Of course John Carter is a long way from flawless, but it is also not that bad but you wouldn't think so looking at its box office failure, its reputation and also how terribly marketed it was. Sure the plot is thin as ice in places with scenes that go on for far longer than they needed to, and it is also predictable and with the odd convoluted part, with the many logical lapses not helping in its favour. Particularly at the end, which gave off a sense that the film didn't know how to end itself. The script is uneven too, a fair bit of it is actually quite intelligently handled with some entertainment and suspense but there are other points where the dialogue does make one cringe and you do wish you learnt more about the characters and that the romance wasn't so disjointed and forced. John Carter however does look incredible, the backdrops and scenery are bursting with colour and detail and don't look fake at all and the special effects are equally impressive and not cartoony at all, they are at least well modelled and move easily. Michael Giaccino's music score is outstanding being full of bombastic energy and sweeping intensity, doing all that while fitting with the action and not swamping it. There is plenty of action and it is action that is a feast for the eyes and choreographically is very well-executed, the best of them dazzlingly so. Of the characters, the most enjoyable one was Woola, a very cute and very funny dog creature- the CGI for the character is very well done and some of the best of the film actually- that children and adults alike will take a shine to. Andrew Stanton, considering that his field is more in animation and that the crew for John Carter is so huge, had a very daunting task and does so bravely, though with the odd understandable occasion where he seemed out of sorts with the live actors. While the story may not be the greatest, John Carter shouldn't be taken too seriously, it was intended to be harmless family fun and is so and it has an earnest, old-fashioned approach that works and in keeping with the source material. The performances are not bad at all, Taylor Kitsch does start off for a while ill at ease and over-serious but once he relaxes he does make for a likable hero. Lynn Collins is both feisty and human, and the supporting cast all make an effort to make much of little with Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong(in a role that suits him to a tee) and Ciaron Hinds being the most successful. In conclusion, not flawless by any stretch of the imagination but far from a disaster either. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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Tweetienator27 September 2021Not a fantasy masterpiece but I like it - John Carter got some fantastic settings, some good action and even some funny moments. Yes, the main body of the story is rather a simple one but anyway the ride makes fun and is entertaining. I should add that I never read one of the original stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (note to myself: read one), so it is possible that readers and fans of the original stories, like some other reviews indicate, may be disappointed by the movie adaption.
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neil_tipping3 March 2012I did only have modest expectations of this film as the trailer reminded me a bit to much of Dune. Really surprised to find a film which had a good plot line (albeit cynics will liken it to Avatar-lite), well acted, reasonable characterisations, brilliant visuals and a surprisingly good hero figure in Taylor Kitsch. I saw the preview screening this morning - don't really care how much it cost to make - what I found was a big budget film that I really enjoyed from start to finish. My advice - don't follow the cynics and naysayers - see it for yourself. I will normally not go see 3D films (they give me a headache) but the 3D wasn't too intrusive on this one.
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Agnelin8 April 2012If you haven't yet, what are you waiting for to go watch "John Carter"? Grab your kids, grab your boyfriend or girlfriend, your spouse, your parents, your friends and run to the nearest theatre where they're showing this. For you can watch "John Carter" being any age, and in any company, and have a good two-hour cinematic joyride.
It doesn't matter that it has reportedly failed at the box office (but then, failure is relative, isn't it? It all depends on how high the expectancies were raised). "John Carter" is a great movie, and I hope it will have a fruitful second life upon DVD release and in other forms. It doesn't matter that Mars doesn't hold almost any interest for human fantasy anymore as it did back in Edgar Rice Burroughs's time. It doesn't matter that the plot isn't perfect and that the movie sometimes reminds us a little too much of "Avatar", what with the interspecies romance, the seemingly hostile environment and creatures then turned into allies (or not!), the ecologic, Earth-loving message. It has lots of adventure, love, humor, and enough symbolism to get the point in just one viewing and walk out of the theatre with a smile in your face. The characters -the good guys and gals, that is- are all good-looking, well-spoken, brave, smart and funny. And the bad guys also make a good point in the story -perhaps the most intriguing, most modern message of them all. And the cast is really gold, especially the more minor characters (it has Dominic West, by God!).
In summary, please, do yourself a favor and watch "John Carter". At worst, you won't find it anything special, but I trust you won't be bored. -
Sh31kh_H0kv523 June 2021What source of magic is this,i can't feel my body am i numb i cant stop shouting this is too good.
Never judge a movie by its poster cause i never felt that coming like whow.
Ahh i really enjoyed and engaged well with this movie as for time it was well spent here. -
kosmasp31 May 2012I actually have no idea why it didn't make any money in America. You can't predict those things. But the studio made up for that with the international Box Office results. Plus when the DVDs and Blu Rays hit the stores, I imagine there will be a win margin for the studio, so all will be good (in time).
