Movie Review: JOHN CARTER (2012)

JOHN CARTER (2012)

movie review by David Blackwell

132 minutes, rated PG-13

ASPECT RATIO: 2.35:1

STUDIO: Walt Disney Pictures

Theatrical RELEASE DATE: 3-9-2012

STARRING Taylor Kitsch (John Carter), Lynn Collins (Dejah Thoris), William Dafoe (voice), Ciaran Hinds (Jedex), Mark Strong, Dominic West

SCREENPLAY by Mark Andrews, Michael Chabon, and Andrew Stanton

based on the novel A PRINCESS FROM MARS by Edgar Rice Burroughs

DIRECTED by Andrew Stanton

Captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is a former Confederate officer out in the Arizona Territory looking to find a fortune in gold when events teleport him to Mars after a struggle with an evil Martian holy man. He finds himself landed in the middle of a civil on the dying planet of Mars known to the locals as Barsoom. He is captured by the four armed green alien Tharks and ends up rescuing Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) of Helium from Zodanga and the evil Holy Therns. Carter wants to get home and soon is working to save Dejah Thoris on a dying world that Zodanga is draining of water and atmosphere.

JOHN CARTER (OF MARS) is a fun action adventure. It comes the adventure of a STAR WARS film with the humor of WALL-E. The visuals and music score are the real star to this film which I hope more people will see because I would love to see a sequel to this costly $250 million sci-fi fantasy adventure. It is almost at the same level of fun as another Disney film known as THE ROCKETEER. Disney's awfully mismanaged marketing campaign keeps getting worse as they try to sell this film. I do think the first two theatrical trailers do the best job while the TV ads don't sell the film that well. Lynn Collins plays an intelligent and beautiful royal scientist who can hold her own against other warriors. She makes Dejah Thoris a role model and eye candy at the same time.

JOHN CARTER doesn't look bad in 3D, but I wonder if Disney should have had this film in 3D given the price tag on this movie. The film is amazing visual candy that I want to see again. It is the first fun film I want to see again in theaters. I just hope word-of-mouth pushes this film to have long Martian legs despite the bad marketing efforts. It serves as a good origin story that I hope is the start of a fun film franchise.

this movie review is (c)3-10-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com