Review of John Carter (2012) by Kurt L — 27 Jan 2013

Frankly, this was one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in a long time. It has all the elements of entertainment I look for in a movie from my nearly half a century of viewing this medium. It is family friendly, entertaining, excellent casting and acting, great special effects, adventure and action, and tells a timeless story of the battle between right and wrong.

At its core it is a love story, seen through the eyes of a Princess of Mars, Dejah Thoris, obsessed with saving her dying planet, and those of a brilliant Civil War hero, Captain John Carter, whose tragic and brutal loss of his wife and young daughter during the war, retreats to the badlands of the Arizona Territories to run from his pain.

The story was written 100 years ago by a talented and timeless author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose pen wrote masterfully from his imagination about impossible scenarios such as baby's adopted and raised by Apes in Tarzan. To this story, about a heartbroken man running from his pain, who, through a chance encounter with technologically advanced eternal beings, finds himself transported to Mars. Existing and adapting through his instincts and talents, only to find redemption on a world not his own.

It blends the nostalgia of a much simpler time, with perceptions of what the future could bring, as does all science fiction, combined with the burgeoning, and ongoing, fascination in the possibility of life on Mars, with its extensive canals and proximity to earth.

To me this movie was conceived, adapted, and created by Mr Stanton and his team with the same skill and passion that drove Peter Jackson to make Lord of the Rings, and James Cameron to make Avatar, and if seen, delivers a screen experience you will never forget, and long to repeat.

This movie was written and made with sequels already prepared, because once seen, it begs for the next chapter in the story written from Burroughs imagination.

In my opinion, it fell pray to internal bickering and power struggles, and ultimately to antagonists, that purposely set out to name it improperly ("John Carter" which would have been recognizable only to ERB fans, instead of "John Carter from Mars", which would have sparked greater interest among modern Sci Fi fans).

Along with meager promotional efforts, and a clearly less than ideal release date in March.

If you have NOT seen this movie, rent it, view it and come to your own conclusions, if you like it join with me and urge your friends, family and acquaintances to see it and lets push for for the sequels, .....you will get it when you see the end of the movie.... Thanks for reading this.