frigid watched John Carter:

[frigidmagi]

Alright, this post is mainly in the nature of a placeholder. I take off to see the movie in roughly 74 minutes. I'd like to do a "pre-game" talk first though.

John Carter is a Disney movie, with the same director as Finding Nemo and WallE. Based on the book "A Princess of Mars" written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (you may remember him as the creator of Tarzan) in 1917. This book is the great grandfather of American fantasy. Yes, fantasy for despite some of the sci-fi trappings (rifles, airships, air factories, etc) this is a fantasy story set on an ancient and dying world beset by barbarism and racial conflict. Enter John Carter, Confederate War Veteran, cowboy, gold prospector and interstellar adventurer. As a character Carter shares more with Conan (who was written by Robert E Howard in the 20s and 30s) then the standard fantasy Tolken hero.

I found a number of marketing meddling and problems. One, the original name of the movie was John Carter of Mars, but Disney's marketing department has decided that people don't like Mars. Why? Because Mission to Mars and other movies with Mars in the title had flopped (because they sucked). Two, the marketing lead up to this movie has been terrible. When a bunch of fans come out with your best trailer, you're doing it wrong. So the average person hasn't heard of this movie, doesn't know what's it about, doesn't know that the director has given damn good movies before and the cast is strong or that the book is one of the starters of the genre... Yeah.

Is John Carter a good movie or something that should be buried? I find out in about 60 minutes.

... Make that 3 hours, my fellow movie goers are wussies, nap my ass you've been asleep all day!

[frigidmagi]

Alright, just got back. Let's discuss. First off, there are a legion of changes to the book, which frankly is justifiable to me.

Spoiler: show

First off, the good changes. Dejah Thoris is much more active character then in the book, she is a engineer or scientist (she's mucking with hardware like an engineer and fussing over theories like a scientist) questing after a technology which could save her, her city and her planet. She fights, argues and schemes for her goals (Lynn Collins provides a strong performance and is damn hot in this role to). I like this version better then the book version, even though classic Dejah Thoris wasn't a shrinking violet either. The expanded role of the Therns was interesting, as was the moving city that conquers and eats it's way across Barsoom (shout out to Mortal Engines in my book). The strong gender roles of Burroughs Barsoom is gone, which also doesn't bother me(although seriously why are all the female troops no where to be seen when the sword fights start, expect for Dejah). John Carter is changed a bit as well and that one is more questionable as well. He's made a widower who lost his wife and daughter (burned to death by ?) while he was fighting for the CSA. Interestingly he doesn't brood or wail about this, but at the same the effect of this lost is a massive thing on his shoulders and you can see it without being beaten over the head with it. It's actually done subtly compared to most Hollywood movies. Sola is also given an expanded part in the movie, which is well done. The Tharks in general I felt were well done, they could have easily turned into Jar Jar Binks but are instead made people. Also I love the dog,

Bad Changes, the politics are massively simplified in this movie. Barsoom is reduced from dozens of city states and nations with dozens of hordes, to two city states and a handful of hordes in the waste. This is a waste. The Tharks part in things is reduced as well, we don't get as much Thark on Thark violence and John's relationship to them is reduced as well. Gone to are most of the alien customs that made Barsoom such an exotic and alien place. One of the major problems in the book (That John couldn't kill the guy that Dejah was pledged to and marry her) is gone. That reeks of pure Hollywood convention to make sure we get our EPIC SHOWDOWN between the villan and the hero (of course, who the villan is a little complicated). The characters have been made a more complex and real but their setting has been simplified, this is a mistake.

As to the plot of the movie itself. It's a good, clean plot with most of the standard notes, but the Thern add an interesting twist. John isn't fighting primary the Jeddeck of the evil moving city, but a behind the scenes conspiracy to keep the Barsoomians controlled and managable. This however has been done before, although the confrontation between John and the head Thern (which is a dialogue) opens some interesting lines of thought, it does kinda turn into the Thern twirling his mustache while explaining his evil plan (stop doing this guys!). The use of the framing device in the story itself is well done however!

How did I find the movie? The acting was good (take me hostage! Are you okay? *rolls eyes* OH NO HE'S TAKEN ME HOSTAGE *hands sword*) there are some honestly funny moments and the story is easy to follow. I enjoyed the action and the characters and would certainly see it again. So would my buddy Adam who came with me and said he enjoyed just about every moment.

John Carter gets B+, go give it a whirl.

[Cynical Cat]

I concur with frigid. This was not the best movie ever made, but a good, entertaining adventure flick.