Pierce Brosnan x4 in 2010

I don’t even like Pierce Brosnan. So how did I end up seeing all four of his movies that he released in 2010 (and subsequently writing a blog entry about it)? But nonetheless, he did make four rather diverse films this year that I watched for entirely non-Brosnon-related reasons, so I figured that I might as well give a rundown of my thoughts on his performance in each.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Released: February 2

This was a throwaway role for Brosnan. His role is small, and he seems to be phoning it in for the entirety of his miniscule screentime. I kind of enjoyed this film (though considerably less so the second time around), but it was certainly not because we got to see Brosnan with horse legs.

Remember Me

Released: March 12

The movie was fairly dreadful, and Brosnan was in full-out growl mode here. But that said, I admit that he had good onscreen chemistry with Robert Pattinson. Pattinson’s acting was iffy all around, but unexpectedly, I think Brosnan brought out the best in him. They’re both exasperatingly self-conscious actors, but it worked weirdly and wonderfully in the ridiculous scene where Pattinson confronts Brosnan at his office. It’s one of the few memorable moments from this movie (aside from the mindfuck of an ending).

The Greatest

Released: April 2

If Brosnan sleepwalked through Percy Jackson, he did the complete opposite here. It’s obvious that he really wanted to give a good performance. And, boy, does he go for it. He cries! He yells! He flails around in the ocean! And at times, he’s pretty good. Unfortunately, at other times, he’s god awful. It’s an intermittently affecting movie (thanks largely to a refreshingly natural supporting turn from Johnny Simmons as the grieving brother), but Brosnan is always in ACTING mode. Distracting, to say the least.

The Ghost Writer

Released: March 19

Definitely his best performance of the year. He plays the cowardly cad well. At times, he actually seems to forget that he’s on camera, which is basically unheard of for Brosnan. He still aggravated me at times, but for him, it was a very dialled-down turn.

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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

Children’s movies have a bad reputation for their awful dialogue and screeching onscreen pandemonium, but with the success of the Harry Potter film franchise, it seems as though the bar has been set higher. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief (also based on a popular kid’s book series) is clearly trying to feed off some of that good will, and it’s actually largely successful.

Percy (Logan Lerman) is a dyslexic misfit whose mom (Catherine Keener) is dating a boozy loser. But he soon finds out that his social inadequacy is actually a result of the fact that his father is Poseidon, and that Percy himself is a demi-god. The gods have accused him of stealing Zeus’ lightning bolt, and Percy must find the real thief to avoid all-out warfare.

The script is certainly not up to par with the Potter series, but the likeable young cast all do quite a respectable job. Lerman, who first caught my attention for his great work in 2007’s 3:10 to Yuma, gives an appealing performance in his first lead role. But it’s Brandon T. Jackson, playing Percy’s protector, Grover, who steals the film with his comedic charms. Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, and Uma Thurman also all do a great job in their small mythological roles.

Another thing about The Lightening Thief that really worked was the real-world element of the story. Percy and his new found friends embark on a cross-country road trip, which is a blast. Greek mythology is a tough sell in this technology-obsessed world, but director Chris Columbus does a good job of somehow making it all feel current.

Young fans will delight in delight in this smart, fast-paced adventure story, and it makes for a surprisingly enjoyable ride for older audiences who are unfamiliar with the books. The mythological links occasionally feel a bit clumsy, but for the sheer amount of fun that this film offers, it’s certainly worth setting your disbelief aside and getting caught up in its charm.

7/10