I won't get into any 3D discussion. You actually don't really need it in any movie. Do I still watch them? Yes, I do. But kudos to directors who stand their ground and say no to it (as does Zack Snyder). But a movie is not better or worse because of the 3D (Clash of the Titans may be an exception to that rule, because it might have been quite watchable, if not for that awful 3D conversion). This movie too, is silly family fun, that has some nice aliens, some bad aliens and a hero you can root for. If you don't take it too seriously then, you might have fun watching it -
Metacognizant13 January 2013John Carter is an unjustly dismissed sci-fi masterpiece...grossly unjustified. What was wrong with it? Specifically, what was wrong? Pacing? It was intense!!! Coming from someone who uses this word sparingly, this movie was "EPIC". I am almost certain that time will enable objectivity, and objectivity will redeem it from the stinging taint slapped on it due to a predictably simplistic aversion to what is "mainstream" by film critics. If a studio other than Disney could have created the same film with half the budget it would have been heralded as a cinematic achievement within the sci-fi genre, but its budget was viewed as ostentatious and its production studio as childish, so it became "cool" to hate on it before anyone had even seen it.
Who makes something and how much they pay to have it made has nothing to due with the quality of what is actually produced, it may be indicative of quality or lack thereof, but the final product speaks for itself. Reviews of John Carter tell us more about film critics than the critics told us about the film. It was practically perfect. "Incomprehensible plotting"??? They laid the groundwork for the presumed sequels by deliberately leaving a few questions unanswered, which I hope they still make and answer because I loved this first one! Mars was epic, and then in the end we are reminded that the story began on Earth and the film ends stronger than I could have hoped for! An excellent story masterfully told on screen. -
aaronjbong17 March 2012Who is John Carter? John Carter is a Civil War veteran who gets transported to Mars (or Barsoom, as they say) using a mysterious device (a medallion). There, he grabs the attention of four-armed, green, 15-feet creatures (known as Tharks) due to his superhuman jumping skills (thanks to the lower gravitational force present in Mars). There, he gains some recognition and is forced to be involved in a series of battles, all part of a war between the city of Helium and Zodanga, as well as decide the fate of the planet.
Now that you've met John Carter, let's introduce you to Mars/Barsoom, the "Red Planet".
Barsoom is where the film takes place. It's similar to Earth (Jasoom)in ways but also different in other ways. There's oxygen (as John Carter is able to breathe normally, although he might have inhaled some other type of gas), and there's water (in the form of rivers and lakes, but no oceans). However, organisms who inhabit the planet are driven by blue blood, not red Earth blood. There's a smaller gravitational force present (which allows not only John Carter, but any other Earthling to jump like Superman). There are no plants, no sign of botany. And they speak a different language, however John is able to understand the Barsoom language due to a special drink. And the best part: there are two moons.
Barsoom, compared to Earth is much more technologically advanced. There are futuristic flying ships present, artistic buildings, and flying bikes (something like that). It's definitely more advanced than us. But for some reason, their fashion is just ancient (John Carter is shirtless for most of the time in Barsoom), and most of the landscape is deserted, empty. The sort of games they play is what the Romans played back in Caesar area: gladiatorial games. (There's one entertaining scene in particular for that.) Disney has spent $250 million on this film and marketed it aggressively. However, the trailers didn't give provide anything interesting and didn't gain audiences' interest, therefore gained a weak opening weekend gross. Put that aside, "John Carter" is actually dazzling, entertaining, and very fun to watch. The fantasy themes intertwine with science-fiction elements perfectly. It is just marvelous.
With the production budget of the flick reaching $250 million, the visual effects of the film is incredible. The sets, and creatures of the planet were very realistic and very jaw-dropping. The one action scene I liked the most was the gladiatorial game held in the land of the Tharks where Carter, Sola (a Thark), and Tarkas (another Thark) had to fight against two monstrous, giant-sized, eyeless, white apes. And the 3D: the 3D effects here were worth noting and recommended.
The outstanding special effects lead to the amazing, and widely entertaining action sequences. John Carter uses his swords as his weapon and does swordplay against the inhabitants of Barsoom. The inhabitants of Barsoom are no match for John Carter, regardless of their weapons and fighting skills, thanks to Carter's extraordinary jumping skills and outstanding sword-fighting skills. John Carter is just invincible and too strong for Barsoomians.
However, there was some problem with the storytelling as it was not able to tie up loose ends. In the middle of the film, we encounter this power source or something, the ninth ray. It seems like something special, something revolutionary, something vital to the story. But then, there's not a trace of it later on. What's happened to it? What's the significance of this power? What is it capable of? Nothing.
The actors' performances were satisfying enough. Taylor Kitsch is a very suitable John Carter and gives a satisfying performance, although not Oscar worthy. The beautiful Lynn Collins plays the role of the Martian Princess Dejah Thoris with style and determination. The other supporting cast also did well. Some of the characters who appear in CGI have also been given outstanding voices by the talented supporting cast.
Anyone who loved "Avatar", or "Star Wars" would definitely enjoy this flick. It offers a blend of fantasy and science-fiction and is perfect for audiences of all ages. The children will love the technology incorporated, the older kids will clamor the dazzling special effects, and the adults will enjoy the love story and action scenes.
Rating: 7/10
Final Verdict: "John Carter" is a film that offers a perfect blend of fantasy and science-fiction accompanied with satisfying performances and spectacular visual effects. -
cakemixed9234 January 2020It's a great movie. I'm not sure why it didn't make more money or get a sequel. It has a great storyline, good acting, beautiful visuals. It was well written and just altogether a great movie. You won't be disappointed.
