I didn’t like how everyone piled on to John Carter when it first came out. It seemed like bullies ganging up on the weak kid and kicking him when he’s down. The story seemed interesting and a fan made trailer that used real footage made it seem different and good.
Alas, I finally saw it and it was pretty bad. The effects were kind of poor, the performances were hammy but not in a fun way and the pacing was bad. Ended up turning it off halfway through.
I still think it was ganged up on but I guess it made itself an easy target. I really wanted to like it but nope.
This thread is pretty much at odds with our earlier thread on the film. I don’t recall anyone there saying they didn’t like it – the worst reaction was being lukewarm to it.
For my money, I loved it. Even with the changes from Burroughs canon, I thought it very well done. Heck, I liked it better than Episodes I and II of Star Wars.
I finally realized what movie it reminded most of. The costume design, special effects, desert setting, characters that you can’t seem to warm to, pacing, time period, etc.
It reminded me of watching The Mummy. In fact they probably should have got Brendan Fraser to star in it.
I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. They made changes from A Princess of Mars that I didn’t think were necessary. But overall the changes didn’t bother me that much, and the basic story elements were there: Virginia cavalryman wakes up on Mars and unites green men and red to save a beautiful princess along with the planet. Overall, it had a very Burroughs feel to it. I’m surprised by the OP’s opinion of the effects. The Tharks were stunning. Tars Tarkas, Sola, Sarkoja, and Tal Hajus all seemed like real people to me, after I got over how cool they looked. I absolutely loved the fliers. The story seemed to have a lot more heart than your typical sci-fi spectacle. Lynn Collins was a fantastic Dejah Thoris. As a lifelong Burroughs fan, I’m glad to have this movie in my collection. I wish it had done better, because I’d have loved to get a sequel or two. I hear DVD and Blu-ray sales are pretty good, so maybe it’ll happen.
Bad: The acting was poor*, the dialogue worse and the plot convoluted.
Good: I liked the set and costume design, though they were kind of teetering on the edge of camp, so I can see where others might not like them. The setting was neat and I thought they did a good job of capturing the feel of early 20th century pulp sci-fi. The villans were kinda cool, but I wished they’d been given some more meaningful motivation.
So a better then average Star Wars clone, I guess. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to others, but I don’t feel like I got gipped out of the money I spent to see it.
*I did like Pulfroy basically playing Mark Anthony again, if someone had given Mark Anthony a futuristic super-weapon.
Hulk didn’t pick up on how John Carter’s wife had died during the Civil War and he was jaded because of it? I could take or leave that storyline. But in any case, it made the battle against the Warhoon horde more than just a slash and stab fest. I’m surprised anyone had a hard time following why this John Carter was a reluctant hero. They seemed to smash the viewer over the head with that.
I didn’t like it. It was incomprehensible. If you hadn’t read the book I don’t know how you figure out was going on, and even if you did read it you’d be wondering what you read. It’s a pretty standard adventure tale set in a fabulous location. I just don’t see how they screw up movies like that, but it happens all the time.
That part was very annoying. I kept thinking "I GET it, now move on. But on the whole, I liked it. I didn’t know the story so I was curious about how they’d handle all the early 20th century sexism that abounds in Burroughs stuff.
Personally, the Tharks rocked and I’d buy the disc for the Arena scene alone.
Funny. I thought it was a damn good time, and I’m planning to pick it up to inaugurate my newly purchased 3d TV. (Note: 3d TV purchased only because 2d TV did a face-plant into the floor…)
I liked it. I don’t expect every movie I watch to be a Magnum Opus. Feel sorry for people who do. They must have to deal with a lot of disappointment in life.
Has anyone complained that it wasn’t a Magnum Opus? So far the complaints in this thread seem to be that it was incomprehensible, poorly acted, paced poorly that it didn’t have Brendan Fraiser in it.