Review of John Carter (2012) by Peter V — 11 Feb 2014

Caught this at random the other day on cable. Granted my expectations had been thoroughly lowered by the torrent of bad press this movie received on its release, but even still, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised.

Shakespeare it isn't but unlike so many ponderous, self-important blockbusters of recent years, this movie was wonderfully fun. It's enthusiastic about its material, sufficiently pulpy as its source material, but also very funny and light-hearted.

And as others have noted, Woola the space dog steals the show. It's a strange thing that the modern movie-going public seems to make their judgments about a film largely based on its box office returns, as if we were betting on race horses or something.

I'd recommend anyone who enjoys a good space fantasy adventure to give John Carter another chance, and judge it on its own merits.