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December 31, 2013.

This blog is now closed. After three years and 311 posts, I have decided to end this blog. I have enjoyed watching the films, reviewing them, and interacting with global readers.

If you are interested in contacting me, you can do so by commenting on any of the posts. The blog will remain live on the web.
Thank you to all the readers for your comments, ideas, and thoughts. They were helpful, stimulating, and enriching. This is Alene, signing off.

March 24, 2012

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



1 comment:

  1. It's very much a star wars rip off. Even Taylor Kitsch's hotness is not enough for me to like this. I really did not understand those shape-shifting Therns. They're powerful and yet they can be killed by a simple gun? Too hokey. It's got some entertaining value but that's what it's all about.. mindless entertaining crap.

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