John Carter | Review
At an initial glance Disney’s ‘John Carter’ may seem like a derivative science-fiction adventure flick. There are plenty of essences of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Avatar’ throughout the picture, but the funny thing thing is that those two films, as well as many past space epics, were inspired by this film’s own source material. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the author of the 12-novel Barsoom series from the early 1900’s, which chronicle the adventures of John Carter on the Mars. ‘John Carter’ is based upon the first novel of the series, ‘The Princess of Mars’. Any similarities this film has to past science-fiction films can be excused because of the age of its source.
The titular character is played by Taylor Kitsch (‘Friday Night Lights’), a former Confederate soldier with a tragic past who just wants to strike it rich by finding a cave of gold. After a mysterious encounter, John Carter is transported to the planet Mars, or as the natives call it, Barsoom. Here, Carter gets sucked into a planetary conflict between warring cities or races (I could never tell).
The two parties at war are the Zodongans and the Heliumites, two human-like races who sometimes speak in British dialect. The Zodongans seem to be the bad guys, as their prince, Sab Than (Dominic West), has acquired the powerful weapon of blue light from the enigmatic Holy Therns and is using it to take over the planet. The leader of the Holy Therns is Matai Shang (Mark Strong, from ‘Green Lantern’), who can shape-shift and has questionable motives. The main Heliumite is Princess (and scientist) Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins, who co-starred with Kitsch in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’), who is also a capable fighter and most likely was the inspiration for Princess Leia (with her sometimes brass personality and provocative costumes). To save her people from destruction Dejah has to marry Sab Than as a peace agreement. Dejah acquires the help of John Carter later on, as he is stronger and more agile than everyone else on Barsoom due to Earth’s stronger gravitational force than Mars’. Also at play, though not directly in this war per say, are the vicious four-armed green aliens called the Tharks. Their leader is Tars Tarkas (William Dafoe), who seems a little different from the rest of his people as he shows moments of compassion. It is Tars and the Tharks who John Carter first encounter on the red planet.
The civil war on Barsoom can be a little convoluted sometimes, as there are many characters and different races at play, each with their own motives. There are blue flags and red flags, human races and alien races. I’m still not sure how the Tharks come into play regarding the war, as they don’t seem to be on either the Zodonga or the Heliumites’ sides. Though at one point Matai Shang can be seen teaming up with a group of Tharks with blue paint marks on their bodies. There is definitely more to the Holy Therns than is explained in the film, so perhaps there are other alien races they control. Whatever the case is, the aspect of the film’s plot regarding the war could have been better executed and less confusing.
Even though the backstory of Barsoom’s civil war is a little messy, the rest of the plot, and especially the action, are mostly well-executed. The film’s tone balances easily between intentional humor and seriousness. Some may be surprised at how funny ‘John Carter’ can be at times. There is a lot of action throughout the film, with a couple of standout set pieces that includes a colosseum execution and a battle between a large group of Tharks and the single John Carter.
The colosseum execution sequence is impressive because it showcases one of the strongest points of the film, which is the animation and special effects. The terrifying White Apes that John Carter fights are great feats and especially detailed. I was surprised at how well the Tharks were made as well, as I was less than impressed with them from the movie trailers. It takes some time to get used to them, but the Tharks soon become well-animated alien creations that almost live up to the standards set by the Na’vi in ‘Avatar’. Some of the major Tharks are motion-captured creations, which is beneficial because it gives the actors better chances at conveying emotion through these animated characters and to make them come to life. Tars Tarkas is the best example of this, with William Dafoe expertly humanizing the character. Thomas Hayden Church is also nice as the tyrannical and ruthless Thark Tal Hajus.
The battle between a gang of Tharks and John Carter is an action highlight of the film because it is both a thrilling and a sorrow-filled sequence. Carter’s fight is intercut with scenes from his past and his family. We learn more about his life on Earth and it helps bring more emotional weight to Carter’s character.
‘John Carter’ features spectacular ships that fly on light, yet oddly enough its characters fight with swords and guns (no, not laser guns). I guess swashbuckling action is better than incomprehensible gun fighting with characters shooting all over the place, so I’ll give into the film’s suspension of disbelief. As with any space epic there is a romance aspect to the film. It’s a given that John Carter and Princess Dejah Thoris will fall in love as they both fight against the Zodongans together. When I stood outside of the theatre after finishing the film I overheard a man talking about ‘John Carter’ and how its romantic story made the one in ‘Star Wars’ look good. I’d have to disagree. Yes, the romance in this film can be a little cheesy and cliche, it isn’t nearly as bad or terribly-written as George Lucas’ romance scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ prequels.
The pacing of ‘John Carter’ is completely satisfying up until the third act. At this point the entire film just comes tumbling down to tie up a series of big and important events take shape. The final battle is disappointing and way too short. How John Carter is able to get enough backup and support to face the Zodongans and Therns is too easy. The puzzling mystery back on Earth that takes place at the end is also interesting, but it’s too haste. The film doesn’t devote enough time to make these events effective, and the entire act is ultimately a rushed mess.
The film has an unlikely director, Andrew Stanton, who previously directed the outstanding animated films ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Wall-E’. Stanton is a Pixar veteran and ‘John Carter’ is his first foray with live-action. Late last year Brad Bird, Stanton’s fellow Pixar colleague, also directed his first live-action film, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol‘. Stanton’s attempt isn’t as nearly well-executed as Bird’s, but his directing talents helps prevent ‘John Carter’ from being a dud. Andrew Stanton’s visionary direction is clearly evident in the film, however its uneven pacing and sometimes messy plot are underwhelming. Still, ‘John Carter’ is a fun space epic with brilliant special effects, fun characters (especially Woola, the ugly but lovable dog), and moments of greatness. Disney’s marketing campaign for the film are absolutely atrocious, but the film is enjoyable, and hopefully it’s successful enough to warrant sequels that expand on the mythology introduced here.
