Although they try to deny it with proposals of all styles, there is no doubt that Disney has a very specific brand and tone, and Disney Plus could not be an exception. Beyond having franchises like Marvel or Star Wars, it is clear that the streaming platform needs all its cultural products to bear the Disney seal in some way. They do this through a family-friendly tone, a type of clean comedy, and the great adventures of the protagonists. However, until now they had not had a series, beyond their famous IPs, that fulfilled all of this.
Now, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has arrived to reverse that situation. The first two episodes of the series have just premiered on Disney Plus, and we can say loud and clear that they have exceeded expectations, by far, of what was expected from the series. It has nothing to do with the previous Percy Jackson movies —which, well, weren’t that bad either—. The series is just the perfect adaptation of Rick Riordan’s novels.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians becomes the perfect series for Disney Plus
Percy Jackson and the Olympians has all the ingredients to become a perfect emblem of Disney Plus. It is an adventure series for children, but with a tone that can appeal to all types of audiences. It is fun, epic, exciting, and modern. It doesn’t innovate too much but it has everything in its place, and it can definitely be said that it is a series adapted to our times.
It is, ultimately, a perfect series to define what Disney is in the 21st century. But, although this may have negative connotations in some cases, it is like the movie Wonka: its goodness and lighthearted tone do not harm it, but make it endearing. It never reaches cringe at any moment, as perhaps the previous movies did, and ends up being more Harry Potter than some of the Fantastic Beasts movies.
The first two chapters serve to establish the foundations of a story that, this time, is being told in its proper measure. But, from what we have seen so far, it is very clear that its journey is enormous. They don’t give away too much information, but they provide just enough clues to keep you informed. So, we just have to see how everything unfolds in the following episodes.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series that has great potential to go far, renew season after season, and, as I said, be the perfect flagship for Disney Plus. We’ll see if it achieves everything it sets out to do. Although, certainly, things are looking great.
