Critics and fans alike are split over the latest Percy Jackson movie, Sea of Monsters, but here at Hypable we found plenty of things to celebrate about the film!
Whether you liked the movie or not, you can’t deny there were a few gems nestled throughout it. The team behind the film certainly did try their hardest to get the franchise back on track, and those moments might just be some of our favorites.
5. Nathan Fillion, Stanley Tucci, and Anthony Steward Head walk into Camp Half-Blood.
It’s like nerd-vana. Anytime Malcolm Reynolds, Caesar Flickerman, and Rupert Giles are in the same place, you can count us in!
Nathan Fillion, who played Hermes, got to shine for only a moment on screen, but it was a wonderful moment for anyone who was a fan of the actor. His Firefly reference probably went unnoticed to many movie-goers, but for those that caught it, it was a treat.
Stanley Tucci always brings so much to his roles, and playing Dionysus was no different. The comedic timing was right on point, and the personality of the character was brought to life in equal parts by the script and the actor. Fans of Mr. D from the books won’t be disappointed.
Anthony Stewart Head might have had the hardest job of each of these three actors since he had to replace Pierce Brosnan as Chiron. But he did it with ease, which is nothing more than we would’ve expected, and even worked to bring more realism to the centaur.
4. Annabeth went blonde.
It’s a minor detail, to be sure, but it represents so much. After what we many consider a train wreck of a first movie, the creative team behind the sequel had a lot to do in order to convince fans that Sea of Monsters wasn’t going to go down the same wayward path.
The color of Annabeth’s hair represents their willingness to listen to fans and change the movie to please those that have fallen in love with Rick Riordan’s series. It was the first clue to us that they were taking the criticisms of The Lightning Thief seriously and doing everything in their power to right those wrongs.
3. Leven Rambin was amazing as Clarisse.
Let’s be honest with each other. The majority of us were a little hesitant when they cast Leven Rambin as Clarisse in Sea of Monsters. In the graphic novels, Clarisse looks more like an ogre than a human being, and Leven Rambin, well, definitely does not.
Still, Rambin as Clarisse was one of the highlights of the movie. She was a tough competitor, and Percy’s relationship with her was quickly and efficiently established despite the fact that she wasn’t around in the first movie. Throughout the film, you were torn between hating her, laughing with her, and caring about her, just like you were in the book.
2. They set up the sequel.
If you’re a fan of the books, you know what series of events leads up to the sequel and the next few novels that follow. We won’t spoil those that have decided to just stick with watching the movies (or those that like to go into the theatre light on spoilers specific to the film).
However, the end of Sea of Monsters does lead us to Titan’s Curse. It at least shows us that the studio is hoping for a sequel and hoping to gain back the trust of the fans that weren’t happy with the first movie. Sea of Monsters leaves us on a cliffhanger, and definitely makes us want a follow-up film.
1. They got back on track.
Sea of Monsters had a lot to do to get the franchise’s feet back on solid ground. They had to introduce characters that should’ve been in the first movie, bring up the main prophecy and the Big Bad of the series, and re-establish relationships after several years between movies.
It’s no easy task for anyone, let alone a film franchise that has loyal book readers ready to show up with broad swords and wanting to send them to Tartarus should their favorite scene not make it into the movie. They could’ve let it go after all this time, and perhaps people would’ve forgotten about Lightning Thief.
Instead, though, they delivered up the best movie they could, hoping that fans would lay down their weapons and trust them enough to work on a third movie.
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