Disclaimer: I came into this film knowing almost nothing about the original material beyond that it was from Edgar Rice Burroughs and it was set on Mars. I knew nothing about the misguided marketing or behind-the-scenes production issues until after the movie had ended.
True to its pulp origins, John Carter is a movie that makes a valiant leap to be Indiana Jones and Avatar, but falls short of those lofty heights. It has all of the ingredients — a rugged leading man, damsels in distress, exotic locales, mysterious villains, thrilling encounters — but they don't quite gel into a cohesive whole. The end result is a movie that sits there, enjoyable as a diversion, but not compelling enough to excite audiences.
The biggest problem is that it's hard to get emotionally invested in the characters; they often do things (or don't do things) only due to the necessity of the plot. For example, John's switch from embittered bystander to life-affirming Martian hero comes out of nowhere and doesn't feel earned. Dejah claims she would do anything to save Helium, yet refuses to marry Than Kosis simply because he's the Designated Villain. And the romance between them comes out of almost nowhere, with barely any hint of attraction set up. Meanwhile, I found myself more invested in Tars and Sola than anyone else in the film.
The rest of the movie suffers from similar issues that might have been avoided with more planning. The movie itself is overly long, and I found myself watching the clock several times; perhaps the story would have benefitted from a streamlined plot, keeping the focus between Zodanga, Helium, and the Tharks. The motivation of the villains is never set up beyond For the Evulz, which is somewhat counterbalanced by their lack of villainous actions and regular use of the Villain Ball. The big tentpole action sequences are flashy but forgettable, with one massive battle in an evening so dark that it's difficult to see most of what's happening. Finally, the ending is anticlimactic and bittersweet, going from a textbook climax to a narration-heavy denouement and an unresolved ending.
Much has been written about why John Carter failed at the box office, and it will be interesting to see how future attempts to bring the character to the big screen will fare. But for the rest of us, this is a textbook example of a movie whose parts are greater than the whole.
Not a bad movie, but not a great one, either
Disclaimer: I came into this film knowing almost nothing about the original material beyond that it was from Edgar Rice Burroughs and it was set on Mars. I knew nothing about the misguided marketing or behind-the-scenes production issues until after the movie had ended.
True to its pulp origins, John Carter is a movie that makes a valiant leap to be Indiana Jones and Avatar, but falls short of those lofty heights. It has all of the ingredients — a rugged leading man, damsels in distress, exotic locales, mysterious villains, thrilling encounters — but they don't quite gel into a cohesive whole. The end result is a movie that sits there, enjoyable as a diversion, but not compelling enough to excite audiences.
The biggest problem is that it's hard to get emotionally invested in the characters; they often do things (or don't do things) only due to the necessity of the plot. For example, John's switch from embittered bystander to life-affirming Martian hero comes out of nowhere and doesn't feel earned. Dejah claims she would do anything to save Helium, yet refuses to marry Than Kosis simply because he's the Designated Villain. And the romance between them comes out of almost nowhere, with barely any hint of attraction set up. Meanwhile, I found myself more invested in Tars and Sola than anyone else in the film.
The rest of the movie suffers from similar issues that might have been avoided with more planning. The movie itself is overly long, and I found myself watching the clock several times; perhaps the story would have benefitted from a streamlined plot, keeping the focus between Zodanga, Helium, and the Tharks. The motivation of the villains is never set up beyond For the Evulz, which is somewhat counterbalanced by their lack of villainous actions and regular use of the Villain Ball. The big tentpole action sequences are flashy but forgettable, with one massive battle in an evening so dark that it's difficult to see most of what's happening. Finally, the ending is anticlimactic and bittersweet, going from a textbook climax to a narration-heavy denouement and an unresolved ending.
Much has been written about why John Carter failed at the box office, and it will be interesting to see how future attempts to bring the character to the big screen will fare. But for the rest of us, this is a textbook example of a movie whose parts are greater than the whole.