‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ Scenes That Make Me Love the Movie

‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ had some of the funniest scenes ever. Here’s some I still think about to this day since its movie release.

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We’ve heard it before, the books are always better than the movies. And then we attempt to forget the movies ever existed because it just wasn’t portraying the books accurately. Most, if not all, fans of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series refuse to acknowledge the movie adaptations because of how poorly the films were made in comparison to the beloved book series. 

However, I’ll be honest. I might get booed for this, but I love these movies. Why? Sure I was angry at first about the inaccuracy and felt like they didn’t do justice to my favorite series. But now, they’re my guilty pleasure. If you watch these movies separately from the books and don’t compare them (I know it’s hard to do), they’re actually hilarious to watch. So to convince you, here is my list of the funniest and most memorable scenes from Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief that altered my brain chemistry.

1. The Lotus Casino

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The Lotus Casino scene is revolutionary and dare I say, the best scene of the two movie adaptations of Percy Jackson. Ever since I first watched the movie, this scene has been ingrained in my brain and brings me so much joy. The idea to add “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga in the background was pure genius. Not to mention how well the actors did to portray what they experienced after eating the famous Lotus flowers. It is a cinematic masterpiece. I can’t listen to “Poker Face” the same without immediately imagining this scene. I also can’t reread this scene in the books without the song playing in my head.

2. “This is a pen”

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This scene was all about comedic timing for me. After being handed what is described as a very powerful weapon and it looks like a pen, I’d be confused too. It’s such a serious moment where Percy’s life is in danger and the “this is a pen” line just makes it so unserious. It honestly accurately represents what any other teenager would do if told their pen is indeed a very powerful weapon and unaware of its ability to magically transform into a sword. And Logan Lerman as Percy delivered the line perfectly.

3. Medusa’s Garden

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I’ll be honest. I can slightly see the vision they wanted if I squinted my eyes and angled my head to the side. I feel like they wanted to really modernize the Medusa encounter from the book. Although both the movie and book used reflections as the key to defeating Medusa, the movie added a modern twist to it. Rather than using the reflection of a glass ball, the movie used an iPod.

And honestly, the modernization is pretty cool (if you ignore the fact that demigods couldn’t use technology). Just think about it, the idea of Percy using an iPod touch to defeat Medusa and her hair of snakes that could turn you into stone with a simple look is very iconic and badass.

4. “How did I just do that?”

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The capture-the-flag scene was pretty lackluster. But plain and simple, it was Percy’s fall that made it funny. I’m so curious if the fall was a part of the script or if Logan Lerman actually fell during the scene and they just kept it in the movie. Either way, I’m glad it’s in there. I can’t exactly explain it but the fact that Percy just knocked out one of the campers, ran away in shock screaming “how did I just do that?” then trips and falls is hilarious to me. It shows a dorky side of Percy’s character while learning everything about his demigod side. 

Although the adaptation did not stay faithful to the books, it still had some remarkable moments and nice twists added to the book moments. These scenes from the Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief movie are truly unforgettable and make me love the movie. 

Also, make sure to stay updated with the upcoming Disney+’s adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians as the first season is set to release in 2024 as of now. 

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