John Carter: A Princess of Mars

shack

Yeah..I know...the title is just John Carter. But it is based on the first of the "Barsoom" series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read these novels years ago and they may have been my entry into the lifelong love of sci-fi novels (or maybe it was Jules Verne - no matter). I think I still have them in my stacks of old books.

What a fun movie. It is overblown, campy, visually impressive and just true enough to the original novels to make it my kind of movie. I'm sure there will be some who don't care for it because it is a CGI fest from start to finish. It cost too much and hasn't done too well at the box office...and that is a shame because now they probably won't make any sequels. I was looking forward to at least "The Gods of Mars" and "The Warlord of Mars" making it to the big screens. I may just go dig out and read the novels and see how they hold up many, many years later.

If you are looking for a couple of hours of classic (ie: old school) sci-fi brought to life with stunning current day CGI, and don't expect more than a cool "popcorn" flick...check it out. I enjoyed it.

transmaster

I just watched "John Carter" (2012) and I can see why is lost so much money. Let me tell you where I come from when I talk about this movie. I am a life long fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) I have all his books in first edition copies. Tarzan not with-standing I have long felt his best work is the 11 book Martian series. I was curious to see how they realized parts of "A Princess of Mars (1917).(POA) The beginning of POA would have had to be fleshed out and that part was well done explaining how he ended up in the cave. How he got to Barsoom was a whole lot better then Captain Carter reaching out is arms to the Red Planet, beseeching Mars, The God of War and suddenly finding himself naked (the author leaves just how naked up to the reader) on the evaporated seas of Barsoom. Caught by Tars Tarkas, a Thark, at one of their incubators this scene was faithful to the book. Tharks are known as the Green Martians where perfect, stepping right out of the illustrations in the original 1917 edition, The Barsoomians who used telepathy, and where able to change their appearance are Lotharians. The animals where also as if they stepped out of the original illustrations, Thoats, Barsoomian horses, Calot's, this is the dog like creature that followed John Carter around, who's name is Woola, and the White Apes, fantastic. The visages, cities, and technology of Barsoom is inline with what I imagined it while reading the book, and illustrations. The costumes lifted right out of the the book (see the book cover to the original edition below) And here in is the problem. I know the setting, the creatures, and the sentient peoples of Barsoom how many people do you know who reads and is a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs. This is one of the few movies that my advice to anyone going to see it to at the very least read "A Princess of Mars" the movie will make some since to you.

John Carter makes the same mistake so many of the movies who depend on a computer generated world. Great scenery, strange, fantastic technology, alien architectural wonders, way cool aliens, and out of this world animals. Into this world are plunked a pair of very two dimensional characters. Dejah Thoris, The incomparable Princess of Helium, as ERB puts it is being forced into a wedding she does want. ERB is big on the "a fate worse then death" concept for women. John Carter a disaffected officer and gentleman from Old Virginia fighting for the Confederacy his world destroyed travels to the west to find gold. The Outlaw Josey Wales style flash backs are out of place. He uses astral projection to make it to Mars and finds true love, he then fights his way through hoards of barbarians and bad guys so in the end he can get married. This is fine but who is John Carter? If instead it was "Star Trek, and The Jeddak of Helium, people would have camped out at the theater to be the among the first to see it. Those of us who are ERB fans enjoyed it with disappointments about things left out, and irritation of stuff added, The Outlaw Josey Wales flash back. For ERB fans go see because, well, you are an ERB fan. If not at least we have the Avengers (2012).

boomerfss

I didn't see it at the theater, but I did pick up the Blu ray. I don't know anything about the book but I thought the movie was pretty good.
As for the blu ray itself, the video and audio are both outstanding.

DMara

One of the worst movies I've seen this year...

jon s

I couldn't sit thru the whole movie....

shack

I got my "John Carter" DVD in the mail today.

BlueFox

I watched it on Bluray last weekend. Not Avatar, but not bad either, if you like this type of movie.

danz1906

The Movie had Good-sound.

cnh

Didn't see it. Probably do the rental and decide. I had no idea what this even was originally, but after all the posts on CP and a little research on the I-webs, things slowly began to make sense. I have to say the advertising for the film was not particularly good or informative--probably hurt the box office!

Also must be some generational thing. Probably missed this series by being just a few (and I mean a few) years younger than those of you who were in the know and read all this?

cnh

polkfarmboy

Just waiting for the 3D bluray to arrive in the mail .... cant wait to see it on my HT

vadang

I thought the movie was decent, not the best, but certainly not the worst. I have not read the books, but the movie did get me interested in them to where I plan on reading the series now.

whereas

The story is great and unique, but the movie itself was just dull and not really engaging. Lots of in-between stuff without any real plot points to keep interest. I really wanted to like the movie, and it wasn't bad - just not good enough to consider a favorite.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I pretty much agree with shack's first post completely. I'd heard so much negative about this movie, and then when we sat down and watched it somewhat reluctantly it was actually enjoyable.

polkfarmboy

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I pretty much agree with shack's first post completely. I'd heard so much negative about this movie, and then when we sat down and watched it somewhat reluctantly it was actually enjoyable.

I usually find that I enjoy movies going in with low expectations, that said the 3D on john carter was the worst I have ever saw of a post production transfer. If you watched this as a first 3D movie on your HT projector you would be put off for life. The picture was fuzzy and the separation was terrible and I kept thinking my projector was out of focus even though I knew it was not

bencorn

I think the terrible ratings are the reason I enjoyed this movie. I went in with bottom of the barrel expectations and was surpised. Had I gone opening weekend when the it was really getting hyped up I probably would have hated it.

PrazVT

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I pretty much agree with shack's first post completely. I'd heard so much negative about this movie, and then when we sat down and watched it somewhat reluctantly it was actually enjoyable.

Exactly the same with me. Reluctantly put it on but ended up enjoying the movie!

cnh

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I pretty much agree with shack's first post completely. I'd heard so much negative about this movie, and then when we sat down and watched it somewhat reluctantly it was actually enjoyable.

PrazVT wrote: »

Exactly the same with me. Reluctantly put it on but ended up enjoying the movie!

I finally got around to renting this. And I have to say that I also found it enjoyable and also agree with Shack, above. I did not think I would like it, and knew so little about the novels (never heard of them). The advertising was atrocious, the movie got panned, it went over budget, didn't make much of it back, blah, blah, blah.

But it turned out much better than all that! I had it on cue forever and just never got the film till now. It was on my "to do" list. Thanks to shack and most of you because I probably would not have seen this otherwise. Now, heck, I'm even finding myself thinking about reading some of the novels?

cnh

jaf09

i think is ok, not the best but would definitely like to see if they continue, with the series on the big screen.