John Carter of Mars (2012)

Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe

Synopsis:
A ex-Confederate officer is transported to Mars, where he becomes lynchpin in a bitter war that grips the planet.

Impressions:
I was first introduced to the John Carter franchise by this library CD I had, so when I heard there was going to be a film adaptation, I was intrigued. I didn't actually get around to seeing it until I saw it as an in-flight movie, but I wouldn't have minded seeing it in theaters. Now, you may be wondering why I list the movie as "John Carter of Mars" instead of just "John Carter" as it's officially billed. Well, it's the real title of the movie for one. Also, it's my little stab at all the idiotic executive meddling and the brain-dead marketing which contributed to the film bombing at the box office. (The movie itself pokes at it too.) There's more to it than just that, of course, but the studio bears a large share of the blame. Judged purely on its own merits, is it a movie that sets the world on fire? No, but it's a solid film and entertaining. I would've liked to have seen it developed further, but it wasn't in the cards. Though he's suffered from films that haven't fared well, Taylor Kitsch is good as a leading man and I liked him as John Carter. Honestly, I liked the entire cast, but standouts include Willem Dafoe as Tarkas, Mark Strong as Matai Shang and James Purefoy as Kantos Kan (more of a one-scene wonder in his case). I liked the aesthetics of the film and the special effects are quite good. If your up for a rollicking planetary romance and are prepared to live with the fact that there are no prospects for a sequel, then by all means, give this one a watch.

Rating:
Watch It