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Wuchakk22 May 2016Released in 2012, "John Carter" chronicles the adventures of the eponymous 19th century character (Taylor Kitsch) after he's mysteriously projected to Mars, where he encounters a tribe of 12' tall green creatures with four arms called Tharks and a beautiful princess, Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). He's subsequently caught in a war between left and right factions of the planet. Dominic West plays Sab Than, the leader of the red faction who wants to marry the princess while Mark Strong plays the head Thern, a mysterious race of immortal shapeshifters who manipulate the races of planets to feed off the chaos.
This is a dense and entertaining adventure/fantasy based on Edgar Rice Borroughs' book "A Princess of Mars," sometimes spectacularly so as far as the visuals, sets, props, costuming, cast, locations, etc. go. Kitsch and Collins, for example, are stunning examples of masculinity and beauty respectively. What's more, there's some quality mindfood to mine, like Matai Shang's comment to Carter that every world they're involved with has the same conflict of extremes (red vs. blue, right vs. left) and the Therns "manage" it. They tend to stay in the shadows cultivating controlled chaos through manipulating the indigenous populace. They somehow feed off of this and have done so for eons – prolonging the eventual destruction as long as possible, like rationing food.
For those who nitpick the film for supposed plot holes, these can mostly be explained. For instance, the complaint that the 9th ray can't stop a bullet. But why would we presume that an energy field could stop a physical projectile? Obviously the 9th ray force-field only blocks the same type of energy it's comprised of; that is, 9th ray energy. There's no inconsistency in the film. At no time do we observe the 9th ray portrayed as an omnipotent weapon. It's powerful and versatile, obviously, based on how it's employed in technology, but it's not all-powerful. If the Therns or anyone else using the 9th ray could use it to stop a sword or bullet, they would. But allowing it to be that all-powerful would make it TOO powerful. The movie wisely doesn't do this for the same reason Superman has kryptonite.
Then there's the complaint that Carter appears super strong when it comes to fighting Tharks and twirling a huge boulder, but he can't break a simple chain. Believe it or not, this actually isn't a problem and is scientifically viable. Carter's not any stronger on Mars than he is on Earth. If he can't break a thick iron chain on Earth, he can't do it on Mars either. However, because Mars has lower gravity he seems super-strong when it comes to ANY ACTION INVOLVING WEIGHT. Although this is ridiculously exaggerated in the movie (like his absurd leaps), it fits the pulp fantasy tone. So it's actually logical that he can lift heavy things but not break an iron chain. One has nothing to do with the other. Lower gravity would simply have no influence on whether or not Carter can break an iron chain.
One last supposed plot hole is how the Therns are immortal, but then one or two get shot to death. This is easy: Being immortal in this case doesn't mean they can't be wounded or die; it just means they can't die of aging. While the Therns claim to be immortal Carter proves they can be mortally wounded at the beginning of the film, which is why he later points out: "Immortal ain't bulletproof. I shot one of you back on Earth." If the Therns present themselves as eternal in the sense of being impossible to kill, it's obviously to create and perpetuate a superstitious belief in their subjects.
Then there's the criticism that the movie screeches to a halt when the head Thern, Matai Shang (Strong), has a walking conversation with Carter. Wow, I can't believe this complaint because I found this sequence the most intriguing one in the film and it morphed the movie from mindless fantasy-adventure-on-another-planet to something deeper. The sequence simultaneously reveals the mystery of the Therns while being ambiguous enough to keep the viewer scratching his/her head and searching for more concrete answers (which, I'm sure, would've been answered in sequels).
At this point in the movie it becomes clear that Mars is a stage and the Therns work behind the scenes to (try to) manipulate the players for their own ends. But they're not omnipotent or immortal in the sense that they cannot be killed. They can be resisted and thwarted, even defeated. Their existence is dependent upon their deceiving people into believing lies, myths and half-truths; or just keeping them ignorant.
When you relate this to our lives on earth it becomes even more profound. We're being manipulated by "Therns," whether political, commercial, religious or spiritual, but most people don't even realize it. Worse, many deny it despite the evidence.
The movie runs 132 minutes and was shot in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico with studio work done in England.
GRADE: B+ -
I really really wanted to like John Carter. I really did. I love Andrew Staunton, the cast, the books...but the movie was just...not very good. First, the script was really pretty bad. There was absolutely no sense of rhythm or pace. The writers bit off way more than they could chew and tried to throw so much of the 2nd and 3rd book into the first, that they forgot to develop characters and build tension. There's so much important information that is lacking from the story, and unnecessary information being thrown at you, that even I had trouble following it (and I, theoretically, know what happens). They also added a bunch of extra things to the story (particularly in the way Carter travels between the planets) which, in my opinion, made the story line less interesting and more corny than what Burroughs had written. Rather than focusing on creating memorable characters (Tars Tarkas, Sola, and Kantos Kan might as well be footnotes) and elaborating on the the different cultures and belief systems that shape the world of Barsoom, the movie focuses on action scenes and a story line which doesn't occur until deep into the second book. Without Burrough's exquisitely shaped and extensive ground-work, there is little to no reason to care about a lot of what's going on. It's as if Yoda showed up and you knew that Darth Vadar was Luke's Father mid-way through New Hope. Why would you care? The filmmakers missed a huge opportunity to show the extremely inventive and thought-provoking ways in which Carter adapts to and changes his new home, and as a result, they also really missed a lot of the cultural commentary in the book. This movie had everything going for it (especially with a 250 million dollar budget), and what's really disappointing is that some of the shots and lot of the character designs (besides ALL of the red people) look really good. There are moments of greatness in there (like the ending), but they are very few and far between. I almost walked out half way through, and I've never walked out of a movie before (especially one I was this excited about). IN CONCLUSION: Read the books, they are mind-blowing, beautiful, and way more interesting. This movie was just OK...at its best, and at its worst...confusing, cheesy, and banal.
