Many people have been calling it a Harry Potter knock off. To begin with, the book series is not another Potter. The only comparison one could make is that the main characters are two boys and a girl, and the male protagonist doesn’t fully know about his true powers until he goes somewhere away from home (Camp Half Blood/Hogwarts) to train.
Would Potter ever go to Vegas?!
We both read The Lightning Thief (along with the rest of the books in the series) at a young age and were captivated by how exciting it was. Both of us still consider it the best book we’ve ever read (tied with Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (And So Can You!) and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird). We have also read the Harry Potter books and seen the movies and the Lightning Thief series differs in many ways. The Lightning Thief is a fun way for kids and teens to learn about Greek mythology.
The Lightning Thief brings Greek mythology to the modern world, with the gods and goddesses hidden at the top of the empire state building. Camp Half Blood is the where the demigods gather, the only place they are safe. Demigods are the offspring of a god and mortal, so they are half-human and half-god. Harry Potter, however, is about witchcraft and wizardry. Magic. Contrast that with gods and Greek mythology. Nowhere close to the magic that is described in the Harry Potter series.
Have you seen this promo, where water roars behind Percy?
Percy is the son of Poseidon (god of the seas, which must be noted because the naysayers probably didn’t even know that), not a recently-trained-in-magic Quidditch captain. The people who accused The Lightning Thief of being a cheap knock-off probably didn’t even know that the book was released in 2005, before five of the Harry Potter movies were released. Also, one could make the argument (an inane, ignorant argument) that The Half Blood Prince and Camp Half Blood have something to do with each other. Well, unless Snape’s dad was Zeus or Ares or any other god, they have no connection except for the words “Half Blood.”
Anyway, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series of books was hugely successful, a New York Times #1 Bestseller and given five-star reviews by many, including the writers of this article. The people who criticized The Lightning Thief probably did no (or very little) research and just looked at the ad for the movie while tweeting “Am I the only one that thinks that Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a total Harry Potter cop-out? #iamnotamused.” (@clawtooth35) or “hilarious: billboards for ‘Percy Jackson and the lightning thief’ don’t even try to hide the fact that it’s a facile Harry Potter ripoff…” (@estherdbrazil) or “the lightning thief dd not lve up 2 my expctations. almost juvenile for my liking. it’s like harry potter with a better looking protagonist.” (@bookletjeff) Uh huh. To quote @pfpaul, “BF#1: “The Lightning Thief looks stupid. It’s exactly like Harry Potter. Different people, same names.” That doesn’t even… “what?!”
Exactly. Different people, same names?! No they don’t…oh, whatever.
Have you heard about this action/adventure movie starring a couple teenage guys and a girl who defeat villains in the midst of great special effects? You know, dark haired protagonist, no glasses. Wait…does he wear glasses? NO, he does not. He most definitely does not wear glasses. Were you thinking of Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione? Oh no, there’s a new group in town and they don’t have English accents. Sure, Chris Columbus, who directed a few of the Harry Potter movies also directed Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, but don’t expect another Potter.
First of all, can you imagine Potter using an iPhone or iPod Touch? Ever? HA!
These American kids know how to use technology! W00T!
Our kids loved the Percy Jackson book series and enjoyed the movie. They tire of the comparisons between it and the Potter series. Actually, I wish the promos would have downplayed the Chris Columbus connection and any other similarities. Millions of Potter fanatics do not want anything to try to replace or follow Potter. Attempting to draw similarities was a mistake.
Instead, I recommend putting Potter aside and opening yourself up to something new or, at least something a little different, based on myth and legends.
If you’re looking for respectable teen action heroes for your teens or preteens, I believe this is your film (and I hope an entire series of films). In it, smart, brave, attractive kids discover their demigod selves and embark on a quest which eventually leads them to Zeus and Poseidon. In fact, it’s a fairly good introduction to Greek mythology.
Exercise caution with sensitive tweens or younger kids, though. Ms. Dodds’ morphing into a flying fury and the minotaur chasing Percy and Grover were quite frightening scenes, though probably the scariest moments of the film. After those two, the intensity eases a bit.
Kids who have read the book series (or at least the first book, “The Lightning Thief”) will enjoy the movie but may quibble over differences and omissions. The parts of the book that were necessarily left out of the movie are not crucial to the storyline. My kids believe that the few aspects that were missing can be easily added in to future movies.
Logan Lerman (as Percy Jackson) strikes the right balance between seeming a little awkward with his new-found abilities and being as confident and strong as one would expect from a demigod. He’s more like Peter in Heroes than Potter at Hogwarts. No wands, just hands (and occasionally a sword).
The attraction between Percy and Annabeth was believable (I don’t really care that Annabeth wasn’t blond) and Luke was a terrific antagonist.
Bottom line? Get over Potter and give this movie a chance.
