Yeah, I liked John Carter. MSN Movies review here.
Hey JC, JC, you're all right by me...
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Well, this is encouraging. As an adolescent I devoured about a half-dozen of the John Carter books, and though I doubt I could get through one today, I respect the series as one of the ur-texts of pulp sci-fi/fantasy. I’ve wanted to see a JCOM movie for as long as I can remember, and if it’s true that they actually kinda got it right, no one will be happier than me.
Really Glenn? Found the whole thing forgettably mediocre across the board. Not bad by any means, just not … well, good.
I think you’re a tad harsh, Shane. While by no means a fanboy – or interested in this area of sci-fi altogether – it seems to me that the film certainly delivers in terms of action spctacle. While it’s hard to figure our who’s fighting who and why after awhile it’s plain that “all the money is up there on the screen.” Taylor Kitsch’s pale skin is rather distracting. Everything suppsoedly takes place in blazing sulight but it’s obvious from his epidemis he’s indoors in front of a green screen for virtually every second.
I kept expecting Maria Montez to show up any moment – and I must say the film could have used her.
But it’s not bad.
I loved Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights…and I love John Carter! Great review, Glenn. And, fun headline…
Wahoo!!! John Carter is my favorite star. I almost love his action role. Thanks for MSN movie scene indeed. 🙂
I’m about to turn 70, so let’s not leave this all to young boys. I’ve read the series and thought the books were great. If you like to picture what you’re reading, these books are a treasure house! And, most importantly, I think I now know where the concept for Superman came from–he is merely John Carter come to earth.
You forgot to mention that the names of the people of Barsoom (Dejah Thoris et al) and the extra limbs on some of the Barsoomians are the actual creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Okay, I really enjoyed this movie, but I’ve gotta admit that the idea of Maria Montez as Dejah Thoris is pretty much genius. Which of course makes Jon Hall John Carter, which is ridiculously perfect. I want to see that version too.
Man, fuck Andrew Stanton. He criticises ‘The Lion King’ for “wussing out” when it comes to depicting predation and death, then goes and directs ‘Finding Nemo’… in which a parent’s death occurs both off-screen and early on, never to be dwelt on again, and getting chased by ravenous sharks is played for laughs.
John Carter is a solid, albeit quite campy sci-fi adventure flick. Pure popcorn, as they say (they do say, right?) and probably the most expensive B‑Picture ever made – and a gloriously fun B‑Picture at that.