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sourmanflint20 July 2012This is not going to be a long review, there are some great reviews on here and I think they have said all I wanted and more. The thing to hold onto is that despite all the negative hype in the worldwide press, this is one heck of a great movie. I have no idea why any film studio would want to distance themselves from this film, it is fresh in a time when fresh is a very rare thing in the movies. Avatar managed it in heaps and so does John Carter. The story is grand and intriguing, the characters are solid and believable, and the CGI is so good you forget about it. This will become one of my favourite all time movies, it is up there amongst the very best of the genre.
Don't believe the hype.. this is a must see movie!! -
zardoz-1320 March 2012Oscar winning "Finding Nemo" director Andrew Stanton struggles to make Edgar Rice Burroughs' vintage cowboys and aliens epic "John Carter" into a spontaneous, larger-than-life, saga about tyranny and rebellion on the Red Planet. Mind you, Asylum Entertainment beat Disney Studios to the punch with its own abysmal adaptation of the Burroughs' novel "A Princess of Mars" that recycled just about every genre cliché. Essentially, Disney and Stanton have delivered what looks like a synthesis of "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Star Wars." This is one of those sci-fi actioneers with a universe populated by anthropomorphic animals and mythological "Clash of the Titans" intermediaries. Burroughs penned his colorful pulp escapism about a century ago in 1912 before stories like it became commonplace. Since Hollywood lacked the computer generated technology to make the world of fantasy appear believable on celluloid, the filmmakers preoccupied themselves with Burroughs' less challenging Tarzan novels. By the time Tinsel town conjured up the technology to produce movies about similar escapades on other worlds, the studios had gone off on their own tangents. In other words, the John Carter novels languished in obscurity, while later epics like "Star Wars," "Dune," and "Avatar" emerged and appropriated similar themes. What had been groundbreaking when Burroughs wrote it now looks hackneyed, even though Burroughs forged the formula that others imitated. The cinematic "John Carter" gives new meaning to the adage about the first being last. Sadly, too, despite its imaginative special effects, this yarn amounts to another cookie cutter, sci-fi/fantasy melodrama that suffers from a sense of déjà vu.
Disillusioned Confederate cavalry officer John Carter (Taylor Kitsch of "The Covenant") is prospecting for gold in Arizona when the U.S. Seventh Cavalry tries to recruit him to combat hostile Apaches. Carter refuses not only because this isn't his fight, but also because he has already the Civil War claimed the lives of his wife and daughter. Carter escapes from the guardhouse, purloins a horse, and absconds into wilds. Our hero doesn't get far before he finds himself caught between the Apaches and the trigger-happy cavalry. Gunfire erupts and Carter struggles to escape from the predatory redskins. Scrambling for the sanctuary of a cave that the superstitious savages refuse to enter, he surprises an ethereal alien with a supernatural medallion. Carter blasts this extraterrestrial, confiscates the pendant, and then suddenly finds himself sprawled on distant Mars. Mars resembles the rugged American southwest with its inhospitable terrain and inhabitants. He encounters tall, light-green warriors. These fellows boast an additional pair of arms, heads that resemble the Mutant Ninja Turtles, and large three-toed feet. These four-armed creatures with small tusks protruding from their jaws behave like barbarous African tribesmen and have domesticated animals to serve as their beasts of burden. When Carter isn't tangling with their garrulous giants, he contends with striking humanoid natives covered with tattoos who fly extraordinary mechanical airships which resemble Leonardo da Vinci's designs. The barbarians reside in the outlands, while the humanoids live in metropolitan cities of Helium and Zodanga.
Basically, a civil war has been raging for a thousand years between these rivals when John Carter arrives. The treacherous Sab Than (Dominic West), Jeddak of Zodanga wants to slaughter the citizens of Helium. A mysterious society of Therns, led by the villainous Matai Shang (Mark Strong), who serve the goddess Issus, intervenes and arms the Zodangans with a powerful weapon called the Ninth Ray. Helium has nothing to match this devastating blue laser technology. The Therns, however, refuse to let the Zodangans annihilate Helium. They advise Sab Than to marry the Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), to create a stronger society. The defiant Princess flees, and Sab Than pursues her. He destroys her ship, buts she falls into John Carter's arms. On Mars, our eponymous protagonist isn't the same fellow as he was in Virginia. He can leap vast distances and packs a haymaker of a punch that drops his adversaries as if they were straw. Predictably, Carter falls in love with the princess, and she reciprocates. Stanton, "Samurai Jack" scenarist Mark Andrews, and "Spider-Man 2" scribe Michael Chabon do a fair to middling job with their adaptation. Happily, this franchise inducing nonsense isn't too Disneyesque, but they have taken considerable liberties with Burroughs' book. Anybody who has seen enough sci-fi fantasies will spot the elements that inspired those who came after Burroughs to use them in their movies. Essentially, "John Carter" constitutes a "Stranger in a Strange Land." Like the quintessential adventurer, our hero embarks on a long journey and blunders into a civil war of sorts between two antagonistic factions.
