Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
At the top of the Empire State Building, Zeus meets Poseidon, accusing Poseidon's demigod son, Percy Jackson, of stealing Zeus' master lightning bolt. Poseidon reminds him that Percy is unaware of his true identity, but Zeus declares that unless his master bolt is returned to Mount Olympus before midnight of the Summer Solstice (in two weeks), war will be waged between all the gods. 16-year-old Percy struggles with dyslexia, but has a unique ability to stay underwater. On a school trip to a museum, Percy is attacked by Alecto, a Fury masquerading as his substitute English teacher, Miss Dodds, who demands the lightning bolt. Percy's best friend Grover Underwood and his Latin teacher Mr. Brunner help scare off Alecto. Mr. Brunner gives Percy a pen which he claims is a powerful weapon, and instructs Grover to take Percy and his mother Sally to Camp Half-Blood—a hidden summer camp for demigod children. There, they are attacked by the Minotaur, who seemingly kills Sally when Sally is unable to enter the camp. At Grover's suggestion, Percy uses Mr. Brunner's pen, discovering that is a sword, to fight off the Minotaur. After having no success with the sword, Percy kills the Minotaur with its own horn before fainting out of intense shock. Waking up three days later, Percy learns he is the son of Poseidon, Grover is a Satyr and Percy’s junior protector, and "Mr. Brunner" is Chiron, a Centaur. Percy begins training in his demigod powers, which include water manipulation and healing, and meets other demigods, including Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena; and Camp Leader Luke Castellan, son of Hermes. Percy is visited by an apparition of Hades, who reveals the Minotaur abducted Sally to the Underworld to trade for the lightning bolt. Defying Chiron's orders, Percy sets out for the Underworld with Grover and Annabeth. Luke gives Percy a map with the location of three green pearls belonging to Hades' wife, Persephone, which will allow them to escape the Underworld. Percy is also given a pair of flying Converse All-Star shoes stolen from Hermes, and Luke's favorite shield. The trio searches for the first pearl at the old and abandoned "Auntie Em's Garden Emporium" in Leeds Point, which turns out to be the lair of Medusa. She tries to kill them, but Percy decapitates her. The trio takes her head and a fistful of gold drachmas along with them for later use, along with the pearl, which had been attached to her bracelet. At the Parthenon in Nashville, Percy uses the flying shoes to retrieve the second pearl from the crown of the statue of Athena. They are confronted by the Hydra disguised as a group of janitors, who Grover turns to stone with Medusa's head. The trio arrives at the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to obtain the third and final pearl. After the cocktail waitresses have them sample the casino's signature dish, lotus flowers, they immediately forget their mission, until Poseidon abruptly speaks in Percy's mind, returning him to his senses. Percy frees Grover and Annabeth from the flowers' effects; they locate the final pearl on a roulette wheel and escape by stealing a prize Maserati from the casino lobby. Annabeth realizes the casino is actually the lair of the Lotus-Eaters (who have been luring people into their trap since ancient times, which explains why the casino's motto is "You will never want to leave"), and that they only have one day left to prevent the gods' war, as they were in the casino for five days. With all three pearls, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth enter the portal to the Underworld, located behind the Hollywood Sign, and pay Charon the drachmas for a ferry ride (after he burns a couple of US dollars that Grover offered him). In the Underworld, Hades finds the lightning bolt hidden inside Luke's shield, revealing that Luke was the thief. Hades has his Hellhounds force the group into a gate of souls, but Persephone tases him with the bolt in retaliation for imprisoning her, and gives the bolt to Percy. As they only have three pearls, Grover remains behind as Percy, Annabeth, and Sally teleport to the Empire State Building, the entrance to Mount Olympus. However, before they can enter, they are ambushed by Luke, who reveals that he stole the bolt to demolish Mount Olympus and establish the demigods as new rulers of Western Civilization. After a battle across Manhattan, Percy seemingly kills Luke, by throwing a trident made of water around his neck causing him to fly into the Hudson River, and returns the lightning bolt to Zeus, and makes up with his father Poseidon. Percy and Annabeth are reunited with Grover who has a new pair of horns, indicating his promotion to Percy's senior protector. Percy and Annabeth nearly kiss, but Annabeth tricks him and they continue to train. In a mid-credits scene, Sally kicks her abusive husband, Gabe Ugliano, out of her apartment. As Gabe walks into the kitchen to grab a beer, he finds the refrigerator locked, with a note from Percy not to open it under any circumstance. Gabe breaks the door open to find Medusa's head, turning him to stone.
