John Carter

Fun and Satisfying Scifi Epic

If you are looking for a great action adventure, look no further. JOHN CARTER is a classic scifi tale based on a series of novels penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan, about 100 years ago. These stories were the source material that inspired George Lucas' STAR WARS saga, the Superman comicbooks, James Cameron's AVATAR, and the Flash Gordan and Buck Rogers characters among many many others. Blending action, humor, romance and drama with some of the best CGI special effects since AVATAR, JOHN CARTER will not disappoint. Taylor Kitsch does a great job in the title role, and Lynn Collins as the princess Dejah Thoris is absolute perfection. The CGI Martian 'dog' Woola is a show stealer with his comical and endearing antics, and the green four-armed Tharks Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and Sola (Samantha Morton)are amazingly brought to life onscreen. Mark Strong as the Thern Matai Shang and Dominic West as Sab Than make great villians in this story, and James Purefoy's wonderful portrayal of Kantos Kan in a supporting role is so good he simply doesn't get enough screen time to do him justice. Epic battle scenes, plenty of action and light humor throughout, heroism, and many moments of high emotion and drama -- it is all here! Many professional film critics just got this one wrong, it definitely is NOT A FLOP in terms of quality film making; Director Andrew Stanton and Co. have everything to be proud of here. This movie is rollicking fun and the most satisfying film I have seen so far this year. You will find your appreciation for this movie grows with each time you see it (I have seen it multiple times in the theatres) and you will constantly note things you missed in previous viewings, it is that rich in detail. Honestly, I rank this up there along with the original STAR WARS and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies for pure entertainment value. *****5 STARS from me, well worth your time and money!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic Film That Deserves Huge Success

John Carter is one of my very favorite films of all time! I've been baffled that people didn't go see it. A few negative critic's reviews and shoddy marketing really hurt it and it deserves SO much more! The cast is marvelous! The story smart and not dumbed down like so many big blockbuster films are today. The effects are so perfect you forget you're watching CGI! There is loads of great humor, smart action and high adventure! A world that is so addictive to experience that each time I've seen the film I've wanted to stay in my seat and watch all over again. I've been to see it 6 times and I'm going again this weekend before it's gone from my local cinema! I hope great word of mouth from people who have actually watched this awesome film will turn around the negative perception and ultimately make it a hit! Like other films before it that didn't have great box office success, but went on to be all time classics, John Carter is 100% classic material! I love it to bits!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great, FUN fantasy film!

This was the most fun I've had at the movies in ages! Super special effects, humor and action. And, dare I say it, the most mis-marketed movie of all time!

But what is going on with Disney? First the marketing fiasco, and now Disney and Amazon quit accepting pre-orders!?!?!

I can not image why Disney persists in seeming to do everything it can to "Prove" the critics claim that this movie is a flop! Bad marketing before hand, labeling it a 200million dollar flop after 2 weeks in theatres, no tie in merchandising (Not even one PRINCESS item) and my daughter wants a Dejah Thoris doll!

But now this mystery of the disappearring pre-orders!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I found the movie to be enjoyable, but the only problem it didn'

I found the movie to be enjoyable, but the only problem it didn't follow the novel it's said to be based on. I acknowledge some differences were needed to make it work on the big screen, but these seemed more like ones put in just because a person felt like them.

Audiences who have sought out "John Carter" have been

Audiences who have sought out "John Carter" have been richly rewarded for their efforts, indeed. To say that it is cinematically stunning is an understatement, for the viewer is more than just transported to Mars (called 'Barsoom' by the locals). Correctly said, audiences are enveloped in the mustard-yellow sand and moss, the harsh, desert-like dunes of the tree-top tall Tharks, the cold red and black of the Trojan-inspired Zodangans and the sea blue hues of the Heliumites, of whom the scholarly and beautiful Dejah Thoris is both Princess and Regent of the Royal Academy Of Science. It is into this motley realm that John Carter is unwittingly zapped by a magical medallion which has the power to transport copies of beings between the worlds. After being thrust like a baby upon Sola, the pariah of the Thark clans, Carter soon is initiated into a barbaric society where cruelty and unpleasant behavior are prized over kindness and civility by all except Sola and the tribe's leader, Tars Tarkas, with whom she has a secret connection. Once Carter's natural pluckiness and agility kick in, he adapts to the difference in gravity on his host planet and finds that he can literally soar by jumping into the air, leaping from one object to another. From the moment Carter witnesses Princess Dejah in peril high above the dusty landscape beyond the Tharks' settlement, his impetuous aerial forays lift the spirits of the audience as well. Like Peter Pan's leap into the skies from the Darling's windowsill, John Carter's method of transport nudges his viewers onto a thrilling roller coaster ride of valiant swashbuckling, mysterious adventure and, after some charming cat-n-mouse play, an ultimately satisfying romance.