You don't need a Cliff Notes guide to distinguish the heroes from the villains on Mars. Incidentally, Mars isn't really Mars. Instead, the natives refer to it as Barsoom. One of the problems with any movie about an alien world is the environment as well as the natives. Everything might as well be happening on Earth for all of the difference that it makes. Since our hero is a foreigner on Mars, he learns rather painfully that his human powers enable him to do things in their atmosphere that he couldn't accomplish at home. The action often bogs down in complications, and it appears that some of the plot doesn't reach the screen. Further, the leads lack charisma. Taylor Kitsch supplies sufficient brawn, but he acts like a wooden Johnny Depp, while Lynn Collins looks like she has spent more time in the gym than a science laboratory. Dominic West fares best with his arrogant portrayal of an enemy bent on destruction, but you never really hate him with any passion. He is more of a pawn of the Therns. The enigmatic Therns are an irritating bunch of opportunists with a nasty habit of shape-shifting into other characters.
Altogether, despite it picturesque settings, "John Carter" emerges as a predictable yarn that delivers few revelations. -
j-davidc1310 March 2012John Carter is based on "A Princess of Mars", the first in a series of tales of the adventures of John Carter by Edgar Rice Burroughs (who also notably created Tarzan). The series is of the high adventure variety of science fantasy, where you check your disbelief at the door and just go with the fun. Star Wars, Avatar, and many other successful science fantasy films owe something to Burroughs, and unfortunately those films beat Carter to the punch, so audiences may feel they are seeing something derivative of those franchises. And, in the production sense at least, they may be right.
Carter is at its best when the action is fast and the fun is light, with laughs mixed in with the punches and swordplay. A well crafted intro gives us an idea of who Captain John Carter is and what makes him an unlikely hero. Sadly, once transported to Mars (known by its inhabitants as Barsoom) the plot falls to tedium, with few action scenes separated by never-ending and never convincing "romance" between Carter and Dejah, the titular Princess of Burroughs' tale. The two (Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins) are so bad every scene between them is like a prompt to check your watch. Each of Carter and Dejah's tedious conversation is like hearing a weird conversation between a crappy Batman and Hamlet's Ophelia. The dialogue doesn't help; billboards don't have words this stiff.
The supporting cast is good enough to make an effort at saving the film. Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Mark Strong, and even Willem Dafoe are all present and doing their best. But it's Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston who practically makes the film's opening all on his own. Unfortunately, these terrific performers are used to little effect, and the film suffers for it.
Production design for the film is a mixed bag. Visual effects are astounding, but costume design is weak. So in some scenes you have ridiculous looking actors boring you in front of beautiful backdrops or in incredible set pieces. Sound design is not good, and the score is downright pitiful. As much as the movie wants to be Star Wars, it just can't match Lucas' ability in that film to pull together the best of everyone at their jobs, creating a movie that looks and sounds gorgeous and works well together. Carter is more piecemeal, with a good quality here and a ruinous disaster there, a hodgepodge of the best and worst Disney could muster. Director Andrew Stanton, known primarily for his work on fantastic Pixar productions like Wall-E and Finding Nemo, surely gets the blame here. Though I've loved his animated features, not all directors of animation are ready for live action (as proved only recently by Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol).
As a throwaway popcorn muncher for the kids, this movie might prove a winner. The simple inch-deep characters and the generic comedy/action certainly seemed fun enough as long as you're not looking for more. But my warning to adults who decide to take the kids is to expect to be bored, and endure a long dark two hours of the soul.
Rating: 2.5/5 Recommendation: Wait for cable. See my other reviews at clarketaculargeek.wordpress.com -
ladycatkins25 January 2013I LOVED this movie. I had read the books many years ago and some of the Marvel Comics series so I had images in my head of what I thought John, Dejah, Tars and Barsoom would look like...and this movie pretty much topped them all. The Tharks were better than my imagination! This is a movie for everyone. It's an adventure movie, an action movie, a science fiction movie, a fantasy movie and a romance. Please give it a chance, ignore any of the bad press and watch it for yourself. And just remember, this movie is based on books written 100 years ago by Edgar Rice Burroughs, so if you think "oh they did that in Star Wars" or wasn't something like that in (insert almost any other scifi movie)" please remember that they came AFTER John Carter not before...this movie might have been filmed later but the story was here a century ago, so those movies are drawing on John Carter's themes not the other way around. I thought the actors were brilliantly cast, they really suited my image of the characters and I loved the storyline. Yes there could have been perhaps more explanations but the gist was there and if you want to know more read the books. Give this movie a chance. Watch it more than once and you will pick up more each time you watch it. Maybe, like The Terminator, which also didn't do as well at the movies but then picked up on video, we might get to see the sequel in the near future. Are you listening Disney?
