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Plot – 1868. Civil War veteran John Carter (Kitsch) has no interest in fighting anymore. When a Colonel attempts to force him to re-enlist to battle the Apachem Carter escapes and finds himself hiding out in a cave. Stumbling across unusual markings on the cave walls he is surprised by the sudden appearance of an individual holding a medallion. After shooting the man, Carter grabs the medallion and is transported across the cosmos to Mars. There, he discovers a diverse world of warring cities and a race of aliens known as Tharks. Despite his attempts not to, he finds himself reluctantly drawn into a war between the Zodangans and the Heliumites. Finding allies in a Helium princess, two Tharks and a dog-like beast named Woola he is drawn into an adventure that is out of this world (sorry, I just couldn't resist such a cheesy line!
)
It took me quite a while to really get into this film, but eventually it won me over and I found myself really enjoying it as it came down the home stretch. I think to get the most of this film you really have to attack it without a trace of cynicism, forget all the criticism that was thrown it's way. I think it's a film I could easily have fallen in love with instantly when I was younger. But now at 26 I'm bitter and cynical and as a result it took it's hokey charms a bit longer to penetrate my steely shell. But penetrate it did, and in the end I found a film full of pulpy fun. It's got quite a quaint, old fashioned feel to it which I found quite endearing.
The one area in which the film absolutely excels is undoubtedly in its effects. They look absolutely fantastic. And it's not just down to how they are realised, but as a result of their design. In particular I love the design of the ships; like large, metallic dragonflies. That said, just about everything else is fantastic; the aliens, the forms of transport, the white apes, the city structures etc. The only minor gripe I would have when it comes to the art design and CGI is the creation of the planet Mars itself. It just doesn't look particularly other-worldly; indeed it's almost identical to the Arizona deserts where we first meet Carter.
And then of course there are the aliens known as the Tharks; a race of towering, green, six-limbed warriors with tusks. They are wonderfully realised characters and allow the actors portraying them to actually create their character, Willem Dafoe especially succeeding here as Tars Tarkas. His buddy-cop style pairing with Kitsch's Carter provide many of the film's funniest moments as they both bond and bicker throughout. They are also just an interesting race to observe, particularly their attitudes toward weakness which sees them even destroy babies who have yet to hatch. Indeed they are probably the film's most fascinating element, and it would have been nice to spend more time with them. Oh I nearly forgot what was actually my favourite CGI creation; Carter's alien-dog Woola. An immensely loveable companion, loyal to a fault and with a delightfully goofy and clueless expression.
The film's plot is fairly dense and one of the film's biggest flaws I felt was that it often wasn't fully explained and fleshed out. We're just dropped into this world and the names of characters, tribes and cities are being bandied about all over the place – Jeddaks, Tharks, Therns, Zodanga, Helium, Tars Tarkas, Barsoom etc, and we have to try and take it all in and make sense of it all; who's fighting who, who lives where. And for me anyway, they aren't really names that stick immediately to mind and roll of the tongue. The film has a decent mix of ingredients in terms of dedicating time to the pulpy action (some of it very impressive), but also to the character stuff. They're not always integrated that well together however, resulting in the pacing being a little off at times.
I think one of the film's biggest problems, and perhaps one of the reasons for it flopping at the box office, is that it's working from a story published 100 years ago. And an incredibly influential story at that. It's influence has been all over numerous films and as a result it's kind of already been seen on screen many times before, whether it be as Star Wars or Avatar, or any other number of sci-fi adventures which share the same basic structure of distant planets, princesses, aliens, an evil force, wars between great armies etc. So any originality the story may have had has now disappeared.
As with the film, it took me a while to warm up to Taylor Kitsch. While I did end up liking him I think it was more to do with the character than his performance. I just felt he was a touch lacking in the charm and charisma needed for such a heroic figure. Fortunately however, opposite him there is a quite wonderful discovery in Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris. She's not an actress I was at all aware of and I don't think many other people were either. Her Dejah is a feisty and kick-ass creation, and truly stunning to look at. Convincing fully as a princess from another world. needed performances.
Forget about all the reviewers, bloggers and douchebags who revelled in jumping on John Carter's battered box-office carcass. If you fancied the film or feel it could be your kind of thing, give it a go and make up your own mind. Perhaps you'll still hate it, but I think it's worth a shot.
Conclusion - So as you can see from my review the film certainly has its fair share of flaws – uneven pacing, occasionally incomprehensible plotting etc - and yet it has something about it. In some ways it's a bit of a chaotic mess, but I just found it to be quite loveable with a goofy charm. It's like the movie equivalent of a little puppy. He may piddle on the carpet or destroy something and you'll be angry for like two seconds, and then he'll look at you with his puppy dog eyes and you can't stay mad. You just want to pick him up and give him a hug. I'd say this film has a chance (a small chance but a chance none the less) of really growing on me and becoming a film I could perhaps love.