This is an intelligent—ultimately "intellectual"—action/adventure film, fully respectful of its audience. It features no vulgar language, no overtly sexual content and only two brief scenes of violence intense enough that it carries a PG-13 rating. Even the spilled blood is blue in color, save that of Carter's (he sports a slight nose bleed throughout).

As for performances, Lynn Collins (also from Fox's "Wolverine") is the most strong-willed, self-confident and intelligent Disney Princess of them all, perfectly modest yet sensuously attractive. Taylor Kitsch, the action hero of 2012, gives Douglas Fairbanks a run for his money as the handsome, dashing ex-military man who persistently shuns a budding romance in honor of the murdered wife and child for whom he still grieves. Voice actors Willem Dafoe (Tars Tarkas) and Thomas Haden-Church (Tal Hajus) verbally spar in excellent performances as they vie for leadership of the Tharks, while they are similarly matched on the feminine side by the sweet-tempered Sola (Samantha Morton) who is physically and emotionally tortured by the dour Sarkoja (Polly Walker). While viewers walk out humming the lilting and lovely score by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino, the character they would most love to have as a friend is Woola, John Carter's faithful calot (a big, lizard-like dog) who can run at over 250 miles per hour and acts like a 100 lbs puppy. Woola has fast become the world's newest favorite fantasy pet and it is a great pity that there are no plush toys for sale to that ever-growing audience joining the ranks of "John Carter" fans. ----DH Brooks, author, "A Legacy Of The Pacific"

Don't believe the critics!

This movie was a fun sci-fi epic! I haven't read the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs and I had no problem following the plot. I highly suggest you watch this movie!

Not for everyone!!!!

This movie was a fanancial disaster. BUT, if you read the novels - it's a marvelous adaptation; if you can overlook the Hollywood-ization. <b>Lynn Collins</b> is well casted as Deja - sexy and tough. The general public did not get this movie - the original novels were written 100 years ago (which tells you how truely fantastic it really was - in 1912; but, to a 2012 audience: not so much.) If you take into account that the story is 100 years old, you'll really, really, appreciate it!

Ignore the top critics! This film was FUN!

I went into the theater with my boyfriend the second weekend without having seen any of the bad reviews, and we walked out loving this film. I was shocked when I heard it referred to as a "bomb." While there were some hokey parts, I thought the film was far and away better than a lot of the higher grossing films of recent years. First of all, the beautiful visual effects completely immersed me in this expansive world of fierce warrior clans, explosive airship battles, and grand, sprawling cities. Second, I found myself genuinely caring for the characters. I was riveted to the screen from the moment the movie began until the moment it ended. It's a great sci-fi film, and if you liked Star Wars at all, you'll enjoy John Carter as well!

The film is based on the classic turn-of-the-century pulp fiction novel "The Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan). A Civil War veteran finds himself transported to Mars, where he falls in with a warrior tribe, woos a Princess, and wins victory for his adopted people. It's a tale often told, but viewers should keep in mind that the original book was published in 1917, many decades before the release or publication of Star Wars, Dune, and Avatar. It certainly tops Star Wars and Dune in visual effects, and it bests Avatar with its heart and soul.

The stand out performance belongs to Lynn Collins, who plays the beautiful warrior Princess of a beleaguered city on the brink of destruction. Sold in marriage, she escapes and stumbles across John Carter and tries to rally him to her cause. I found their exchanges sparkled with chemistry and romantic tension, and Collins provides such a strong, yet feminine, presence that she makes Princess Leia seem like a shrew.

Other tidbits that may interest fans of HBO's Rome will be interested to note that John Carter includes 3 major cast members: Ciaran Hinds (Julius Caesar); James Purefoy (Mark Antony); and Polly Walker (Atia).

So to sum up, this film was fantastic! Buy it!

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