+ Added opinion on movie at the bottom of the post
+ Added 4 more differences: Las Vegas, the Flying shoes, Kronos, Ending & Mist
I like reading, and watching TV/movies. I should make use of my interest :) So I think I'm gonna do a lot of comparing of the books that turned into movies.
I just finished reading the book yesterday.
Greek mythology sounds more interesting than what's in our History textbooks...
In my opinion, for those who watched the movie before reading the book probably thinks both are equally good.
And for those who read the book before watching the movie would think the book is better.
I watched the movie before reading the book, and I find both good. No favouritism.
I understand why the book and the movie had so many differences. The book had so much going on, they couldn't fit everything in the movie. Well, that's one of the reasons why books and movies differ (e.g. P.S I Love You, Twilight sequels & The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).
I'm also doing this because I don't feel like doing homework (although I have piles and piles of them, I am so dead) and currently have nothing to do.
Differences Between the Book and the Movie
Not arranged in any order.
Ages
Book - Percy and Annabeth are suppose to be 12
Movie - Percy and Annabeth look above 15 years of age
Annabeth
Book - Blonde with gray eyes
Movie - Brunette with blue-ish eyes
Annabeth & Luke
Book - Annabeth has a crush on Luke
Movie - Annabeth does not have a crush on Luke
Annabeth's Father
Book - Her father married another woman and forgot about Athena. etc...
Movie - Wasn't mentioned much
Clarisse (Daughter of Ares)
Book - Percy's enemy
Movie - Her character did not appear in the movie.
Grover's Horns
Book - Already has his horns from the beginning (I think)
Movie - Had his horns at the end of the movie
The Helm of Darkness
Book - It was stolen along with the Lightning Bolt
Movie - Wasn't mentioned
The Ones who Contributed to The Stealing of The Lightning Bolt
Book - Kronos, Ares & Luke
Movie - Only Luke
Percy's Cabin
Book - It was empty
Movie - It was fully furnished by Poseidon
The Sign when Poseidon Claims Percy as His Son
Book - A trident appeared above his head
Movie - No mention of the sign. Poseidon automatically claims Percy as his son.
The Three Pearls
Book - Given by Water Spirit in the middle of the book (or almost end)
Movie - They had to go to the 3 places to find each pearl. I don't think the Water Spirit was mentioned.
The Part where Percy Heals Himself from Tojuching the Water
Book - He was fighting with Clarisse during 'Capture the Flag'.
Movie - He was fighting with Annabeth
The Beads
Book - They get a bead every year they stayed at the camp
Movie - n/m
Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium
Book - Aunty Em (Medussa) appeared wearing long black gown with veiled head. She treats them with food. Then, she wanted to take a picture of them and that was when she started to want to turn them into stone.
Movie - A frantic woman was telling Annabeth her husband was missing bla bla bla... then Medussa appears and tries to turn them into stone.
Percy also uses an iPhone/iPod touch to see her reflection which he did not do in the book. In the book, he used a green ball to see her reflection.
Golden Drachmas
Book - They found them at the various places they visited
Movie - They only found them in a fountain at Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium
The Various Places they Visited in Their Quest
Book - Gnome Emporium, the Arch, the amusement park, the mattress place, Las Vegas etc..
Movie - Three places: Gnome Emporium, Museum and Las Vegas
Persephone
Book - She wasn't mentioned much.
Movie - She played a big role. She helped them return to earth (i think there's another word to replace earth, but I just don't know what).
Hades
Book - Wasn't striked with the lightning bolt. Probably did not look/dress like how he did in the movie.
Movie - Striked with the lightning bolt by Persephone. According to Grover, looked like Mick Jagger.
Cerebrus
Book - Annabeth handled Cerebrus with a red ball
Movie - Persephone summoned them away
Mr. D/Dionysus; the Oracle
Book - Mentioned quite a lot
Movie - Not mentioned
The Yankee Hat
Book - Given by Athena to Annabeth as her 12th birthday present. Can turn the wearer invisible.
Movie - n/m
Poseidon Guiding Percy
Book - Poseidon wasn't guiding Percy throughout his quest
Movie - Poseidon was guiding Percy
The Shield Luke gave Percy
Book - n/m
Movie - That's where the lightning bolt was all long o.O
The part where Medusa's chopped-off head was seen by someone
Book - n/m
Movie - Mentioned
Gladiola the Poodle
Book - Mentioned
Movie - Not mentioned
Iris-Messaging
Book - Mentioned
Movie - n/m
Ares and His Shield
Book - The kids were suppose to find it back in some amusement park through the Tunnel of Love
Movie - n/m
Hephaestus
Book - Mentions that he likes to embarass Ares and Aphrodite
Movie - n/m
Poseidon's Attire & Throne
Book - T-shirt with Bermuda shorts (basically does NOT look like a god) etc. His throne is a fisherman's chair or something like that.
Movie - Gold plated armor (i think) with a throne like his brother's. Basically, he looks like how a god is suppose to look like.
Cabin 11
Book - Percy had to live in Cabin 11 before he was transferred to one of the Big Threes' cabins
Movie - He got his own cabin straight away
Regular or Undetermined
Book - Regular means they know who your god parent is; Undetermined means they don't (I think). Percy was an Undetermined at first, then became a Regular.
