BEFORE: Another film from 2010 - have you spotted the theme yet? It's another coming-of-age film in which a boy learns he has magical powers, this time coming from the Greek gods. Sort of weird that the last three films all came out in 2010, with a similar plot. Or maybe not, that's what sells these days. Linking from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is easy, since Nicolas Cage was in "National Treasure" with Sean Bean (last seen in "Patriot Games") - playing Zeus in tonight's film.
THE PLOT: A teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.
AFTER: OK, for this one you've got to believe that the Greek gods often come to Earth and father half-human children, who find each other and form a loose society of demi-gods. If you can swallow that, you're halfway home.
But once you've seen enough of these quest-oriented films, you start to realize that they all come from the same place - a hero's journey, which of course is easy to recognize as coming from the Greek myths, and even the stories before that. There are references here to the tales of Perseus, Hercules and Orpheus - if you paid attention in mythology class, that is.
Maybe I've seen too many movies in a row, but they're starting to feel a little interchangeable - I'm not watching different stories every night, in a way I'm watching the SAME story every night, with slightly different elements. Of course, part of this is because the hero's journey, since the days of myth, has to hit some key story points. The young hero discovers that he has a power, whether it's innate or acquired, and after some training, chooses some companions and goes on a quest, through the dark places, to defeat the evil being and gain the magical object.
Once you realize this, it's like playing screenwriting Mad Libs. It's the framework of Star Wars: A New Hope AND Harry Potter, AND The Wizard of Oz AND The Lord of the Rings. Essentially, they're all the same story - and I say that as a fan of at least three of those franchises. But even as a kid, when I realized that Luke and Han wearing stormtrooper outfits on the Death Star was the SAME plot-point as the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion dressing up like guards to get into the Wicked Witch's castle, I started to see that the fix was in.
So, our young hero (Luke Skywalker/Dorothy/Frodo/Percy Jackson) discovers that he has a power (the Force/ruby slippers/the One Ring/Poseidon-like command of water), and after some training, chooses some companions (Han + Chewie/Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion/hobbits, elves and a dwarf/a demi-goddess and satyr), and goes on a quest through the dark place (Death Star/Wicked Witch's castle/Mordor/the Underworld) to defeat the evil being (Darth Vader/Wicked Witch/Sauron/Hades) and gain the magical object (Death Star Plans/the Witch's broom/peace in Middle-Earth/the lightning bolt).
You see? It's every story wrapped up in one. That isn't to say it's a bad story, quite the contrary, it's a classic. There are probably dozens of films that fit the bill, and they're probably some of my favorites. Perhaps it's cynical of me to lift the veil and see through each film's individual trappings, but I can't help it. That said, this film did a pretty decent job of mixing up the pieces, and updating the classic Greek myths for today's tweeny-boppers.
This is apparently the first film in a planned franchise, and if they can maintain this quality, I say bring 'em on. This was better than any of the "Narnia" films, and I loved those C.S. Lewis books when I was a kid...
And IF you've been paying attention to how my mind works, then predicting tomorrow's film should be a snap.
Also starring Logan Lerman (last seen in "The Number 23"), Brandon T. Jackson (last seen in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"), Alexandra Daddario, Catherine Keener (last seen in "Switch"), Pierce Brosnan (last seen in "Mrs. Doubtfire"), with cameos from Steve Coogan (last seen in "The Other Guys"), Rosario Dawson (last seen in...um..."Clerks 2"?), Melina Kanakaredes, Joe Pantoliano (Joey Pants! Last seen in...I don't know, was it "La Bamba"?), Uma Thurman (last seen in "Be Cool").
RATING: 6 out of 10 lotus flowers
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