Cube Critics discuss ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’

Cube Critics Jacob Aloi and Lukas Levin discuss their differing opinions about the Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.”

The following is a transcription of the audio heard using the player above, lightly edited for clarity.

MPR Producer Lukas Levin: The main difference between this and Harry Potter is that Harry Potter maintains a lot of whimsy.

MPR Arts Reporter Jacob Aloi: So, Lukas, this week we both watched “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which is an adaptation of the popular book series by Rick Riordan, which tells a story of a boy named Percy who steals Zeus’s lightning bolt, and then over the course of the series has to prove that he did not steal that lightning bolt, at least this first season.

I really enjoyed it. I thought it actually captured quite well the whimsy and the fun of the books that I grew up reading. I also think that it was it encapsulated how middle schoolers actually talk to themselves and actually act.

The thing I had to keep reminding myself is that I’m a 20-something-year-old single man with no children. But if I did have kids, and I was the age that I was, or even older, I actually think that I would have really enjoyed watching this with my children.

So I really enjoyed it. I think that it’s a fun family show that everyone could find something to enjoy. And you can check it out on Disney+, but I feel like you have different thoughts, Lukas?

Levin: Well, I just think that for a young adult adaption — most people who read young adult novels are not young adults. A lot of them are, but there’s a lot of people who are of an older age, like us, that want to see something adapted from a book that is beloved, into a TV show.

And I just think that this sort of misses the mark. It just sort of takes everything from the book, and condenses it to a point where the character development, the arcs, the jokes, everything just feels very lobbed off in a way.

And you know, as much as you think that an eight-episode series arc would work, it just does not seem to hit its head or hit its stride, really,

It starts out strong. I remember reading the books also in third grade, or just as a young adult. And I remember reading the books and seeing the first couple of episodes, I was like, wow, this really is hitting it.

And then, like the final episode, it just sort of starts strong and falls down on its face. You know, just because it's for young people or because it’s designed that way, I don’t think it means that has to be bad.

I don’t necessarily think that this was bad. But I think that it could have used another rewrite.

Aloi: Well, here’s the thing that I think about it. What I actually enjoyed about it is that Rick Riordan was actually involved in that process. The guy who wrote the books was actually heavily involved in writing the series.

Levin: I was surprised by that. I was excited to see that.

Aloi: And what I liked about it, though, is that it did not feel like it was a one-for-one adaptation. It felt like it was Percy Jackson 2.0.

Levin: Right.

Aloi: He was able to change some things, he was, like, I would prefer it to be this way. I’d prefer for this scene to take place over here.

Levin: Right.

Aloi: Here’s an interesting conflict to happen.

Levin: But for the things that were adapted — I would say most of the things that were changed were almost minor. Like I wouldn’t say there was major changes. I would say that the adaption was like, it was like, oh, that scene didn’t happen where it usually happens or that scene didn’t happen here.

Aloi: But I think that it helped with some of the character development and I should say the kids are great in this. I think that they’re actually really good child actors.

Levin: Sure. I think I think they needed more help from the writing and directing team.

Aloi: That — perhaps, sure.