Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

MPAA Rating: PG

Entertainment: +3

Content: +2

Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson. Family adventure fantasy. Written by Marc Guggenheim. Directed by Thor Freudenthal.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece while trying to stop an ancient evil from rising.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Okay, the premise has to do with this kid being the son of a mortal woman and the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. Whenever the focus goes to gods and goddesses in order to explain the stars, the seasons, and nature’s fury, we Christians raise an eyebrow. But, as I have said in the past, movies about gods and wizards, superheroes and caped crusaders don’t have to detract from what our true Savior has done for us. People can learn truisms through the parables of the Greek gods, but it is Jesus who reveals the way.

Now that we got that cleared up, on to the review. I was impressed with the special effects and valued the life-lessons, but I was mostly aware that this was a film that would be best appreciated by a much younger generation: middle schoolers, those in the first couple of high school years, and those who love zombie action in their adventure fantasies. Yes, there are zombies. But in this film, they’re friendly zombies.

Percy’s odyssey may also be enjoyed by parents attending with their boys – and girls, knowing that the storyline can serve to stimulate the imagination of the studio’s sought after demographic.

BTW, one line stood out for me. While some may again raise an eyebrow at the inclusion of a punch line that references Jesus, I thought it brought us all back to a spiritual reality. One character has just opened a much-anticipated bottle of red wine. But a vengeful god has turned it into water as it is poured into a glass. The disappointed tippler remarks, “You know, the Christians have a guy who can do that in reverse.”

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: None

Obscene Language: None

Profanity: Rather than the oft-used expression “Oh my God,” a teen girl utters “Oh my gods;” I found it amusing, but then it bothers me whenever the one God is trivialized.

Violence: There are seeming deaths of two children, but later in the story they are brought back to life; the film is full of high adventure and dangerous obstacles that must be dealt with by our young protagonists; several monsters have a demonic appearance; lots of battles, including a few martial arts skirmishes, but no blood.

Sex: None

Nudity: None

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: None

Drugs: Some wine drinking by an adult.

Other: None

Running Time: 106 minutes
Intended Audience: Family

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