Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 
Starring: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith, Leven Rambin, Brandon T. Jackson, Jake Abel, Anthony Head, Stanley Tucci, Paloma Kwiatkowski, Nathan Fillion
Directed by: Thor Freudenthal
Rated: PG
Run Time: 106 mins
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy
Opens August 7th
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
Hey Phoenix Film Fans! The second film opening mid-week is the second film in the “Percy Jackson” series, “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters”. Reprising their roles are Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson.
Years ago, 4 children were on their way to Camp Half-Blood but were being chased by shadowy figures out to kill them. Only 3 out of the 4 made it inside. The fourth child, Thalia, daughter of Zeus was overcome by the shadowy Cyclops, where Zeus turned her into a magical tree that acts as a protective barrier around the camp.
Fast forward to present day, Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) is in a fierce competition to keep his status as camp hero. Clarisse (Leven Rambin), daughter of Ares, God of War, is constantly berating Percy, taunting him that she is the superior half blood. Percy proves the validity of his title when a mechanical bull breaks through the protective barrier that surrounds the camp,. Percy defeats the bull but the camp soon finds that the Thalia tree has been poisoned and is slowly dying. Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), desperate to seek a solution to saving the camp and Thalia tree, remembers the only thing that can help heal the tree, the Golden Fleece. Embarking on a quest like this is no easy feat and even though Percy just saved the camp, Mr. D (Stanley Tucci) chooses Clarisse over Percy to go after the fleece. Slightly deflated, Percy still manages to go after the fleece himself as Luke (Jake Abel) has resurfaced, drudging up something so sinister it could end the world as they know it. Will they be Percy and friends be able to retrieve the fleece before Luke gets to it? Or will Luke win this time and end the world?
Much darker and serious in tone, “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” challengers the viewer to remember the Greek Mythology myths learned in grammar school. The supporting characters were much more interesting in this film than the main players, which was a little disappointing to see the Percy character less charismatic than the first film. The 3D effects weren’t that bad and make the final scenes completely worth it. This is a decent sequel, just a little less exciting than the first film. Check out “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” when it opens in theaters nationwide starting Wednesday, August 7, 2013.
