‘Percy Jackson And The Sea Of Monsters’ Trailer Has Some Terrible Visual Effects [Video]

COMMENTARY | Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters‘ trailer has some of the worst visual effects.

Have you ever seen a trailer for a new film and thought, “Seriously? Someone actually thought that looked good enough to advertise?” That’s what happened when I saw the trailer below for Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. I know the first film was bad, but couldn’t they afford to pay better animators?

At first, the trailer doesn’t look too bad, though later they do throw in some scenes that are obviously meant for 3D rendering, like Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) throwing his pen as it transforms into a sword. I’ve seen Michael Bay do this effect several times, and much better.

Percy Jackson starts out saying, “I heard there was a prophecy about me?” as he holds up a sword with some of the most obvious visual effects I’ve ever seen.

A centaur, obviously not Pierce Brosnan from the first one, is walking alongside him as he says, “It would seem that the prophecy was referring to our annihilation.”

Then we see what looks like glass shattering in a nice convenient arc pattern as what looks like a gold-plated mechanical bull races toward the screen. It’s all too obvious to me that the bull is a visual effect, and in the reaction shot, two of the kids actually look bored and one of the ones in front isn’t even looking at the same thing, as everyone else appears surprised.

Is this really the kind of stuff you want people to see in the trailer?

The Golden Fleece in the Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters trailer actually looks like a piece of carpet with some gold paint on it until the flashy visual effects try to throw the color in our faces with some glowing fire stuff. Then we see what looks like a plastic lawn ornament and it’s supposed to be some kind of sea creature. And the cyclops? His makeup is so obvious, they might as well have stuck a Halloween mask on him.

Come on, director Thor Freudenthal, your name isn’t enough to convince me with these obvious signs of visual effects laziness. I’ve seen Wrath of the Titans, and that was done at least a year ago. Visual effects are supposed to get better with time. You can’t pass off these obviously fake monsters and expect moviegoers to take your film seriously. Especially after the first film, which actually left out the main villain.

Should we not expect better visual effects at this point than was shown in this trailer for Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters?