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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (PG)
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This is the sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It came out in 2013, but I didn't see it until 2019.

Okay, so I guess the first thing I should say is that in the previous movie, Luke was revealed to be the lightning thief. He apparently died, but in this movie it's revealed that he survived, and returns as the main villain. But first, we get some backstory about when Luke, Annabeth, and Grover first came to Camp Half-Blood when they were younger. A monster was chasing them, and they were saved by their friend Thalia Grace, who was going to the camp with them, but stayed behind to face the monster and give them time to escape. She ended up being killed, but her father, Zeus, well... turned her into a tree, I guess. And that tree is what generates the force field that has protected the camp ever since.

In the present, Percy is competing against a bunch of other demigods in a competition I can't even really describe. But the person expected to win is Clarisse La Rue (the daughter of Ares, god of war). Grover and Annabeth are cheering for Percy from the sidelines. (I had to wonder why Annabeth wasn't competing, herself. Maybe she'd graduated by then?) Anyway... the competition itself isn't very important, except as a way to introduce viewers to Clarisse, and to introduce the plot point of Percy's self-doubt. More importantly, we soon learn that a teenage cyclops named Tyson has come to the camp. He's the son of Poseidon and a sea nymph, which means he's Percy's half brother. Tyson is excited to have a brother, but Percy... not so much. Oh, I also feel I should mention that Chiron the centaur is now played by Anthony Head. There have been some other secondary characters who have also got new actors this time, most notably Hermes (but I don't want to spoil who plays him).

Anyway... Luke announces his survival to Percy after sending a Colchis bull to attack the camp. It was able to get past the border because Luke had poisoned the tree. The bull causes a lot of havoc, but Percy ultimately destroys it. After that, everyone needs to find a way to save the tree, and Annabeth comes up with a plan, to quest for the Golden Fleece, which could heal anyone or anything. The head of the camp, Mr. D (Dionysus, played by Stanley Tucci), decides to send Clarisse on this quest, accompanied by a satyr named Ichneutae. However, Percy and Annabeth decide to go on their own quest for the Fleece, along with a somewhat reluctant Grover. They're also joined by Tyson, who is eager to bond with his newfound brother. Oh... and I should also mention that there's a prophecy that is apparently about Percy, though by the end of the movie, it's left unclear whether it's really about him or not. Anyway, they have to travel to the Sea of Monsters to find the Fleece, and when they get there, they end up joining Clarisse and her crew. (Though by then, Ichneutae had already died.) And they all have to fight Luke and a group of demigods who are working with him. Luke has his own plan for the Fleece, which could prove disastrous for the whole world, gods and humans alike. But I don't want to spoil what that plan is.

And... I guess I don't want to reveal any more details of the plot, but of course the good guys win in the end. Anyway, I thought it was a reasonably fun movie. And I don't know what else to say.


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