Review of John Carter (2012) by B47 — 11 Mar 2012

Amazing.

Some reviewers have used the word epic and it is not a word that is being bandied about nor used with exaggeration. Andrew Stanton for the two and nearly half hours of John Carter repeatedly shows a boldness to cast his movie on levels of scale that rarely are seen on our movie screens today. He uses wide and long shots to establish the world of Barsoom, to show a grandeur to the action and the stage upon which he has filmed Burrough's work. The shots do not overwhelm the movie, but a number of times my breath was caught in my lungs as I forgot to breath and with wide eyes took in the vistas and the moving moments of the film. There are some directors today who attempt to create scenes on such scales, many fail, but Stanton (in my opinion) isn't one of them.

Stanton (and all his support) create a breathing, lived in and dying world. The film feels balanced, as if everything is exactly where it should be, but it never feels as if it's some set piece, carefully constructed and intended to be viewed in a frame behind a plate of glass. It simply feels natural. It feels real. A place with history.

Another bold decision Stanton (and Chabon, as well), was not to streamline the story they present. The film begins with several threads which are gradually and then increasingly woven together, be it the conflict between Zodanga and Helium, the way of life of the Tharks, or the purpose of the Therns. As in the book, Carter ultimately is the world changing element that brings everything together. It doesn't rush and the movie's patient approach could be something that frustrates those used to the more simple and direct approach of most modern films (particularly those with action/sci-fi elements).

Avatar, for example, while a like in world building and to a degree, the same epic scale that Stanton embraces, is a simpler film in terms of its story telling. John Carter has more depth, period.

Michael Giacchino's score does a wonderful job of supporting the story without overwhelming it, adding to its richness. It doesn't quite rise to the level of cinematic greatness, but it definitely succeeds in enriching action/events going on in the film at any one time.

I have seem some dismissals of the abundant use of CGI in the film. It is done with the care one expects from a Pixar director, as for example the Tharks. Tars Tarkis (Defoe does a great job voicing him) becomes one more character, not a digital intrusion in the realm of human actors (as do the other Tharks, like Sola). People complained about Carter's jumping. I did not find it cheap or hokey looking in the least. (As an aside, several reviewers complain that the inhabitants of Barsoom are more amazed that Carter can jump, rather than being from Earth - they apparently ignore a complete scene where Dejah is astonished when she realizes Carter is from where he claims to be from - another note, Carter's origin is never really made as much as a big deal as his physical abilities in the book either).

The acting. I felt Lynn Collins did a perfectly fine job as Dejah. Would I say it was an Oscar-worthy peformance? No, but I would call it comparable with anything Carrie Fisher offered in Star Wars. As a rule, all the acting was good. I will admit that Taylor Kitsch appeared more limited in range, but in part I think it came across as such as the John Carter he plays is at first one that is emotionally detached from the world. He plays a Carter who travels to Mars as a man who has simply given up on believing in anything (explained in flashbacks), and as the movie progresses, and that Carter begins to care about a lot of things, Dejah, his place within the world of Barsoom, so does Kitsch's acting become more expressive and likeable. As I said earlier, Defoe's voice acting is excellent, and he transcends being Defoe's voice and becomes Tars Tarkis.

In part, the ambition of the movie is so great that I feel as if I can't accurately convey everything with any hope of complete success. It's a film I want to see again and perhaps with enough viewings, be able to offer an encapsulation that in much shorter words can describe the essence of Andrew Stanton's John Carter.