Movie Review - John Carter

John Carter (Walt Disney Pictures)

As my first movie review ever I’ve decided to give you a little insight on a movie I have already seen twice; John Carter.  Let me just say it is hardly the epic fail that many critics have claimed it to be.  Granted it had some problem moments but overall it was a very entertaining and visual stunning movie to watch, especially in 3D.  I was very pleasantly surprised with this adaptation.  Being an avid scifi/fantasy reader I had read Edgar Rice Burrows Princess of Mars, which ultimately gave me a better grasp of whose who in the Barsoom (Mars) world than most watchers.  But don't let the massive new world of Mars differ you from seeing this film.

John Carter (played by the very yummy; Taylor Kitsch) is a former Confederate Calvary officer plagued by family tragedy, who has set out to find gold in the West.  He is wild, unpredictable, and rash when it comes to any human contact.  An unforeseen circumstance transports him to the planet Mars, where the planets lighter gravity effects him with the ability to leap large distances and increases his strength.  He comes across some unusual looking tall, four-armed, tusked aliens known as Tharks who take him into their tribe fascinated by his leaping ability.

He later meets the beautiful and feisty princess of Mars named Dejah Thoris (played by the stunning Lynn Collins).  Who is being forced by her father to marry the enemy Sab Than (Dominic West) in hopes to create a peaceful alliance between the two tribes.  Carter struggles with the idea of taking a side in a battle that he has no interest in fighting and just desperately wants to get back to Earth.

So what were some of the things I liked you ask?  Well, I think one of the main things that really made this movie for me was the romance.  Yes, I said it... Romance.  I found myself smiling like a school girl every time John Carter and Dejah Thoris were interacting together.  I have to give Kitsch and Collins props, their chemistry was fantastic and I was more interested in their story/journey together than the ongoing conflict between the two tribes.

I also was amazed by the visual effects this movie had to offer.  I couldn’t tell where the visual effects started or ended and with the big budget it had I would have been down right disappointed if they weren’t flawless.  Okay there were some dull areas of the movie I could have done without and they should have been replaced with a few more action scenes, but overall the movie was quite enjoyable to watch.

Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, and Thomas Haden Church provide perfect voice talents to three of the Tharks.  The always fabulous Ciaran Hinds as Dejah Thoris’s father, James Purefoy as the loyal bodyguard to the Princess, and Mark Strong as Matai Shang who is a very integral part of the film; round out the rest of the cast.  Screenplay written by Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, and Michael Chabon.  Directed by Andrew Stanton in his first live-action project.

So, if you like big action, excitement, romance, and even a little humor to keep you entertained throughout a 2hr span, this is the movie for you.  The charisma of the characters and the full fledged special effects was more than enough to make me go see it twice.  I can’t wait to add this one to my constantly growing DVD collection.

This movie is rated PG-13 for violence.

I give John Carter a 4 1/2 out of 5!

Let the movie quest continue!

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