August 7, 2013
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (also known as Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters and Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters) is a 2013 fantasy adventure film directed by Thor Freudenthal from a screenplay Marc Guggenheim, based on the 2006 novel The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. The sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), it is the second and final installment in the Percy Jackson film series.
The film continues the adventures of Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) and his friends as they journey to the eponymous Sea of Monsters to retrieve the Golden Fleece in order to save the tree barrier that protects their home. Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, and Jake Abel reprise their roles from the previous film, while Nathan Fillion and Anthony Head replace Dylan Neal and Pierce Brosnan, respectively. New additions to the cast include Leven Rambin, Douglas Smith, and Stanley Tucci.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters was released theatrically in the United States on August 7, 2013, by 20th Century Fox. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its visuals, action sequences, and Lerman's performance, but criticism for its plot, characters, unfaithfulness to the source material, and ending. It grossed $200.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $90 million. A sequel based on The Titan's Curse was planned, but never produced. Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019, Disney consequently gained the rights to the Percy Jackson novels, upon which Riordan pitched a new adaptation, set to be produced as a television series for Disney+.
Storyline[]
Percy Jackson recounts the story of Thalia Grace: Pursued by monsters on their way to Camp Half-Blood, a young Thalia sacrificed herself to save her friends, Annabeth Chase, Luke Castellan and Grover Underwood. Her father Zeus honored her sacrifice by turning her into a tree, which forms a protective barrier around the camp, keeping everyone within a safe zone. In the present day, Percy's quest for Zeus's bolt has faded in popularity and he is called a one-quest wonder by camp bully Clarisse La Rue, but is still supported by Annabeth and Grover. He is joined at camp by a young cyclops named Tyson, a previously unknown son of Poseidon, and therefore his brother, albeit the son of Poseidon and a sea-nymph, rather than a human.
After an attack by a Colchis bull, the campers discover Thalia's tree has been poisoned by Luke and the barrier is vulnerable. Percy consults the Oracle, who tells him of a prophecy of a half-blood of the eldest gods either saving or destroying Olympus. Chiron tells Percy that he is the only living human half-blood of the eldest gods, so the Prophecy may refer to him. Annabeth and Grover learn about the Golden Fleece, which has the power to heal anything and propose a quest to retrieve the Fleece and use it to heal Thalia's tree. Counsellor Mr. D claims the idea as his and chooses Clarisse to lead the quest.
Percy and Annabeth set off without being chosen, joined by Tyson. They leave camp on the Chariot of Damnation (a New York City cab), where the three drivers (the Graeae) tell Percy more about his prophecy and coordinates for the Sea of Monsters (the Bermuda Triangle). The group are ejected in Washington D.C. for lacking drachmas, where Grover is kidnapped. The others, with the help of Hermes, track him down to Luke's yacht, the Andromeda, which they reach riding Hippokamposes. On board, they meet Luke (joined by other disillusioned demi-gods,) who reveals his plan to have Kronos the titan destroy Olympus by reviving him with the fleece and locks the group in the brig, but Percy uses his ability to manipulate water to break them free.
Escaping the yacht, they are consumed by Charybdis, where they discover Clarisse also in the monster's stomach. They work together to escape by shooting a hole through Charybdis's gut, then chart a course to Circeland, off the coast of Florida. There they discover Polyphemus's lair, where the fleece is kept and Grover is in disguise working for the cyclops. They rescue Grover, retrieve the fleece and trap Polyphemus in his cave. Luke ambushes them and shoots at Percy with a crossbow for not handing over the fleece, but Tyson takes the bolt and falls into a roaring stream. Luke takes the fleece and the group hostage.
As Luke begins reviving Kronos from his sarcophagus, Annabeth encourages Percy to take leadership. The team escapes and Percy fights Luke over the fleece. Luke defeats Percy but he is saved by Tyson, who survived his injury by being healed by the water, as he is Poseidon's son. Kronos rises from the sarcophagus and consumes Luke, Grover and several other demi-gods before battling Percy. Percy realizes that his sword is the "cursed blade" of the prophecy and slices Kronos into pieces imprisoning the titan in the sarcophagus once again. Those eaten are regurgited with Luke landing in Polyphemus's Lair and is presumably eaten. Annabeth is impaled by the Manticore and dies in Percy's arms, but is resurrected by the fleece.
Percy gives the fleece to Clarisse and they return to Camp Half-Blood, where she places it on Thalia's tree. The next day Thalia is found alive, as the fleece was powerful enough to resurrect and return her to human form, while keeping the tree as protection for Camp Half-blood. Percy realizes that Thalia, as the daughter of Zeus, is another possible child referred to in the prophecy about Olympus.
Also See[]
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) (Trailers)
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) (TV Spots)
Sound Effects Used[]
- Hollywoodedge, Lightning 08 CloseG SIG012601
- Hollywoodedge, Seagulls No Surf BT022101
- Sound Ideas, BIRD, OWL - SINGLE OWL HOOTING, ANIMAL