John Carter - 3D (2012)

When it’s over, Taylor Kitsch is easy on the eyes, but I’m not convinced he’s a hero from Mars.  Kitsch plays John Carter, a civil war veteran from Virginia who is teleported to Mars when he stumbles upon a mysterious medallion belonging to the space travelers known as Therns (aka White Martians).  When Carter arrives on Mars, he inherits special powers due to his skeletal density and the planet’s lower gravitational pull.  At first, Carter is reluctant to take sides in an on-going civil war between varying species, but his fondness, friendship, and growing attraction towards the inhabitants give him cause and reason to take a stand.  The film was well paced and easy enough to follow, but too much of the story felt recycled.  I saw bits of Star Wars and Avatar in this film, which disappointed me since I was hoping for fresh images and stronger story lines.  However, I did like the shape shifting Therns.  Their extraordinary powers made them a worthy adversary to Carter and a true nemesis in the film.  I think if the filmmakers had developed them further, it would have made the film more dynamic and interesting.  Another thing that would have made the film better was Carter’s wardrobe.  It really is the details that sell the look of a character.  I didn’t think dressing Carter in strips of fabric worked to sell the hero image, which was an integral part in making this film believable.  I think the filmmakers tried to mimic the comics in order to please loyal fans, but what may have worked in the comics, doesn’t work onscreen.  It would have been more effective to have Carter go topless for the whole of the film rather than have straggly fabrics dangling from his body, which takes away rather than add to the character’s overall image.  I understand Disney's desire to remain conservative in their films, but if they can show a beheading in the film, then they can have Kitsch going topless.


My rating:  2.5 out of 5