Walk inside most classrooms across America and you are bound to find kids waiting for the afternoon school bell to ring, ready to escape from their studies of Math, English, and History. Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) appears to be no exception as he struggles to stay focused in class and returns home to his mother who refuses to leave her less-than-stellar boyfriend. However, it’s a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art that sends Percy’s ordinary existence into chaos as he realizes that he is a demigod – the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), the King of the Sea.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” based on a five-volume series of young adult novels written by Rick Riordan, focuses on Percy efforts to harness his newfound powers. After being falsely accused of stealing the all-compassing lightning bolt, Percy arrives at the aptly named Camp Half Blood, a training ground for young demigods, and soon learns that he is not alone. His childhood friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) and his schoolteacher, Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan) are there to guide him and develop their own powers.

While in training, Percy learns that his mother (Catherine Keener) was kidnapped by Hades (Steve Coogan) and taken to the underworld. Thus, he and Grover, along with their newfound friend, Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) set out on a cross-country adventure to find his mother and inform Hades that he doesn’t have the aforementioned lightning bolt.
While the premise sounds alluring to some viewers, the filmmakers were too afraid to veer off the well-traveled highways to make a truly unique picture. From Washington monuments to the Las Vegas strip, director Chris Columbus, who helmed the first two Harry Potter films, offers a predictable zig zag across the country in this family action movie.

At each stop, Percy and his friends encounter dilemmas that hinder their ability to get to the underworld. In Vegas, it’s Lotus flowers, distributed by cocktail waitresses, which keep Percy and his companions in the casinos, rather than continuing to travel to the underworld. While, the Vegas stop may be a nod to the adults in the audience, the story remains utterly conventional at every turn. Although, Angelinos may get a giggle from the fact that the underworld just happens to be Hollywood.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” will leave action movie buffs wanting more. From massive floods to crumbling statues, the CGI effects were clearly designed to impress young viewers. However, Percy’s encounter with Medusa (Uma Thurman) and her hair made of squirming snakes is an exception. It made audience members – young and old – turn away from the screen.

CGI junkies aside, even avid readers of the novels will be thrown for a loop by this movie when they discover that their beloved Percy is no longer a tween. He is only 12 years old in the books; however, the filmmakers choose to make their lead character an anxiety-ridden 17-year-old in an effort to expand the fan base of the franchise and increase their box office totals.

Thurman gives a stand out performance as the menacing and unnerving Medusa. In addition, the teen heartthrob of the film, Lerman, who has previously worked on “The Patriot” and “3:10 to Yuma,” is believable as he struggles to come to terms with his identity. Lerman will also be sure to grab the attention of young girls in the audience as Zac Efron did in “Hairspray.”

However, young actors Jackson and Daddario are merely Lerman’s sidekicks and offer little substance in the film. Jackson only delivers comedic relief while Daddario’s character is logical and helps Percy plan his adventure. Brosnan also fails to make a mark on the film in his small (but potentially substantial) role as Percy’s mentor. Throughout the film, Brosnan’s character appears underdeveloped and uninteresting.

Columbus clearly set out to make a family-friendly movie; however, what he actually created is stereotypical and doesn’t verve into uncharted territory at any point. So, unless you have always dreamed of being a demigod, you may want to skip this film. But, if you do find yourself at a showing of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” at least you will get a little Greek mythology lesson for the price of your ticket.