John Carter of Mars (2012) - News/Speculation/Discussion

[Cairistiona]

I'm going to watch it today, and I don't rely much on internet critics, but more on recommendations from here.

[Brian]

I think the critics may be why it's doing so poorly. I had my reservations until I saw it and for some reason from what I gather on the internet a lot of people seem to want this movie to fail. I think having Critics at times can be a problem because of reasons like this, and reading what the critics said is why I had my reservations about it. I think for some movies it's just better to go see it yourself and decide.

The nature of the internet is that of the nature of trash. Garbage plain and simple. People on the internet will congregate and wish a failure upon something for the simple fact that people are looking forward to it. It's why I don't bother reading opinion pieces to do with movies and movie news anymore. Just facts and rumor articles. I don't know if critics did too much in the way of influencing the outcome. Truthfully I don't think critics have much influence on the demographic that is the average movie goer anymore. Old farts trying to be "witty" and clever in a short article with monstrous metaphors, and overabundance of adjectives that don't need to be there and terrible comparisons (my least favorite part of anyone's note on a movie: IT'S THIS MOVIE MEETS THIS MOVIE!. No it's not. It's it's own movie plain and simple.) I think the culprit was the way Disney marketed this movie. It's like they didn't want to try. Rumor has it with the leaps and bounds about this project and the cost, they wanted to sweep it under the rug (way before it was even released). Which is unfortunate.

I was given the first couple of books in the Barsoom series for Christmas and made sure I read them before the movie came out. Reading A Princess of Mars was probably the best reading experience of my life and it is now my favorite book. It is a fantastic read quite simply a great story. So great in fact, that I have been hesitant to read on in the series because I don't think it can be topped. (I've continued reading now though)

As for the movie itself, I was sort of "meh" about it when the first trailer was released but quickly grew to anticipate it more and more. With Stanton directing it and hearing/reading what he had to say about the project brought the anticipation even higher. Then while reading the book, more and more anticipation built up. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet to read the book before seeing it. You should be able to finish it fairly quickly as it's only about 200 pages.

I have a fair bit to say about the movie itself, I'll wrap spoiler tags around it though because it's full of spoilers for both the movie and the book A Princess of Mars.

Spoiler:

While I enjoyed it, I was hoping for quite a bit more. I very very very much prefer the story in the novel A Princess of Mars than the 3ish book mash-up the movie had in it.

I have 2 main bones to pick...well 3 actually.
First being that the movie didn't include hardly anything to do with Martian customs on Barsoom and that was a huge huge huge part of the story, which segues into my next point...
While I believe after about half way through the movie Taylor made the character his own, I don't believe he was the best person to play Carter. The impression you get of the character from the books is this extremely experienced in life, full of wisdom, very assertive, confident and commanding presence. I often times found myself forgetting that John Carter was only 30 years old when he began his adventures on Barsoom. That presence was instrumental in his survival upon Barsoom and I just don't think Kitsch has that commanding presence that the true character requires.

I also thought the movie lacked the emotional impact of the story of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. I don't like how they were acquainted in the movie, again much preferring the story from the book. I enjoyed reading the ups and downs along the journey to their being together, rather than this blunt and "here, we love each other" approach in the movie.

Little things that were shortcuts for the sake of saving time in the movie, or making it easier for the audience to quickly understand something (the medallion teleporting him, the "sounds of Barsoom" drink wtf was that?) really ticked me off. Parts that were dumbed down as time savers that shouldn't have been.

Other things that irked me were changes to the story for instance Tars Tarkas was already Jeddak when Carter got there...what?! In the book, the whole Tal Hajus/Tars Tarkas rivalry to do with Sola's mother again had more emotional impact, made for a better story and was unraveled, versus Carter just coming to the conclusion and Tars already knowing about Sola. To me, the changing of the Jeddak between Tal Hajus and Tars Tarkas was one of the best parts of the book, one that deserved to be in the movie. There needs to be that evil within to really make this story work and with Tars being Jeddak first didn't allow it.

Kantos Kan's part should have been the same as in the book too. His part was pivotal for the rest of the story.

All in all it's a movie I will buy, but I don't know if I'd pay to see it more than once at the theater. (maybe once more...especially to see Lynn Collin's lovely legs and her everything else again!)

I would have been extremely happy with just a scene for scene identical depiction of the book on screen because that's the story you fall in love with.

I liked the movie, I just really didn't like the changes to the story! I think it deserves better numbers at the box office than it has, and I could really dig a sequel now that the characters have been established to these actors.

Lynn Collins is absolutely PERFECT for Dejah. I was skeptical to the extreme upon originally seeing her in the part but after watching the movie, she was fantastic. The perfect blend of beauty and brawn. She isn't one of the super skinny women that they could have chosen for the part, she is a well built woman suited perfectly for a warrior princess! She is absolutely gorgeous.

