Percy Jackson and the Olympians

➤Rated TV-PG
➤Disney+

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson struggles with staying out of trouble in school due to ADHD and dyslexia. Wherever he goes, he never quite fits in, until one day, after being attacked by his teacher-turned-­monster, he discovers he’s a demigod and his absent father is none other than the ancient Greek god Poseidon.

Caught in the middle of a brewing war between the gods, Percy is sent on a quest with his best friend, a satyr named Grover, and fellow demigod Annabeth Chase, an annoyingly intelligent daughter of Athena. Their quest: recover Zeus’ stolen Master Bolt before the summer solstice in 10 days.

Not every family will be interested in a fantasy story featuring fickle and capricious pagan gods. But the Disney+ television series Percy Jackson and the Olympians will please fans of the popular Percy Jackson novels by Rick Riordan. It’s a more faithful adaptation of those middle grade books than the 20th Century Fox movies that came out a decade ago. Much of the script comes directly from the books, and where Disney does make changes, most serve to heighten the action and move the plot forward.

One notable alteration—the series’ ethnically varied cast—came at the wishes of Rick Riordan himself and is in line with Disney’s current emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The initial casting of Leah Sava Jeffries, the actress who portrays Annabeth, prompted a backlash: In the books, Annabeth Chase is described as Caucasian, with blond curly hair, whereas Jeffries is African American. Walker Scobell, who plays Percy, looks the closest to how the books describe his character.

Although most of the cast ­members do not match the physical descriptions in Riordan’s books, their personalities are spot on. Jeffries’ Annabeth may have brown skin and box-braided hair, but her impatience with Percy’s lack of experience and her ability to solve problems and take the lead on the quest accurately reflect the books’ Annabeth. Scobell captures Percy’s sarcasm, humor, and intense desire for belonging, while Aryan Simhadri’s Grover is the faithful friend and glue that holds the trio together on their dangerous journey.

The show is not too scary or gory, but the mythological monsters may be frightening to younger watchers. The first four episodes are free of questionable material, though one brief scene in the Metropolitan Museum of Art shows (from a distance) a statue of a male in the nude. A later book series that continues the story does include a gay character who might eventually appear in the TV adaptation.

Still, Percy Jackson and the Olympians captures the appeal of the original book series that gained devotees after it first appeared in 2005. The stories showed that even if your life is hard and you’re beset by bad circumstances, they aren’t the end of the story. Their message: Persevere and keep fighting, and things may get better—hope exists despite overwhelming odds.

Movies based on Greek ­mythology

• Helen of Troy / 1956
• Jason and the Argonauts / 1963
• The Odyssey / 1997
• O Brother, Where Art Thou? / 2000
• Troy / 2004
• 300 / 2006
• Clash of the Titans / 2010
• Hercules / 2014
• The Legend of Hercules / 2014