Disney 3D sci-fi action-adventure in which Civil War vet John Carter (Taylor Kitsch, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is transplanted to Mars and becomes embroiled in an epic battle amongst the planet's inhabitants.
Formerly an Earthlike world, Mars became less hospitable when the oceans evaporated, the atmosphere thinned and the planet devolved into barbarism with the inhabitants - 12-foot tall green thugs called Tharks - fighting one another to survive. After encountering Thark leaders Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) and Tars Tarkas (Willem Defoe), Carter takes it upon himself to bring the planet back from the brink of collapse and save its people.
Based on the classic Barsoom novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, this marks the live-action debut from director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E).
The first of the American blockbusters to hit this year sets a high standard for the (predominantly superhero-focused) event movies to follow.
Despite the ambivalent, surprisingly hype-free build up to the movie, it proves a winning mixture of grand adventure and otherworldly awesomeness, all presented within an impressively epic scope.
Although it's based on a legendary novel that Hollywood has been attempting to adapt for seventy years, John Carter feels fresher than most contemporary blockbusters. The lack of multimedia familiarity with the characters and story benefits the film to no end. The inspiration for successes like Star Wars and Avatar is not difficult to discern within John Carter, and it lent the film a classic quality I greatly appreciated.
The design of the film is awesome – from the giant albino apes, glittering cities and flying machines to the more or less flawless green-skinned, twelve-foot-tall Tharks – everything popped nicely for me on a visual level.
All too often, films of this scope feel like all their edges have been ground down in the name of reaching the broadest possible audience. I got a sense while watching John Carter that the vision of director Andrew Stanton (WALL-E) was being delivered without compromise. There is a tangible throughline that proves all too rare in films of this size.
The film skews a little young at times, but never so much as to put me off. If you can allow yourself to be carried along by this fantastical story, the rewards are rich.
By Dominic Corry, Flicks.co.nz
I adored Disney as a kid. I adore Disney as a grown up. When I saw the trailer I thought, "Yes! At last something decent to watch on the big screen" and had high expectations being Disney and all. Well sadly they left the best bits in the trailer. The rest is so predicatble. I've seen better acting performances in local school productions. I guess heads will roll at Disney for this one as the film will be remembered as one of the most expensive box office bombs of all time. (No stars rating)
I enjoyed the film. The use of colour and special effects complimented the story line. To those professional critics. Why do we go to the movies to point fingers at those that are making more money then we are...no!!!. We enjoy what they done by watching their trade and their artistry.
If you loved the boring, predictable hogwash that was 'Cowboys & Aliens;' if you love popcorn family inaction movies like 'Transyawners' 2 & 3 or the camp oldy sci-fi of 'Flash Gordon' - then 'John Carter' will gobble your socks off. However, if you find cardboard characters, bad acting and a script so excruciatingly terrible that it makes Michael Bay's 'Pear Harbor' read like a lost Shakespearean tragedy - then avoid. Certainly, in the hands of the Andrew Stanton (director of Disney / Pixar's 'Wall-E') this Disney sci-fi epic looks good. The art direction is superb - but for me never escaped the 2D look of old 50's pulp sci-fi cover illustrations. Whereas Cameron's 'Avatar' made up for a silly premise and lacklustre script with amazing effects, CGI, art direction and cutting-edge 3D - 'John Carter' suffers from "seen-it-all-before" syndrome. Maybe that's not fair? Apparently Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter appeared way back in 1912 in his book 'A Princess of Mars' and several sequels. Apparently Lucas was heavily influenced by 'Carter' in creating 'Star Wars'; as was Cameron in creating 'Avatar.' Well - tough. They got there first and is that 'John Carter' comes off as a hackneyed rip-off... of itself, yeah, but either way, we've been here before. Lovely to look at - but oh so tedious. Then again, maybe it's just me? Because if 'Cowboys & Aliens' is your idea of great sci-fi movie making or Cap'n Jack Sparrow is your idea of a great character, or if you honestly think 'Transtossers' 2 and 3 had great scripts - knock yourself out and go to Mars. Personally? My next sci-fi blockbuster is Ridley Scott's return to 'Alien' territory with 'Prometheus.' As for "John Carter of Earth"? He can take shove his ridiculous excuse for dialogue up his Barsoom...Mind you two stars for not being anywhere near as bad as John Travolta's Scientologist "epic" 'Battlefield Earth.' Now that was total Barsoom...
This is a sci-fi fantasy movie on a grand scale with a big budget and will suit a varied audience. In the past when I have watched other 3D movies I have been disappointed with the effects but in this movie I found it worked well and it gave me a new insite into 3D. The green skin "Tharks" were a little too cute for me but would appeal to the younger audience.
I've just walked out of this film and was mildly surprised not to see two moons in the sky! For over two hours I felt I was totally immersed in another world. I was excited to see this film and it did not disappoint. It made the last three Star Wars movies look like @#$%! and it served as a reminder as to where George Lucas got most of his ideas (along with Isaac Asimov, whom I'm surprised never sued him). It's been decades since I read the stories so I won't even try to compare but for me the essence remained intact. The stories created a genre; the sci-fi fantasy adventure and Burroughs, despite some literary shortcomings, was the master who seemed able to churn them out effortlessly. Were he still alive, I'm sure he would be pleased with this effort. I cannot remember if Burroughs gave Carter a back story, but I'm glad the movie did and the opening sequence was as good as any western. The flashbacks (always risky) worked well here and served to drive motivation. But beyond the basic story is the creation of the Barsoomian world. Jaw-droppingly superb, utterly believable and the cgi never once overtook the story but was always in service to it. This film is a special effects master class on how to get it right. There was only one Disneyesque intrusion - the big mouthed "dog" (I was reminded of Lockjaw in Marvel comics' Fantastic Four) but even this never got too out of bounds and for younger viewers probably added some comic relief to what was a fairly grim tale, though broadly painted. I personally would have been happy to see this run to three hours just so I could immerse myself even deeper into the Martian/Barsoomian world. This movie is what it is: a damn good adventure story. Not breaking new ground (does it have to?) but doing a solid job of going over familiar territory in a way that does not insult its audience. Speaking of which: NO Jah Jah Binks!
Rather than trying to overwhelm viewers by overloading the senses, John Carter's effects strive to create something new using as their foundation a book that's fired imaginations for the past century.
Does John Carter get the job done for the weekend action audience? Yes, I suppose it does. The massive city on legs that stomps across the landscape is well-done. The Tharks are ingenious, although I'm not sure why they need tusks. Lynn Collins makes a terrific heroine.
Stanton has built a fantastic world, but the action is unmemorable. Still, just about every sci-fi/fantasy/superhero adventure you ever loved is in here somewhere.
A giant, suffocating doughy feast of boredom.
Andrew Stanton's Disney extravaganza is a rather charming pastiche.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 8th Mar 2012.
Release date: March 8th 2012.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
