Review 263: John Carter

John Carter feels derivative of just about every sci-fi/fantasy adventure released in the past 30 years, but it's a rousing, wild adventure that's made with a lot of cradtmanship and is certainly fun!

Based on the science fantasy novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. War-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

 

If the plot sounds like it's been done to death and done better by other films in its genre that's because to an extent it has. It's almost impossible to review this film and not avoid comparisons to all the science fantasy/space opera films that it inspired and have come along since the novels publication. Even though the source material predates Star Wars by six decades, echoes of its influence are hard to ignore.

Yes it's derivative, but it's derivative in the same way that Star Wars and Indiana Jones were derivative of the old Sci-Fi and Adventure serials of the 50s.

On the whole, John Carter stays quite true to the original book albeit with a few changes is told with a lot of energy, soul, passion and dedication. 

Does it reinvent the wheel? Not really, but it goes by at a pretty brisk pace, has a strong visual identity and does a solid overall job at world building. It doesn't really have any twists or surprises

There is a surprising amount of good humour in this film, mostly concerning Carter and Woola, a lizard-like dog creature who becomes really attached to him.

A running gag when Carter first arrives on Mars is that he trouble walking normally due the planet's weaker gravity. 

The American frontier: In terms of genre, John Carter is arguably more Western than science fiction. including elements such as a desert setting, a rugged outlaw hero ,and a final showdown with the antagonist. Burroughs, himself, worked as a soldier at Fort Grant, Arizona, where he patrolled the desert to protect white settlers. During this time he gained a great respect for American Indians and their warriors, such as Geronimo. Just like how Carter grows to respect Tharks of Barsoom through his interactions with them and learning of their culture.

Race is a constant theme in John Carter as it was in the original Barsoom novels, as Barsoom is distinctly divided along racial lines. It’s dwindling resources, it’s tribalism returning as they fight for 

Director Andrew Stanton's direction is stupendous and unobtrusive, framing many scenes (including the action) in wide shots, reveling in the majestic nature of the various Barsoom cultures and providing the film with the epic scope it requires.
The film is beautifully made; the cinematography is gorgeous and captures the vastness and the splendour of the barren landcapes of Mars/Barsoom and 1800s Arizona, the costumes are lavish, the production design is astonishing; the Martian cities of Zodanga and Helium are  to spaceships that owe their design to . The score by Michael Giacchino is appropriately and spectacularly grand and majestic, the make up is rich and fabulously detailed. The creature design is creative, imaginative and briming with detail giving the Tharks a distinct look that sets them apart from the Red Martians. The locations are spectacular, Barsoom/Mars, as depicted in the film, strongly resembles a kind of Martian Wild West.

As the titular hero, Taylor Kitsch is charasmatic, determined, steadfast and When he initially arrives on Mars, John Carter wants no part of the conflict at hand because he's a Confederate army captain and has grown waery of fighting the Apache as well as experienced a lot of personal loss. 

Lynn Collins is the right mix of beauty, brains and butt-kicking prowess (to quote Chirsty Lemire), playing Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Helium. Carter is understandably and naturally smitten with her when he first "rescues" her during a battle between the Tharks and the Red Martians. 

Dominic West is appropriately, insuferably smug and smarmy playing Sab Than, the "Jeddak" or tribal leader/king of Zodanga. While he likes to prop himself up as the guy in charge, at the end of the day he's nothing more than a pawn for the Therns
 

Willem Dafoe is very strong playing Tars Tarkas, the "Jeddak" or leader of the Tharks The dynamic between John Carter and Tars Tarkas keeps this film afloat, both of them are outsiders who have both seen a lot of rough stuff and are both trying to fight a big system which makes their relationship feel completely natural as they can connect with each other on that level.

Mark Strong has a very interesting role in this film playing the calm and enigmatic Matai Shang, the "Hekkador" or leader of the parasitic race known as the Therns who travel across the universe creating the order that they need through the chaos they cause on other planets. So Shang is very much a chessmaster manipulating the events of the Martian Civil War for Therns' own ends. Whilist the Martian tribes are at war with each other, Shang plays them like puppets on a string and plays the whole conflict to his advantage.

 
Bryan Cranston, Thomas Haden Church, Ciaran Hinds, Samantha Morton and Daryl Sabara round out the cast

Overall, I enjoyed John Carter. It didn't shake me up but I liked it as a five fingered exercise and as an energetic sci fi adventure, 4/5.

The Anonymous Critic