Review: John Carter (of Mars)

I've often been told that I watch movies differently than most. I'd like to think that not to be true. We all view and appreciate art in many different ways. Some break the work, whether it's written or visual, down into pieces, others prefer to look at the work as a whole. For a film like John Carter (of Mars), you really need to look at the sum of its parts in order to genuinely enjoy it.

The visuals in this film are nothing to take lightly.

The film, directed by Andrew Stanton (of Finding Nemo and WALL-E fame), follows the exploits of John Carter, a civil war veteran, and his quest to find a cave of gold. After a run in with a mysterious, other worldly man, Carter finds himself on Mars, caught in the middle of a civil war that threatens the planet.

This is the plot, in a nutshell.

The film starts at a slow burn, taking time to set up Carter as he is on Earth. And though it may seem as if the plot is meandering at times, nearly everything gets paid off and, in the end, it makes Carter's growth as a character feel much more satisfying. That's not to say the film suffers from immense pacing issues. Scenes of exposition run rampant and definitely disrupts the flow of the story.

The dialog of the film is another major issue that may turn audiences off. In short, the dialog ranges from barely passable to full on atrocious. Oddly enough, however, I still found the performances to be largely passable despite such shoddy dialog.

However, as I said, this is a film that needs to be broken down to fully enjoy.

The world of Mars that Andrew Stanton has crafted is nothing short of marvelous. With absolutely stunning visuals and incredible set pieces, this film is a joy to look at. Everything from the effects department was clearly done with care. With a background in animation, Stanton really seems to have his bearings when directing the most CG heavy scenes.

Enough can't be said about this little guy.

The action John Carter (of Mars) is another facet of the film that certainly does not disappoint. My jaw practically hit the floor with every carefully crafted action sequence. The action never once feels stale or boring and always manages to find a way to impress.

Overall, do not go into this film expecting to be swept away by an epic storyline or groundbreaking performances. Rather, expect to be dazzled by stunning action surrounded by a vivid, and wholly thought out world. If nothing else about John Carter (of Mars) impresses, just sit back and marvel at the sheer beauty of it.

Rating: 3/5


As a side note: I think it was a huge mistake on Disney's part to drop "of Mars" from the title. Though films that mention Mars in their title are, historically, more than terrible, it would have, at the very least, given audiences an idea of what the film was about. As a friend of mine so eloquently put, "John Carter. Some dude you played T-ball with or a Disney action movie?"