And one more thing: Lerman is more likable than Radcliffe
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I often wonder whether most families experience the challenges of at least one picky eater. I suspect they do.
Well, I know we do.
It’s my son.
I can’t criticize him too much, though. I was the same way. Didn’t like my corn touching my mashed potatoes, despite the fact that my sister loved mixing them together. I’d sit next to her and think, “Ugh! How could you!?”
So last week, when my son suggested adding some swipes of Nutella to a few graham crackers, I thought, “Sure! Automatic buy-in (because he suggested it) and super economical.” When I was a little girl, I remember trips to Europe with my sister. We treasured that chocolate hazelnut taste because we knew we would never have it after we returned to the States because no stores sold it. Now, however, it’s readily available (at least where we live). What’s more…it’s not primarily made with HFCS anymore.
Since that day, he has asked for the same treat more than once, so I decided to share this simple idea with my readers.
If you have some picky eaters and are frequently seeking snack suggestions, I recommend giving these little treats a try.
Happy snacking!
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This is not a sponsored post. Nobody suggested that I write about these treats, no company compensated me for any of the products or provided any freebies.
Little Big Planet (This game allows for creativity; the kids can create their own game levels! Don’t be fooled by the cover, it’s best for older kids 10-12.)
Do you think it’s important for your kids to play sports? How about music?
I believe that music benefits our kids, and I strongly encourage parents to support funding for school music programs. They help our children in more ways than many people know or acknowledge. For one man’s knowledgeable perspective, watch this video:
As parents, we hope to instill good values in our children, but how do we know when they learn the lessons or whether they even hear us?
Over the years I’ve wondered…
Do they learn from what we do? How can we be sure?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a list of lessons, or a credo, if you will?
Then, one day last week, my son handed me a typewritten sheet with the heading, “Life and How to Live It.” He explained that, after teaching the class George Washington’s 110 Rules of Civility, his teacher told the class that she wanted each of them to write a credo.
This is what he wrote:
Life and How to Live it
Keep your head level. You’re no better than the next guy.
Stick together. If a bunch of fish group together, it scares away the shark.
Always remember what’s important in life. Your hair doesn’t matter as much as your SAT score.
Be yourself. Just because someone else jumps off a bridge doesn’t mean you have to.
Don’t depend on others to make you happy. If someone doesn’t like you anymore, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.
Keep a good balance of work and play. Ever seen The Shining?
If you think of it as fun, it’ll go by a lot faster.
Violence isn’t always the answer.
Remember to give as much as you get and get as much as you give.
Always know what path you’re on—and how what you’re doing will affect you long-term.
Always know which way is up and which way is down.
STUDY. What college you go to matters a lot more than Sunday Night Football.
Sleep actually DOES matter. You aren’t any cooler if you stay up till midnight.
Whenever you do anything that you think might not seem right, even the slightest bit, ask yourself: Would I like this if someone did this to me?
And always, ALWAYS, be nicest to the ones you love.
After reading it, I smiled, thanked him and gave him a great big bear hug. Every bullet point represented little lessons taught over the years. Most came from those lectures where I thought I was talking too much and wondered whether his eyes were glazing over, whether he was thinking about football rather than listening to what I was telling him. Others came from experiences and morals gleaned from stories about my family members. I recognized all of them. Remembered every conversation, every moment we talked about these ideas.
Hooray. Simply, hooray.
There it was — years of talking, teaching, leading, discussing, and guiding summed up by a page of bullet points. He told me that he could have written more, but had to keep it to a page.
“That’s fine,” I thought. “More than good enough.”
Parenting provides no feedback or bonuses, no accolades or pay raises, so how do we know whether we’re doing a good job? We hope for moments like these and when we get them, we cherish them.
At the end of the day, it’s not about us. The measure of our parenting, if it even exists, will be shown by our children’s character as they become young adults. We really don’t know for certain whether they will be responsible citizens, contribute to society, or make a difference in the world. But at least we can breath a little sigh of relief knowing that they hear our words and emulate our actions.
Today was one of those days. I started out in a cranky, irritable mood. Low tolerance for sibling bickering. Annoyed by aggressive drivers. Hyper critical of tv pundits.
Then, when I dropped off the kids at their tennis lesson, I decided to zip over to Starbucks instead of watching their practice (as I normally would). Sitting down with my Kindle, happy to snag one of the few cushy club chairs in the cafe, I drew the tall iced red-eye beverage toward me, looking forward to tasting the creamy goodness slip down my throat when suddenly I saw them falling – drip, drip, drip onto my fresh-from-the-cleaner starched white blouse – blasted red-eye coffee droplets.
ARGH!
After suffering several more little annoyances, I finally surrendered to the day and chalked it up as one of those “Alexander” days.
As soon as the kids and I arrived home, I took off my blouse to treat the stains. Uncharacteristically, I stayed in my white cami while I applied the stain remover.
