John Carter (2012)

John Carter is a refreshing tale with sweeping landscapes that introduces an entire new world. That is always a curious scenario in movies, and John Carter knows it. Taylor Kitsch breaks out from his typical southerner roles and transforms into a selfish wanderer from 1881 (which provides some nice historical touches) that is both attractive and mysterious throughout the lengthy picture. There are times when his character lacks a continuity of personality, or a conventional muscle-bound appearance, along with some cliches and meandering moments that bog down the brisk pace of the film, but it's forgivable. Things don't stay wedged for too long.

The contrast of the mysterious explorer with the bear-all atmosphere of Mars is a good one, but the movie is long and overbearing at times. Also, subtitles would have helped with the hard-to-hear dialogue whose whispering plot development is overshadowed by loud music. Some of the most important points in the film are hard to understand because of this, but also because it is hard to comprehend Carter's inner turmoil. Why does he have such a hard time attaching himself to situations, regardless of how perilous they might be?

We don't get to know much, and that does damper any hopes of clarity for conviction. Characters are mostly weak and 1-dimensional aside from the titular focus. There are far greater concepts in this film whose meaning is never quite revealed. But on the plus side, we see (visually) plenty instead! Though the film is roughly 95% CGI, the wonderfully magnificent structures and overall atmosphere of Mars is breathtaking with immersion! And the CGI is good, as it should be for such a large budget. I wanted to learn more about these settlements along with the people and cultures they represent. In a movie that is over 2 hours long, one might think there would be some exploration. But as we saw with Avatar, films tend to leave these attractions at surface value. Still, the world of Mars is incredible, though the CGI is a mild distraction.

To be pedantic, I couldn't agree or disagree with Disney's target audience. Some of the film's most delightful aspects are derived from a less adult style, but I found myself (as a 21 year old) wondering how a more mature telling would have fared in comparison. There are some mature aspects to the film (scantily clad women and blunt violence) that feel misplaced for a "kids"--in lack of a better term--film. In short, the humor is done well and I never felt parched watching a movie that is roughly set in the desert for the middle half.

I hate to relate it to pictures like Avatar (ilke others are doing as I write this), but John Carter suffers from the same premise-over-execution curse. This is a whole new world! But after the film concludes, I was left hungering for a sequel that explored more of this fascinating odyssey that captivated the protagonist just as strongly. Also, the plot could've been more straightforward and clearly fumbles at some points, but a strong finish and satisfying twist do well as compensation.

Overall, I do wonder what has plagued this film, when its predecessor Avatar raked in the box office with a far more basic script and imaginative world. Should we blame Disney, or misguided advertising? How about the obscure title or simply bad timing, both from a release date perspective and genre? In a way, this film was misfired into a lopsided effort, but I definitely enjoyed it more than other films with similar qualities and themes. And to those who say it is a rip-off of earlier films, it isn't-- it was written over 100 years ago! On Mars, no less.