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Edgar Rice Burroughs is famous for literary creations that have inspired countless generations and given birth to numerous film and television projects. You would be hard-pressed to find anybody not familiar with Tarzan, one of Burrough's great series. John Carter of Mars is another one, and at long last has finally made it to the big screen.
The film is based on the first book of eleven, a series that began in 1911 and ran through 1964 when the last book was published posthumously. John Carter stars Tylor Kitsch as the title character, a bitter Civil War veteran who, despite an accomplished service record, no longer wants anything to do with the military. Instead he is fixated upon finding a cave of gold.
Despite the fact that he served for the Confederacy, John Carter draws the attention of the U.S. Cavalry whose leader is anxious to recruit an officer of Carter's skills and experience to aid them in their skirmishes with the Apache tribes. No longer willing to fight or get involved, Carter declines the offer but soon finds himself caught in the middle of an unplanned battle between both sides. As he attempts to find shelter for himself and a wounded officer, Carter accidentally stumbles upon the cave of gold he was seeking.
Carter's surprise soon turns to shock when he's attacked by a mysterious individual who presses a glowing amulet in his hand and utters a phrase that transports John Carter instantly to the planet Mars. Of course, Carter at first has no idea where he is but soon realizes that he has incredible leaping abilities due to the lower gravity of the planet.
Shortly after his arrival he gains the attention of Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), the chief of a race of tall, skinny, four armed alien warriors. At first intrigued by Carter, Tarkas and his people become divided over what to do with the new arrival. This becomes further complicated when airships arrive and begin a massive gunbattle. Carter immediately leaps into action with his newfound ability which quickly gains the attention of Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), princess of the city of Helium.
It is learned that Princess Dejah is being forced to marry an evil warlord who possesses an awesome destructive ability and is using it to subjugate all those he encounters. Desperate to save their city, the princess is offered up to appease the warlord. Naturally this does not sit well with the free-spirited and feisty princess and before long she and John Carter find themselves united in their quest to save Helium. Despite his reluctance to get involved and fight, Carter realizes the princess may be his only way to get home.
A stranger in a strange land, with danger all around him, John Carter takes his audience on an epic adventure. Despite having little star power, the movie works exceptionally well with amazing special effects. The CGI used to create the various alien characters infuses them with personality and vitality rarely seen in artificially created characters. The film is visually spectacular from the legions of aliens locked in combat, to the stark splendor of the planet and its inhabitants.
Even though the film was presented in converted 3-D which, as many of you will know has long been a very touchy subject with me, the final product was actually better than most conversions. While it was nowhere near the quality of films shot in 3-D, it nonetheless offered an immersive quality to epic battle scenes and did not rely on the gimmicky trick of trying to make things pop out of the screen in order to sell the film.
Kitsch does a great job handling the action of the film and manages to interact with his CGI costars in a believable enough manner to establish as much chemistry with them as he did with the flesh and blood Collins. Although some moments of the film drag, it does have enough action to sustain the nearly two-hour runtime with a touch of humor and romance thrown in for good measure.
I first became aware of the film a year ago at the D23 Expo when Disney showed a few clips and had Kitsch, Collins and Dafoeon hand to promote the pending release. While intriguing, I did not see anything that really made the film stand out as a must-see. I am very happy to say that upon seeing the completed film, the scenes that were shown to us not only had even greater effects in the finished product but were also much more entertaining and dynamic once shown within the full context of the story line.
Director Andrew Stanton, who has made a name for himself with his animated films at Pixar, skillfully blends live-action and CGI to create a very energetic and enjoyable action-adventure film that was a very pleasant surprise.
While the acting, character development, and plot are nothing spectacular in and of themselves, they combined well and set the stage effectively for what should be a series of John Carter films in the future.
3.5 stars out of 5 -
gillman1121 May 2012John Carter (2012)
A writer reads a friends journal, learning of his fantastic journey to planet of Mars, the warring factions therein and the beautiful princess he loved .hilarity ensues.
Low expectations are an underrated commodity. Given the extremely poor nature of the trailers and the bad press it received, my expectations couldn't have been lower for a flick I still kind of wanted to see.
Though thinking about it, most of the bad press was about the box office rather than the quality of the film, although some of the critic's reviews were very snippy. Seemed like some folks just had it in for Andrew Stanton, although quite why is puzzling. Previous credits being mainly Pixar based, screenplay/story credits on the Toy Story films and director of Finding Nemo and Wall-E. An odd hate figure, to say the least. Maybe he's a horrible person or maybe people just wanted a Pixar alum to fail.
Because, contrary to everything, I found John Carter to be thoroughly entertaining.
I'm not familiar with the Burroughs stories (do have recollections of the 70's Marvel Comics adaptation) so I can't really on its faithfulness to them but the tale is told quite cleverly with some verve.
Probably the biggest thing working against it is that most of Burroughs' best ideas have been filched by other storytellers. A beautiful princess needing to be rescued by a chosen one from a force trying to build an empire, assisted by the machinations of a shadowy figure. A battle on floating airships over a desert. Chained hero fighting large beasties in a rock arena. Any of this ring any bells?
