A New John Carter Review takes you on an interesting journey

Michael Sellers Other Stuff

This is an interesting random review that just popped up and highlights what should have happened, and didn’t happen, with the release of the film.  I’m talking about the promotion and before I get bushwhacked for “going there” by those who say “it’s not all about the bad promotion” — yeah, I get that completely.  But the promotion was just monumentally ineffective and this reviewer, in describing her journey to finally discovering the film in October, highlights what has been the experience of so many who just didn’t bother with they film when it was in theaters, or on Blu-ray.

Now -as to the fact that she REALLY LIKES the movie after having finally been motivated to see it — that’s the second part of this.  The people most likely to REALLY LIKE the movie are in fact those who haven’t read the book and can consider the movie on its own terms without having the constant book-vs-movie conflict rattling in their brain while they are watching it.

Anyway, enough intro.  I found this interesting. And sad.  Because there were so many more like this person out there, waiting to be motivated to see the movie when it would have really made a difference.  Damn white ape.

Back Where It All Started From – Review of “John Carter”

I know this review is coming out of left field, but hang with me here for a second – you’ll be glad that you did.I wasn’t going to watch this movie.  Didn’t see it in theaters, didn’t see a reason to buy it on DVD.  I think I was more geeked-out over “The Hunger Games” when “John Carter” came out, to be honest.  Shoot, I didn’t even know what it was supposed to be about (the movie trailer looked cool, but the title was a little bit “Guys, that’s what you’re calling it?”)Fast forward to September – I’m checking in the newly released books at work and I see that somebody has released the third omnibus of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter of Mars” series.  Two thoughts came into my mind (1) Wasn’t that the guy that wrote “Tarzan?” and (2) Wait – that movie took place on Mars??

(It takes me a while to get there, but I eventually do).

Turns out this series has been around for a hundred years (the first story came out in 1912) and was inspired the creation of things like Superman and Star Wars (and that’s just what was listed on TV Tropes).  Basically, anything you love about superhero stories or science-fiction, this is where all that stuff came from.  Which, sort of floors me that Burroughs is more well-known for Tarzan than John Carter of Mars (and it’s key to get the “of Mars” part in there because “John Carter” by itself sounds more like some Hatfield and McCoy-esque historical miniseries than sci-fi).  Me? I’m more impressed with an early-20th century writer taking on the story of a man displaced onto another planet than a man displaced onto another continent (shoot, people were doing that last one every day back then).

Long story short – I found out what this movie was really supposed to be about and decided to watch it for myself.  My reaction?

Holy. Crow. This. Is. A. Fantastic. Movie!  I don’t know what to sing praises to first – the storyline, the special effects or the characters.

The story starts out with John Carter in 1888 New York running from some shady-looking guy.  Cut to John’s nephew, Edgar (as in Rice Burroughs.  Yeah, I know) going to visit his uncle, only to find out that his uncle has suddenly and inexplicably passed away.  Edgar ends up reading his uncle’s journal, which tells the story of how Captain John Carter, formerly of the Confederate Army, was in Arizona Territory after the Civil War searching for gold.  He winds up in a cave with strange markings, shoots some freaky-looking alien guy and gets transported to this deserted place where every step he takes launches him about twenty feet in the air.  John is taken prisoner by the Tarks (the green Martians that everyone talks about), learns the language and makes friends – of sorts – with a female Tark named Sola.  Oh, and the Red Men of Mars (or Barsoom, as they call it) are in a heated war that comes to the Tarks.  During the battle, John rescues a woman named Dejah Thoris of Helium (who was shown earlier to be working on a weapon to fight against the Zodanga).  John’s enhanced abilities to fight and jump come from the fact that Mars’ gravity is less than Earth’s, but the people of Barsoom see him as a skilled fighter (which, he is in his own right).  Dejah is revealed to be the princess of Helium and asks him to help her people fight against Zodanga so they don’t take over the already-dying planet and also so she doesn’t have to marry this Creepy McCreepster that’s just bad news all the way around.

7 comments

  • Dotar Sojat wrote:
    “It just must be really rotten to be so much smarter than so many people and have to observe their foolishness without being able how them the light . . .”

    Well Andrew Stanton thought he was smarter than everyone and thought he was showing the way so….

    “Now me . . . when I don’t like something and others do, I kinda wonder if maybe they’re seeing something that I’m missing? Meaning, instead of just thinking “sheep!” or whatever, my thought is, what am I missing? If that many people like it, is it stereotype? Archetype? Stuff like that. Keeps me from getting pissed off and cranky, I guess…. . ”

    I guess that must be it. All I saw was a film that butchered another man’s creation, that did a poor job adapting a novel that its director claimed he was a fan of. So maybe I should ask then what did I miss? What did I not see that everyone keeps claiming is in this movie? Because I just don’t see it. I don’t see the light.

  • MCR wrote:

    They also seem not to care how cliched riddled, confusing and how unlikable John Carter is as a character. You would think that would rattle around their brains but I guess not.

    Hey, good to see you’re in good form, MCR! 😉
    It just must be really rotten to be so much smarter than so many people and have to observe their foolishness without being able how them the light . . . .

    Now me . . . when I don’t like something and others do, I kinda wonder if maybe they’re seeing something that I’m missing? Meaning, instead of just thinking “sheep!” or whatever, my thought is, what am I missing? If that many people like it, is it stereotype? Archetype? Stuff like that. Keeps me from getting pissed off and cranky, I guess…. .

    Anyway, happy Saturday!

  • Pascalahad wrote:
    “Is Starz a channel accessible to everybody in the States?

    No it’s a pay cable channel so not everyone has it.

    Dotar Sojat wrote:
    ” The people most likely to REALLY LIKE the movie are in fact those who haven’t read the book and can consider the movie on its own terms without having the constant book-vs-movie conflict rattling in their brain while they are watching it.”

    They also seem not to care how cliched riddled, confusing and how unlikable John Carter is as a character. You would think that would rattle around their brains but I guess not.

  • There have been a flurry of new members at the BTB facebook group, and I’m getting a spike here of search visitors who got here via a “john carter sequel” search. I think maybe the movie is beginning to appear on premium cable in some other countries . . . so more people are starting to see it that way, and it will be playing in pretty heavy rotation on Starz network here starting Nov 17.

  • Great article! I hope many viewers will be in this case, and more important, willing to lobby to see the rest of the story. But that’s representative of the flaw in communication from the marketing department, indeed. The heart displayed in the movie is its most important asset, and many can be won over the years to come. Fingers crossed!

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