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Year of release
2012
2012
Directed by
Andrew Stanton
Andrew Stanton
Written by
Andrew Stanton
Mark Andrews Michael Chabon
Edgar Rice Burrows (novel - A Princess of Mars)
Andrew Stanton
Mark Andrews Michael Chabon
Edgar Rice Burrows (novel - A Princess of Mars)
Starring
Taylor Kitsch
Lynn Collins
Samantha Morton
Willem Dafoe
Mark Strong
Taylor Kitsch
Lynn Collins
Samantha Morton
Willem Dafoe
Mark Strong
John Carter
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Plot – 1868. Civil War veteran John Carter (Kitsch) has no interest in fighting anymore. When a Colonel attempts to force him to re-enlist to battle the Apachem Carter escapes and finds himself hiding out in a cave. Stumbling across unusual markings on the cave walls he is surprised by the sudden appearance of an individual holding a medallion. After shooting the man, Carter grabs the medallion and is transported across the cosmos to Mars. There, he discovers a diverse world of warring cities and a race of aliens known as Tharks. Despite his attempts not to, he finds himself reluctantly drawn into a war between the Zodangans and the Heliumites. Finding allies in a Helium princess, two Tharks and a dog-like beast named Woola he is drawn into an adventure that is out of this world (sorry, I just couldn't resist such a cheesy line!
)It took me quite a while to really get into this film, but eventually it won me over and I found myself really enjoying it as it came down the home stretch. I think to get the most of this film you really have to attack it without a trace of cynicism, forget all the criticism that was thrown it's way. I think it's a film I could easily have fallen in love with instantly when I was younger. But now at 26 I'm bitter and cynical
and as a result it took it's hokey charms a bit longer to penetrate my steely shell. But penetrate it did, and in the end I found a film full of pulpy fun. It's got quite a quaint, old fashioned feel to it which I found quite endearing.The one area in which the film absolutely excels is undoubtedly in its effects. They look absolutely fantastic. And it's not just down to how they are realised, but as a result of their design. In particular I love the design of the ships; like large, metallic dragonflies. That said, just about everything else is fantastic; the aliens, the forms of transport, the white apes, the city structures etc. The only minor gripe I would have when it comes to the art design and CGI is the creation of the planet Mars itself. It just doesn't look particularly other-worldly; indeed it's almost identical to the Arizona deserts where we first meet Carter.
Film trivia – This film most likely holds the record for the longest time in development hell – 79 years!!! Production for a film version first started in 1931, with a proposed animated feature that would actually have made it the first American animated film ever, ahead of 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Producer Mario Kassar held the rights throughout the 80s (with John McTiernan attached to direct at one point) and 90s with no luck. Finally in 2004 Robert Rodriguez was announced as the director and started pre-production but he was let go after he resigned from the Director's Guild of America. He was replaced by Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow director Kerry Conran, who in turn was then replaced the following year by Jon Favreau. After he left to make Iron Man, Andrew Stanton was finally chosen in 2007.
The film's plot is fairly dense and one of the film's biggest flaws I felt was that it often wasn't fully explained and fleshed out. We're just dropped into this world and the names of characters, tribes and cities are being bandied about all over the place – Jeddaks, Tharks, Therns, Zodanga, Helium, Tars Tarkas, Barsoom etc, and we have to try and take it all in and make sense of it all; who's fighting who, who lives where. And for me anyway, they aren't really names that stick immediately to mind and roll of the tongue. The film has a decent mix of ingredients in terms of dedicating time to the pulpy action (some of it very impressive), but also to the character stuff. They're not always integrated that well together however, resulting in the pacing being a little off at times.
I think one of the film's biggest problems, and perhaps one of the reasons for it flopping at the box office, is that it's working from a story published 100 years ago. And an incredibly influential story at that. It's influence has been all over numerous films and as a result it's kind of already been seen on screen many times before, whether it be as Star Wars or Avatar, or any other number of sci-fi adventures which share the same basic structure of distant planets, princesses, aliens, an evil force, wars between great armies etc. So any originality the story may have had has now disappeared.
Film trivia – And speaking of its influence on other films, Robert Zemeckis actually turned down the opportunity to direct the film, quipping “George Lucas already pillaged all of that” with the Star Wars films. While James Cameron readily admitted that with Avatar he thought “Forget all those chick flicks and do a classic guys' adventure movie, something in the Edgar Rice Burroughs mould, like John Carter of Mars – a soldier goes to Mars.”
Forget about all the reviewers, bloggers and douchebags who revelled in jumping on John Carter's battered box-office carcass. If you fancied the film or feel it could be your kind of thing, give it a go and make up your own mind. Perhaps you'll still hate it, but I think it's worth a shot.
Conclusion - So as you can see from my review the film certainly has its fair share of flaws – uneven pacing, occasionally incomprehensible plotting etc - and yet it has something about it. In some ways it's a bit of a chaotic mess, but I just found it to be quite loveable with a goofy charm. It's like the movie equivalent of a little puppy. He may piddle on the carpet or destroy something and you'll be angry for like two seconds, and then he'll look at you with his puppy dog eyes and you can't stay mad. You just want to pick him up and give him a hug. I'd say this film has a chance (a small chance but a chance none the less) of really growing on me and becoming a film I could perhaps love.