Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

(On Cable TV, January 2015)  Given that I barely remembered the first Percy Jackson, it’s not as if I was hungering for a sequel.  Now that it’s out, the only thing to say is that it’s… average.  Much of the interest of the first film, as inspired by the Rick Riordan books, was in seeing how various elements of Greek mythology could be integrated in the modern world, and so it goes with the sequel –most amusingly in seeing a cameo by Nathan Filion running a Hermes-inspired messenging service.  (That’s supposed to take place in Washington… except for the high-rises in the background)  There are interesting odds and ends: A wild taxi ride, a trip through a sea monster, some nice special effects.  There are action scenes every few minutes, but otherwise it’s as generic a fantasy product as can be aimed at teenagers.  It’s generally enjoyable (and the actors aren’t bad, just stuck with undistinguished material) but it’s not really essential.  There is really no need to do a third one.