2013
Formats
HDTV
Premise
Based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs book A Princess of Mars, Taylor Kitsch stars as a U.S. Civil War veteran who finds himself transported to wartorn Mars.
Liked
Martian dog.
Thoughts
Well, it didn't suck. Not a great compliment, but in a way it was given the negative buzz overload.
My favorite part was the Martian dog. He was an adorable, slobbering, reptilian piece of CGI. His unstoppable homing device gimmick was funny and cute.
As expected for a big budget spectacle, the visual effects were top-notch. Director Andrew Stanton showed strong command of action and computer graphics. Not surprising, given his Pixar track record. I got a good sense clashing armies, aerial battles, and high speed chases amid the red planet's lone vastness.
However, Stanton's command of directing human actors was not as strong. I found the acting to be wooden. Taylor Kitsch was okay as the lead, but not exactly charming with his incessant brooding and almost-comical gruff voice. Lynn Collins was quite badass. Not that it wins over the weak spots, but kudos to the film makers for casting someone who wasn't exactly "Hollywood skinny" for the romantic lead.
Other flaws: I couldn't really tell characters apart, the politics confused me, and it didn't bring anything new to the table. That last one obviously came with an asterisk, given that the original material was considered a pioneer of science-fiction, but it had not aged well.
John Carter was decent popcorn entertainment. With its strong action sequences and cute Mars doggie, the hate and ridicule was unjustified. But they should've stuck to their guns and called it John Carter of Mars.
