*If you don't want to know anything about the film, please don't read this review.*
How do you make a film based on a story that inspired so many popular science fiction films and characters, and yet make it fresh, interesting and visually stunning? Maybe two time Academy Award-winning Pixar director can make that happen. More below.
"John Carter"—a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). "John Carter" is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands. The screenplay was written by Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon.
This was not an easy task for Andrew Stanton, the director of films such as
Wall-E and
Finding Nemo, as well as a co-writer of the
Toy Story trilogy. Stanton, who is a big fan of the source material, grew up with John Carter stories, and the first novel,
A Princess of Mars was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912. There are 11 novels in total better known as the
Barsoom series. These stories influenced some of the most popular films we know today, Star Wars and Avatar being the two big examples, as well as characters like Superman and Flash Gordon. Now, after 100 years, we are finally getting a film based on a story that was and still is, an inspiration to many people. Studios tried to bring John Carter on the big screen many, many times, but there were always problems. So, the big question is whether or not is Andrew Stanton's version worth seeing in theatres? Yes, absolutely.
John Carter marks the live action debut for Andrew Stanton, and just like with Brad Bird, it doesn't feel like that, at all. This film is definitely not what you would expect. Remember that very first teaser trailer with Peter Gabriel's cover of
My Body Is A Cage? Well, that's exactly the tone of
John Carter. Forget everything else we have seen so far. Stanton combines the elements of old-school western and science fiction and the result is rather amazing. I'm big fan of the novels, and while there are some major changes, almost everything works. There are sequences in the film that are visually amazing. There are two in particular that you won't forget anytime soon. The the learning-to-walk sequence when he first wakes up on Mars is probably one of my favorite parts of the film. The way it was shot it brilliant, and that scene is followed by Carter meeting Tars Tarkas (VORGINIA!). The other scene that stood out is Carter and Woola battling Warhoons, and oh my, was it a great scene indeed. When the battle begins, Carter starts remembering the part of his life when his family was killed, and it's a very emotional scene. The editing is also very clever and it what makes the whole thing unique. Even though this is Disney and it's a PG-13 film, there are some moments that push the fantasy violence to its limits, but since the novel has some brutal scenes, this is no surprise. Stanton's style from his previous films is definitely here, because the title character is an outcast, a person who has lost everything and is in a need for something bigger and better that will give him purpose in life.
Taylor Kitsch, who plays this iconic character, was surprisingly really good. His portrayal of a guy who lost everything in his life is what keeps the film going, and you get to see the journey he takes when he gets to Barsoom and you are always wondering what will happen next. In the novels, Carter is a little bit arrogant character who means well and wants to do good, and Kitsch definitely shows that in the film. The big part of the story is his relationship with Dejah Thoris, the princess of Helium. Which brings me to Lynn Collins. What can I say? Again, another big surprise for me (and everyone else I think) is how great she was in this film. While Dejah is "damsel in distress" character, Stanton decided to make her more of a fighter and a strong female lead. And that's exactly what you will see.
The relationship between Carter and Dejah works on many levels. The interesting part here is that unlike in the novel, Stanton and writers made Carter a family man during his time on Earth, before they were killed. The whole idea of having him getting a second chance on another planet is interesting, and it actually works a lot better than in the novel. Willem Dafoe, who is playing Tars Tarkas, the Jeddak of Tharks via motion-capture, was perfect. I really, really loved his performance. Tars Tarkas was just the way I imagined it would be while I was reading the novel. While he seems ruthless (because he has to be considering that's how Tharks are described), he is also funny, but he acts like a true Jeddak. The film is not perfect though. When it comes to the villains, you have Sab Than, played by Dominic West, and while his performance of the "mad for power" Prince of Zodanga is good, we don't get to see his development and the film suffers from that. Same goes for Mark Strong, who is playing the leader of the Holy Therns, Matai Shang. Again, good performance but it feels flat. This character is an important one, because like Stanton said, if we get a sequel, you will see much more of him. The last bad guy is Tal Hajus, played via motion-capture by Thomas Haden Church. Let me just say that I loved how this character was approached. Hajus is a cold beast, and that is shown here very well. Bryan Cranston was great too. He is not in the film for a long time, but for what he is, it's a character that I wanted to see more of. Same goes for James Purefoy, who played Kantos Kan. Great supporting role just like in the novels, and he gave a really good performance.
There are two characters in this film everyone will love. And that's Sola and Woola. Sola, played by Samantha Morton also via motion-capture is a character that has a lot of emotions, and that is something that makes her one of a kind among Tharks. I will end this "characters" part of the review with Woola, a great, ugly, but loyal beast full heart, that everyone will love. In the novel, Woola follows Carter everywhere and basically he is a loyal companion and his best friend. And I'm so happy Stanton made Woola just the way I wanted to see him on film. Funny, brave, and just awesome. There is a battle scene where he and Carter stand together against an army, and it's just so great.
Visually,
John Carter is absolutely amazing. From the western setting to the skies and deserts of Barsoom, everything is top notch. The CG on Tharks is basically flawless. Every single scene involving CGI has great amount of detail. For example, the scene in the Arena where Carter battles the White Apes is mind blowing on the big screen. That scene is so well filmed, it just shows you that almost anything is possible today with CG animation. I've read some reviews saying that action scenes are left behind in the film. That is not true. Action is there and it's really good. The thing is, it's not the main focus. It's sort of a supporting part of the film, just like Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the novels. This is a VERY character driven story, and some of you might actually be surprised by that. The one thing that also didn't work as good as I would have hoped, is the final battle. It's big dir sure, but too short. And even though the film is well over 2 hours, it really doesn't feel like that. Which is of course good, but maybe 5 more minutes of that final battle in Helium would have been perfect.
When it comes to the differences between the film and the novel, there are a couple of big changes that work quite well. The mystery element of Carter getting to Mars was never revealed in the novels, and I liked that. Stanton decided to change that, and explain right away how and why he gets there. And the thing is, it works. If he decided to have that big mystery element in film, I'm not really sure how many people would like that. Film is cheesy in some parts (mostly the romance), but I can tell that is something director wanted to use, because it feels just like Burroughs' writing. And considering it was written in 1912, that's exactly what you will get when you read the novel. As for the humor, it's there and me and everyone else who was watching the film, laughed at the right moment, and there are some really funny scenes. The music by Michael Giacchino is something that you should pay attention. Next to his
Star Trek score, probably Giacchino's best work. There is a theme throughout the film that is just amazing.
Overall, I will say that this was probably the most emotional film experience ever for me. I've been waiting for a very long time to see this film, and I can safely say it's been worth the wait. The story works, it's different, and it captures Burroughs' writing and the novel perfectly. The ending of the film is just so brilliant and you will want to see a sequel for sure. Stanton and everyone else involved made a really good, fun, old-school science fiction film, that will hopefully introduce everyone to this amazing story that changed the sci-fi world as we know it today.
RATING: 8.5/10
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