Quick Thought: “Thelma and Louise” and “John Carter” have something in common?
John Carter, more than almost any movie that I’ve seen in awhile, grows on you in subsequent viewings as small things that almost invariably strengthen the viewing experience “stick” on subsequent viewings. An example — the relationship progression between John Carter and Dejah Thoris. On the first viewing I felt that it was rushed and that “the kiss” came a couple of scenes too soon. But on subsequent viewings I picked up on subtle bits of interaction that I missed the first time around and and pacing seemed better.
Last night I stumbled across Thelma and Louise, one of my all-time favorite movies, and after watching it I remembered that on a first viewing I really didn’t buy the ending. It was much like John Carter in that I felt, the first time around, that there wasn’t enough there to justify the grand crazy gesture that winds it up. But then on subsequent viewings–knowing how it was going to end — I found myself being more attuned to moments throughout the movie that are basically laying the foundation and setting the stage for the climax.
Audience rating wise, Thelma and Louise and John Carter are both in the 70%++ range, but the critics loved Thelma and Louise and were quite divided on John Carter.
One thought is that a movie like Thelma and Louise is one in which the critics are set up, expecting to have to dig a little bit for nuance. It’s a film that turns on character, not spectacle, and in this case the critics were ahead of the general viewership in being able to appreciate the value of the film on a single viewing, rating it substantially higher than the audience. Yet in the case of John Carter the general viewers rated the film higher than the critics……is there a lesson there?
Oh, and the other thing the two movies have in common? The plainest titles ever. With Thelma and Louise, the plain title works brilliantly. With John Carter — not so much.
5 comments
Having the romance as the main focus of the film would work well for a stand-alone film, but as the first part of a trilogy, there needed to be more focus on elements that would make the three films cohesive. The setups for a three-film conflict had to be a major focus of the film. I hope that whatever future John Carter reboot we may get will find a way to keep the romance central while also creating a fulfilling conflict for a trilogy.
When I first saw John Carter, the romance didn’t work for me, because I had in mind the template established in the book, that was to me way more convincing. And they reduced what were weeks or months in the book to mere days, from first meeting to wedding. And I was confused by the fact that the romance was not the focus point of the movie, it was meddled with a “grand scheme” I found less interesting. One negative comment I read was “I would have done without the forced love story”, and after all, why not? It’s not the central point in Stanton’s movie.
It’s only on subsequent viewings too that I was able to focus on the character work (and by reading Dotar’s take on the John Carter character, and the fact that his actions were meant to contradict what he said), and I was greatly rewarded in that. And no, I was not tired when I saw the movie.
MCR – “was nothing more than a cheap sequel setup ending. ” – do you speak like this in casual conversation ? This is exactly what we’re talking about, never ending pissy shots. It’s exhausting.
The lesson is that unless it’s positioned as a character movie or something exploring the human dynamic, many critics will not go for it as that’s a bias they seem to have. If it’s positioned as a blockbuster or science fiction, many will spend all their time trying to find fault.
I enjoyed Thelma and Louise, but not as much as John Carter. John Carter seems more timeless to me.
I must’ve been really alert on my first viewing because I didn’t miss much at all. I saw people posting afterward this was missing or that was missing and when I went back to see what they said wasn’t there as I recalled being there (like the romance clues), I found it was there as I recalled it. Sorry, Michael, but I’m afraid some folks may have been tired when they went to see it the first time.
“Last night I stumbled across Thelma and Louise, one of my all-time favorite movies, and after watching it I remembered that on a first viewing I really didn’t buy the ending. It was much like John Carter in that I felt, the first time around, that there wasn’t enough there to justify the grand crazy gesture that winds it up.”
I didn’t have a problem with the ending of Thelma and Louise the first time I saw it. It worked because by that point I had become invested in their characters and wanted them to go out together. Unlike John Carter where the “grand crazy gesture” was nothing more than a cheap sequel setup ending. Plus Thelma and Louise never put their nephew up as bait.
“Yet in the case of John Carter the general viewers rated the film higher than the critics……is there a lesson there? ”
There is but if I say it the minions of Director Who Shall Not Be Named will mass en force. So we’ll save that for a later date.