Cripes. Even the energy weapon given to the main villain seems similar to the weapons fashioned from the Tesseract in Captain America and Loki's staff in The Avengers.
So, there's that. Burroughs' ideas have been "homaged" left, right and centre in the 100 years since the first story was written. Unfortunately and probably due to a desire to be faithful to the stories as written, it leaves some of its ideas feeling somewhat second hand.
There are a couple of longueurs where the film could have been tightened up and there are a number of moments where the green screen joins can be seen in the effects (potentially due to rushing to meet a release date) but these are quibbles.
Taylor Kitsch looks the part though a tad lacking in charisma but Lynn Collins gets lovelier the longer the film runs and there is strong support from Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West and the vocal talents of Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church and Samantha Morton. Mark Strong seems to have the SF bald baddie axis tied up and one presumes casting directors come down to whoever's available between him and Hugo Weaving nowadays.
I'd recommend at least one viewing of John Carter for lovers of SF and Fantasy, even for academic purposes when if, like me, you're a Burroughs' virgin. It could be an eye opener how much stuff old Edgar dreamt up. -
jcvdfan8315 July 2012John Carter did not get the attention that it needed! This movie should of been more successful and despite what most of the critics and viewers are saying about this movie, "that its a lot like Star Wars and Avatar", that is not true. I have found John Carter to be an amazing movie visually, and the story was actually great. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars and Avatar were great movies, but I believe that John Carter was far much different and slightly better. I saw John Carter in the theaters the week that it came out and I had a lot of fun watching this movie!. So the hell with the critics, in my opinion, John Carter kicked ass!!!!.
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In the large view, this film is passable entertainment, featuring lots of sword play, eerie landscapes, bizarre alien creatures, air combat, laser blasts -- the sort of stuff Hollywood loves to include in all SF blockbusters. Evoking memories of the Flash Gordon serials of yesteryear and the original Star Wars trilogy, the movie tries hard to be visually-appealing and action-filled, while remaining as faithful as possible to the source material, Edgar Rice Burroughs' (ERB) "A Princess of Mars."
As a huge fan of SF and ERB and as someone who has read most of ERB's books, I have to commend Disney for turning out an interesting film despite highly compressing the story to fit a two hour time frame. As is the case with most novels made into movies, "John Carter" takes story elements that the novelist carefully unfolded in 10 or 20 pages and gives it 30 seconds on screen. Other reviewers have said the story as told by the film feels "rushed," which is true.
John Carter's development from a "stranger in a strange land" to a mighty warrior respected and prized by the Tharks also felt rushed in the film. I am certain that viewers unfamiliar with the books do struggle to keep the story straight as it blitzes forward. I'm hoping the movie will revive interest in the original books.
A major non-ERB element added to the film is the elevation of the Holy Therns, who play a relatively minor role in the ERB books, to the status of alien masterminds who insidiously control all aspects of Barsoom's politics and culture. This, in my mind, significantly changes the complexion of the original novels. Obviously, the main purpose of the Therns in the film is to speed up the action and give the audience tangible "bad guys" to jeer at.
Despite these deviations from the original novel, "John Carter," I think succeeds in appealing to modern film goers while remaining relatively faithful to the source material. Going in, I was extremely fearful that Carter would suffer the same fate that Hollywood dealt to another one of my pulp heroes, Doc Savage, whose movie appeal was destroyed by the disastrous 1975 film. Thankfully, "John Carter" has not gone the way of "Doc Savage: Man of Bronze." -
s-Rachel22 July 2012I put off watching this movie because I read an awful review of it. So my expectations were low. But let me tell you, i LOVED this movie! What fun! Just a super fun movie.
I'm not going to spoil it for you, the less you know the better. I will tell you that John Carter was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the man who wrote Tarzan. But unlike Tarzan this is science fiction. If you liked Star Wars, if you liked Willow, if you like adventure and action movies then check this one out. I might even buy it, which I almost never do any more. This was SUCH a pleasant surprise.
I just wish I had a 3D TV, because it comes in 3D also. -
loejoshua26 December 2012It was an entertaining film, I'll give it that, and it followed exactly from the book, so if you liked the book you will like this movie. Yes it was very wild and unrealistic, but it was very imaginative and fun to watch. I gave it a 7/10 and you will probably either really like it, or hate it. I actually really liked the action scenes in this movie and thought the plot was actually not to bad. I also like Taylor Kitsch as an actor, and even though Battleship wasn't a great movie, I still liked him in it, and would like to see him in some more movies. So if your just looking for a fun action movie, and if you don't concentrate to much on the plot and overall acting, I think you will find this an entertaining fun movie.
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saurabhsinha-bits13 March 2012I had taken a day off from work and wanted to just chill out. Unfortunately, I chose john Carter to start the day. As it turned out to be painfully ludicrous, I walked of this movie while 15-20 minutes were still left. Yes, It's the first movie ever I've walked out off in my lifetime. Loads of over-acting('My name is carter, john carter' in a stylized coarse voice), a plot that makes no sense, scripts and characters derived from various other movies like avatar, etc. and a scantily clad 'princess' who doesn't know how to act and is not even attractive make this movie dreadfully clichéd. A counter-argument for a possible argument - Even the kids were getting restless. Some of them even walked out. It is quite disappointing that Stanton being so talented made such an obvious dud. Maybe, he should limit himself to what he's best at - animation movies. TLDR: Avoid this movie.