I was anticipating Mars being a bit more red too. Also the "red men" could have been more red than just a red tattoo...

Couple things that really made me smile were the scene when he is first trying to learn to walk on Mars, the one when he finds out who Dejah is and says "A Princess of Mars" working the title of the book in like that made me smile, and then at the end when the title comes up as John Carter of Mars...man they should have kept that full title!

It was a fun movie but I don't think it was fantastic. It didn't have the same wow factor that I was looking for. Maybe I hyped it up too much for myself after reading the book. I did enjoy it, above average movie but stuck there between above average and not quite to great. I want to go see it again now after talking about it so much and try to enjoy it thoroughly. Sometimes movies a second time around really make the difference for me. X-Men: First Class was a great example. I was not on board with the idea of it. Following the production of it, it really felt like it was going to be a B movie...Kevin Bacon was a big part of that reasoning, January Jones as well. I went to see it at the theater and that opinion stuck...felt like a B movie that never quite took off into A status. However I decided to pick up the blu-ray anyway and after watching it ....WOW did my opinion ever change! Fell in love with it, thought it was awesome all the way through on that second viewing. Sure I could still pick things apart about it like January Jones' so called "acting", and Jennifer Lawrence's so called "acting". They are both terrible. But past that it had me going the whole movie, fast, well paced, fun all the way through. Perhaps that's what needs to happen with John Carter!

One more thing I'd like to add, the basis of the whole story...the ninth ray. That right there was a really bad idea to base the story on because...if they haven't discovered the ninth ray, how are their ships flying? Just too many changes to the story it didn't really feel like John Carter's first adventure on Barsoom.

[Cairistiona]

I've just saw it. I didn't read the books, so I can't say anything about differences. I really enjoyed this movie. The story was good, and I liked the scenery and especially the ships. If there is a seqel I'll watch it!

[MIZA]

Watched John Carter pretty good movie. I hope they make a sequel I like it

[Daralundy]

http://www.gregbear.com/other/johncarter.cfm

Here is a generally positive article on this movie. Except for his remarks about critics.

Hat tip - S.M. Stirling yahoo discussion group.

[Easter Lily]

Can anyone tell me if this is something that I can take the kiddies to? Both are under the age of 13.

[Easter Lily]

Went to see this at a midday showing today and was surprised at how much I did like it.
This was a delightful, old-fashioned scifi romp with bits of humour throwin in here and there.
I can see the debt that so many sci-fi authors/film makers owe Burroughs.
*off to read Princess of Mars*

[offworlder716]

"A Princess Of Mars" is a wonderful, brilliant novel...and exactly 100 years old this year. I have 7 of the 11 books (as well as the majority of Burroughs' other series). The only reason I haven't seen "John Carter" yet is because we just had a baby last weekend, but I'd really like to see it before it leaves theaters.

As for bad critic reviews, evidently they never saw the awful 2008 direct-to-video version (done by Asylum, I think) of "A Princess Of Mars". It starred Antonio Sabato Jr. and Traci Lords. At least "John Carter" looks like the story is getting the budgetary requirements it needs.

Grandma's got to babysit, 'cause I can't wait!

[offworlder716]

I'm sorry, the dreadful "Princess Of Mars" film was 2009, not 2008. My bad.

The only reason they even got to use the title is because any literature published before 1923 falls into public domain.

[Easter Lily]

Well, I saw it. I thought it was great--I don't know why it's doing so poorly. Normally I tend to agree with the critics, but I thought this was fun, exciting, and very involving.

I think the marketing for this was really substandard considering what an expensive film this was. The first trailer I saw at the theatres told me nothing. Didn't mention Burroughs or Tarzan or anything that would hook people in.

I think it was Leonard Maltin who said that it was "unwieldy". I really don't know what he meant by that because I thought the film was fairly straightforward and easy to follow.

It's not a perfect film but personally I thought it was a better film than Avatar which was a rehash of Dances with Wolves with blue aliens as gimmickry.

[LtColCarter]

I saw it this past weekend and enjoyed it. I hope it doesn't bomb.

[Sp!der]

Well in our theatres it has only two viewings at days left.... Not a good sign for a blockbuster which came out two weeks ago...

[TheRandomOne]

I saw it this past weekend and enjoyed it. I hope it doesn't bomb.

It did & it made Green Lantern look like it was a Box Office smash hit

[AlbinoMonkeyC]

I'm seeing it Thursday at what appears to be the last showing in the theater near my house

[LtColCarter]

Well in our theatres it has only two viewings at days left.... Not a good sign for a blockbuster which came out two weeks ago...

Just came out on March 9th...so not even a week yet.