautiously optimistic — emphasis on cautious. Thankfully, though, I had little reason to fear. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a blast of an adaptation, complete with the humor and heroism of Riordan’s books (and a healthy dose of nostalgia for older fans).

What is Percy Jackson and the Olympians about?

Walker Scobell in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”
Credit: Disney / David Bukach

Season 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians — critics were given access to the first four out of a total eight episodes for editorial consideration — follows the plot of The Lightning Thief, the first book in the series. We meet 12-year-old Percy Jackson, a self-described “troubled kid” with a penchant for seeing things that no one else can, like Pegasus on a New York City rooftop or an algebra teacher-turned-monster who tries to kill him on a field trip.

But as Percy quickly learns, these aren’t hallucinations. Instead, they’re glimpses of a magical world that exists alongside our own: the world of the Greek gods, who are, in fact, very real. Percy can see these magical beings because he’s a demigod, the son of his mortal mother Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull) and an unknown Greek god.

Being a demigod means attracting deadly beasts straight out of Greek legend, like the Minotaur or the Hydra. So for his own safety, Percy goes to demigod safe haven (and killer summer camp) Camp Half-Blood. There, he learns that the gods are on the brink of a world-ending war — and only he can stop them. He sets out on a cross-country quest with trusted companions Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries), a daughter of Athena, and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), his satyr protector. Together, they’ll face ancient monsters, brave daunting obstacles, and become heroes who would make Perseus and Odysseus proud.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians captures the magic of Rick Riordan’s books.

Leah Sava Jeffries in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”
Credit: Disney / David Bukach

Right from the start, Percy Jackson and the Olympians takes advantage of the medium to give each step of Percy’s journey extra breathing room. Early episodes, especially the pilot, suffer from stifling expositional dialogue and voiceover, but once the series fully establishes its world, we’re off to the races with a solid adventure-of-the-week format. Brace yourself for high-stakes games of capture-the-flag, frightening monster encounters, and tons of tongue-in-cheek twists on Greek mythology.

These twists are where Percy Jackson and the Olympians finds much of its fun. Nowhere else on TV will you find a Minotaur wearing tighty-whities, or a statue store run by — who else? — Medusa (Jessica Parker Kennedy). Percy’s wonder, confusion, and sometimes horror at these new developments mimics our own, only to be balanced out nicely by Annabeth and Grover’s matter-of-fact understanding that this is just the way the world works.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover’s dynamic is a complete delight.

Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, and Walker Scobell in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”
Credit: Disney

Percy Jackson and the Olympians would suffer a fate worse than Tartarus if the chemistry between its main trio didn’t click. Luckily, Scobell, Jeffries, and Simhadri prove to be perfect for their roles. Scobell embraces Percy’s sass, unafraid to tell off a literal god if it means he can fight for someone he loves. As wise girl Annabeth, Jeffries nails the smarts that come with being Athena’s child, as well as her exasperation at some of Percy’s rasher moves. Closing out the trio is Simhadri, whose take on Grover is sweet and funny in equal measure, especially in the moments where Grover does his greatest to hold the lightly feuding Percy and Annabeth together. As these three grow closer, with hints of powerhouse heroism in their future, it’s impossible not to grow attached to any member of the trio.

The fact that all three actors are younger performers adds an extra layer of authenticity of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The show’s many fights are often scarier because we’re watching children in peril, while scenes at camp or downtime on the quest allow them moments to goof off. Witnessing Percy absentmindedly dancing in a moment of alone time or hearing Annabeth geeking out about architecture provide solid character-building opportunities that are as fun as they are true to the spirit of the characters in the books.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians isn’t afraid to make changes from The Lightning Thief — but they work.

Aryan Simhadri in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”
Credit: Disney/David Bukach

While Percy Jackson and the Olympians sticks fairly close to the events of The Lightning Thief, it is in no way a one-to-one adaptation. (It’s still far more faithful to the source material than the movie, though.) Certain events are scrambled, while some characters get more time to shine. For the most part, though, these changes work.

Take, for example, the show’s treatment of Sally. Already an important figure in the book, she becomes an even more integral part in telling Percy the truth about who he is. The more time we spend with her, the greater the emotional weight of Percy’s quest becomes. Elsewhere, major twists on Medusa’s role allow for further interrogation of her myth, of the gods’ selfishness, and of how each demigod relates to their parents.

The series is certainly meant for a younger audience, as Percy Jackson and the Olympians never goes full Grimdark Fantasy Prestige TV. Still, these kinds of twists — as well as discussions about the pain of Annabeth and Grover’s shared history, or Percy’s anxieties over never fitting in — help take Percy Jackson and the Olympians to nicely contemplative places. Some of these nuances may go over younger viewers’ heads, but for fans who discovered Percy Jackson as children, they function as a nice continuation (and at some points, deepening) of beloved source material.

As one of said fans, watching Percy Jackson and the Olympians felt like coming home. Maybe not every dramatic beat or joke lands perfectly, but this is a series so full of charm and magic and care for the books that shaped me and countless others. Watching Percy wander the woods of Camp Half-Blood for the first time, or seeing him fight side-by-side with Annabeth and Grover, I had wanted to go back in time to my disappointed younger self sitting in that movie theater and say, “Don’t worry, a better adaptation is coming. You’ll have to wait 13 years, but it’ll be worth it.”

The first two episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiere Dec. 20 on Disney+, with a new episode every Wednesday.