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nicholashartman8 May 2012John Carter of Mars was an epic. A detailed story, written in a time when pulp fiction was a cultural phenomenon like today's epic superhero movies. This is not a wham bam in your face Avengers movie, but a grand epic with a tribute to one of the greatest American writers of his time: Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Thank you Disney for your bold efforts. Sales might be the standard of today, but in the hearts of John Carter fans this was a great movie. Put to the screen with taste, class, and detail that will let this story live on. May your efforts be rewarded with continued sales as this movie finds its way toward cult status. -
classicsoncall24 March 2012I wasn't impressed when I saw the trailer for this picture prior to watching "Act of Valor" a few weeks ago, in fact I didn't even know there was a film in the works adapting this Edgar Rice Burroughs creation of a century ago. I might have passed on the movie, but was influenced by the glowing reviews of a number of posters here on the IMDb. Just got back from seeing the picture, and this is where you'd probably expect to see me join the chorus of folks dazzled by the brilliance of the picture. Sorry, it just didn't do it for me. Now I'm not going to slam it as a terrible movie, waste of time, wasted two hours of my life business like a lot of haters do when they don't like a picture. There are things I liked and things I didn't, and the negatives tip the scale for me.
That's primarily because the film seemed to rely too much on the big battle scenes and over the top action sequences that apparently appeal to a movie going public that's considerably younger than myself. It seems to me that pictures today try to outdo every one that went before in the visuals department, and I don't think that should be the standard for effective story telling. Burroughs himself proved that by the longevity of his books, the first of which in the Barsoom series was called "A Princess of Mars", the basis for this story.
Additionally, there were aspects of the story that were hard to follow, particularly when the shape shifting character was involved. Interestingly, this aspect of the movie (the hard to follow part) doesn't bother a lot of movie-goers on this board who give the picture high praise, but I REALLY want to know what's going on in a story. Repeat viewings may clear up some of my confusion, but that shouldn't be a requirement to totally enjoy a picture.
Giving credit where it's due though, I liked the way the picture brought the Tharks to life, excellent characterizations and CGI work there. The battling sky-ships were also handled exceptionally well, along with all the other special effects. It's just that special effects aren't all that necessary for me. Probably the most interesting aspect of the movie was the way the story book-ended Edgar Rice Burroughs himself as a character in the story.
Interestingly, this very morning I watched the 1951 movie "Quo Vadis", and in one of many odd occurrences I seem to experience lately, that movie which takes place in the year 68 AD in Imperial Rome, offers a number of scenes involving gladiator combat against wild animals in an arena for the entertainment of the masses. Back then, the opponents were real, lions and wild bulls, and the spectators clamored for blood. "John Carter" reinforces the idea that everything old is new again, and replacing ancient Romans with Tharks as Carter (Taylor Kitsch) and Sola battle those big white eyeless apes is an updated appeal to fans who expect something new and different every time out. For younger fans, I can see how this would be exciting stuff, and I don't mean any disrespect when I say it's all been said and done before. At least in the case of Burroughs' novels, they were said and done a hundred years ago. -
deadlypen29 November 2012I have read all of the 'John Carter' books many times - both as an impressionable boy and as a more demanding adult, so I came to this movie with all the enthusiasm of a fan who has waited a lifetime to see Barsoom on the big screen. I did not expect the script to stick rigidly to the first novel in the series - after all, movies have different rules and perspectives - but I was surprised and disappointed to see that the motion picture merely scratched the surface E.R. Burrough's plots & story arcs. As the movie uses the novels' characters, but largely imposes its own motivations and directions upon them, it is pretty pointless attempting to review this film as an adaptation of any of the books...so I will briefly state that the leading man has all the drive and charisma of a wet noodle; the supporting characters are just as shallow and unlikeable - those rendered in CGI are entirely unbelievable as living things (they are manifestly not 'real'). The script is incomprehensible, larded with stilted, stagey dialogue and too awful to be rescued by any even moderately-talented actor who might have slipped past the Producers'determination to cast members of the talent-challenged community. Burroughs' Barsoom is, of course, a fantasy world, but it offers plausible (if sometimes fantastical) cultures and societal mechanisms; his conception of the Barsoomian 'heaven' is dark, ironic and oddly predictive of some of the religious cults which emerged in the latter part of the 20th Century. The movie throws out these intelligent, compelling factors and offers a different, wholly dumbed-down & generally incoherent set of explanations. The huge budget did not produce a good movie. I would be pushing the truth to describe it as a mediocre movie. It is an expensive turkey which attempts to lay down enough teenager-friendly plot lines to spark a series, but ultimately sinks under its own weight of inconsistencies. Perhaps the most depressing aspect of 'John Carter' on IMDb is the number of belated, inflated 10/10 puff-piece reviews from studio stooges who wish to boost the movie's rating. Sadly, you don't need to see 'John Carter' to know it is bad - you just need to smell it.