Movie - Percy was automatically a Regular once he joined the camp.
The gods and goddesses at the 'meeting room' @ Mount Olympus
Book - There was only Zeus and Poseidon in the room.
Movie - Several gods and goddesses were there. Athena, Hermes etc...
The Furies in the bus; Echidna and Her 'chihuahua'; Procrustes
Book - Tried to kill/threaten Percy
Movie - n/m
Poseidon's talk with Percy in the End
Book - Different lines. Percy did not walk away from his father (like in the movie).
Movie - ↑
Entrance to the Underworld
Book - It was in a building and they had to deal with Charon before they could enter
Movie - It was in sort of like a cave and had to deal with some old man (which maybe Charon? I don't know).
The Parcel that Awaits Him in the End
Book - Mentioned
Movie - n/m
Las Vegas
Book - They were given green credit cards
Movie - They were given edible lotus flowers
The Flying Shoes
Book - Used by Grover
Movie - Used by Percy
Kronos
Book - Mentioned a lot
Movie - n/m
Ending
Book - Luke tried to kill Percy with a scorpion and ran away. Percy went back home.
Movie - Percy and Annabeth were about to kiss (they did not). Then Annabeth tells Percy not to be distracted by the enemy.
Mist
Book - Mentioned
Movie - n/m
I bet there are some more, but this is where I'll stop.
Things I find funny (not hilarious funny, weird funny)
If Percy was suppose to be Poseidon's son, shouldn't he be able to breathe in water for as long as he wants? In the movie, he was only able to hold his breath in the water for 7-8 minutes (if I'm not mistaken).
Well, maybe because of his mix blood (god-mortal) he can't hold his breath that long in water.
And there was this part where Percy, Annabeth and Grover were in Las Vegas. Grover was not wearing his fake human legs. You could see him dancing with his goat legs and hooves and no one cared. Won't people notice that he has goat legs??
Maybe people were too obsessed with the entertainment there, they were too busy to notice his hooves.
My opinion on the movie
I realized, I CANNOT make reviews! Because I like almost every single movie I watch.. except the movies where they have real animals talking (like Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the Shaggy Dog). AVATAR is another movie in my 'like least' list. I don't know why, it's not my cup of tea I guess.
PERCY JACKSON.... hmmm...
I like the plot and storyline. Someone accusing a demi-god of stealing a lightning bolt and he has to return on summer solstice et cetera.. and all these Greek mythology is quite interesting to know.
Poseidon actually loves his son and 'girlfriend' (not really his wife, they didn't get married), but he's not allowed to have any direct contact with them, which is sad!
The casting is perfect! Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Kevin McKidd, Sean Bean etc... I cannot think of any other celebrity to portray the characters in the movie. Except for Pierce Brosnan.. so used to seeing him as a macho human!
It's so cute that mortal children can hear their god parent's voice and advice too... guiding them and sometimes warning them of which is right and wrong.
Just like the real God up there. As in, not the Greek gods (small g!), the REAL God (capital G).
I love the adventure too! The whole movie was an adventure! The Medusa part was cool too. LOL, "I used to date your daddy!"
Seeing the Octavius guy from Night in the Museum as Hades... is really funny :P I don't think anyone expected Hades to look like that XD!
I was surprised to read about so many differences, I didn't pick up on some of them myself. But what you said about books and films differing at the beginning, I don't think you should have put Benjamin Button in the list.
ReplyDeleteThat film is about three and a half hours long and I actually fell asleep in it and that would be the first time that's ever happened. Haha
But a great post nonetheless, keep it up.
Really good review. I'm a big fan of Percy Jackson and I have read the books. Their was no mention of the mist in the film which in the books it's mentioned, the mist covers up things such as grovers legs which could be quote confusing for people who have not seen the book. When the next book ( the sea of monsters) get realeased as a film I hope the director includes a bit more of the story line and I hope clarisse comes into the film too. And I don't know what their going too do about the project when Percy turns 16 because he's about 15 in the 1st film and theirs still about 4 film too go.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments!
ReplyDeletematthewceo, about Benjamin Button, there are quite some things which differ. The movie had additional details which the story did not have, and the scenes were slow and pretty draggy, that is why the movie was so long.
Anonymous, oh yes, the mist! I wanted to write that in, but I forgot. Me too, I was wondering how Chris Columbus (director) is going to handle with the characters' ages in the movie. The mist also plays an important part in the 2nd novel! LOL, I'd like to see how the movie will turn out. Most probably, it'll be quite different from the movie.
Ammm I´m a bit late, but I´ve just found the post lol
ReplyDeleteAbout the Percy´s acuatic breathing... He´s not actually breathing into the water... He´s just holding his breath. And I think he can´t breathe into the water yet because he discovers later his father´s "godness".
So... yeah. I hate all the changes, I mean, what are they gonna do with the Big Prophecy??? It´s about the day of his 16 b-day, and inthe first film he looks like he´s already 17 years old.
I saw the movie first. Then I read the book. And I think the book is waaaaay better than the film. But the film is good, and Logan is hot ;)
what does n/m mean
ReplyDeletewhat does n/m mean?????????????????
ReplyDeleteThe movie is way too different for my liking. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon, N/M means not mentioned in the book.
ReplyDelete