Behind the Times: John Carter

 Went to watch the film John Carter yesterday, I have to say that I really enjoyed the film. Yes it is clichéd but there is just something that made me want to keep watching! The special effects were great; I’m not a fan of 3D so I won’t comment on that. 

I don’t know enough of the back-story or the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs except for Conan and that only comes from the movies so I’m no expert. I’m sure if I did I’d be a lot more critical, I’ve just finished reading the Hobbit again just so I can compare it to the film at the end of the year!

Anyways, the film is a perfect space opera filled with swashbuckling escapades, stem punk technology and monsters. How much better can it get? I did not walk out of the cinema shaking my head like I did for Avatar or the Phantom menace not to mention the recent Conan film!

On to the likes and Dislikes:

Likes

-The use old clichés like the princes having to marry a man she doesn’t love, blue for the good guys and red for the bad guys, a primitive horde based on the Mongols with an Avataresque dash of American Indian, a sinister force secretly controlling the world and humans ‘travelling to another world’ think Narnia and Avatar again, a colosseum fight to the death. This movie actually makes it work, it doesn’t try to be more than what it is, a spectacle clear and simple. Not a laboured allegory

- The Tharks are really really cool! Reminded me of the Kroot in Warhammer 40k or should it be the other way round?

-That ‘Flash’ Dog

-It was actually fun to watch and very entertaining

-A fascinating world I would love to see developed over a few more films

-The way that Carter tricks the Thern into giving him the amulet

-The epic battle between Carter and the enemy Thark tribe

-Carter’s objection to war is explained clearly

Dislikes

-What I do have an issue with is the motivation of the true villains of the piece it isn’t elaborated on sufficiently except that they like overly villainous and convoluted plots.

-There really isn’t any way that the Burroughs character could protect Carter’s body on earth

-I didn’t buy Kitsch’s ‘southern accent’

-The negative connotations associated with a deity and its servants it’s an allusion to religion in the real world and I feel that’s copping enough flak

-The fact that this film doesn’t have a 3 ¾” toyline!! That’s all I could think about as I watched the film!

-The overly elaborate and convoluted plot forcing the princess to marry the Jedak of Zodanga just to kill her seems unnecessary. Especially since he has the power to destroy everyone with his ninth ray secret weapon!

-The final battle wasn’t as good as all the others portrayed in the film, I don’t understand why Sab Than didn’t use the ninth ray and simply disintegrate everyone?

-Why was everyone’s blood blue?

Well all in all I can’t say enough about this film, it is simply a lot of fun, like a really good Saturday morning cartoon.

I give it 4/5 behind the times. It’s still the best I can do...