I was excited to see this movie and went to a midnight showing in my town, it STUNK! I’m guessing you must have seen a different movie than me because what you wrote about is not what I stayed up late and paid $10.75 for, if you want to see it wait to rent if for $1 at a redbox.
I enjoyed the movie. But I honestly really liked it the second time. The first time you don’t really know what is happening and you are like what? But I think the second time you know the characters and can grasp more of the story.
Story line is difficult to follow, and I have read the book. Enjoyable to watch regardless. Edgar Burrough’s was ahead of the curve with his John Carter stories. Go and see it.
Unfortunately, you’re right. But my point with the headline was more that it shouldn’t be a big-budget bomb. That is, John Carter should not bomb at all. Strong word of mouth will rescue it from that fate, though it seems unlikely at this point.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such conflicting opinions for a SciFi film before. Try this: sort all the positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and give them a read. So many enthusiastic reactions, some even recommending watching it twice. Then read the negative opinions, which account for almost exactly half the opinions. You’d think two different movies were being reviewed.
I’m intrigued by this dichotomy, and I honestly can’t wait to find out which side I fall on.
Agreed. It’s a bizarre split. I think there are camps out there who are excited to see Disney fail, much as there were people who were excited to see Pixar fall from their #1 spot with Cars 2. Then there are those who have formed their opinions based on released clips and trailers and haven’t even bothered to see the movie before writing a review. Then there are those who insist John Carter is ripping off other properties (Star Wars, Avatar, Prince of Persia, etc.), though in reality those films in some ways were really inspired by John Carter, the book series. And then there are those who just simply don’t like the movie for any number of personal reasons.
In my opinion, it’s a solid sci-fi film that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. There’s an emphasis on the fiction rather than the science. The movie doesn’t explain how or why a lot of things are happening, nor does it need to. It should simply be taken as an opportunity to be transported to another time and place to watch an adventure unfold.
While I would ding the movie for cramming in a lot of info without finesse, I also have to praise it for ironing out some of the original book’s meandering storylines into a narrative that makes cinematic sense.
The introduction of the Therns this early in the story (they don’t appear until the second book) adds a level of mystery which is really great, especially in relation to the warring of the two human factions. And the addition of intrigue back on Earth is wonderful.
The film’s big srrength is in getting the audience to root for John and his Princess of Mars. If their story did not work, the movie would have been a bust.
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I saw this with my family yesterday. I doubt it is going to win any Oscars but I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. The most baffling thing to me is all the hate toward this film that seemed to be in full force well ahead of its release. If you are looking for this movie to be in the same camp as “Ordinary People” it’s not going to be for you. But if one goes into it with the same un-sequestered heart that one must take, say, into the Magic Kingdom (that is to say – leave any “snark” at the door)it is a treat and a great escape. I’m siding with Ricky on this one.
I went & saw this in 3D, & while I don’t think the 3D affect was critical to the picture, I think the film ROCKED!It was fun, very few slow points, & I have to admit I want to buy some toys from this movie.
Here’s a bit of trivia: Michael Crichton, the creator of ER (and better known for sci-fi like JURASSIC PARK), was a fan of the John Carter of Mars books, and deliberately named Noah Wylie’s character after him.
“I found myself nodding off while attending the huge two-hour Walt Disney Studios presentation.”
That was pretty unprofessional of you, considering that you run a Disney News site and all. And more to the point, considering the fact that no cameras were allowed, you didn’t even have to attend. You could have even left early if you were so bored.
Also;
“I, along with thousands of other Disney fans in the audience, were completely disinterested with the presentation of movie clip after clip”
How do you know that? Did you ask everyone in attendance? I was there and I enjoyed the presentation. That comment of yours really disgusts me.
Ricky, you didn’t used to be so negative. I used to expect better from you.
By the way, I did see John Carter and I thought it was pretty cool.
Did you read the rest of the review or just stop after the first few sentences? I was making a point about just how dull John Carter seemed based solely on the first clips and trailers and yet it ended up being a great movie. The split between what was originally shown and what the movie turned out to be is astounding.
And though I did not ask each and every person in the D23 Expo Arena audience, I did talk to many and every single one was less than enthralled by the John Carter clips shown there. The presentation, as a whole, was a series of ups and downs and unfortunately John Carter was one of the downs – at the time. But the movie itself is definitely good, as the rest of my review makes quite clear.
I saw John Carter last night. I dug it. I thought it was fun. A lot of funny actually. Though I think in the Pixar live action directorial debut contest, Brad Bird still holds the edge over Andrew Stanton for his work on Mission Impossible IV.
I was kind of surprised by how hard the other critics hammered this one.
I stayed up nights as a kid in sweltering Ft. Lauderdale summers. John Carter’s exploits kept me going and alert. The shadows of the Royal Palms etched their character impressions of moonlit fear on my bedroom walls. I have not seen this, but will. I doubt the sheer nobility of the main character could come across as in the book. Burrows often left each tale in a clifhanger position, where, getting the next book was the only solution acceptable to kids. These were my own Dad’s copies, and he had difficulty ever living in the here and now outright. It was the 1950s when I read the series, and Castro was fighting Batista’s army, and as it was spun on the Black and White tube, he was a hero taking on corruption. He later disclosed his Marxism, after winning and setting up firing squads for the opposition. Perhaps the first tale is meant to confuse whose who a bit, and leave one in doubt, to get you to go on to another. The only clarity was that Carter was smitten, and was a macho hero. That holds, right?
I totally agree with you about disliking the Disney movie names lately. For the last two years, all of their movies seem to only have one word. My triplet girls (4 yrs old) talk about dressing up like Tangled or going to the park and getting Tangled’s autograph.
I enjoyed reading your positive review of the film. I think “John Carter” is a brilliant movie on so many counts – the epic worldbuilding, the surprisingly meaty and literary script, the incredible creation of the Tharks, Giacchino’s fantastic score, the fast-paced action sequences – I am just flabbergasted that Disney put so little effort into promoting it properly. Disney could have had a HUGE hit on its hands, and they have no one to blame but themselves for its failure, because they didn’t give it a fair chance.
I also think a PG rating would have helped. Trim just a few sequences, and I think it would be there. I don’t know if they felt they needed PG-13 to be taken seriously, but they should have been more concerned about not effectively shutting out a whole demographic segment of the potential audience from the get-go. I think many 8-10 year olds could enjoy this film, too, but may not get the chance because parents or guardians are spooked by the PG-13.
I just don’t get Disney’s total lack of faith in this film. Shame on them.
I finally saw this movie tonight, and more than once I thought to myself, good heavens, what was Ricky Brigante thinking?? I was so extremely bored throughout the entire thing, this is seriously one of the only times I have ever actually considered leaving the theater early. I checked my watch several times, and audibly groaned when I saw it had only been an hour. The acting was bland and wooden, the effects and creatures didn’t seem original or interesting (especially those grotesque maggot babies and that repulsive dog creature, I seriously retched every time it came on screen), the combination of action, comedy, and romance just didn’t seem balanced or authentic, and the story was weak and played. I just didn’t care what happened to any of them. Maybe if the casting had been better it might have made it a little more tolerable, but as it is, it was one of the dullest movies I can remember seeing in a long time.
Phew, I’m glad to get this off my chest. 🙂 I will be seriously amazed if this spawns a sequel. Considering how much of an understandable failure it was, I don’t expect it will happen.
Wow, amazing how polarizing this movie is. I loved it, better than avatar or any other recent scifi. I am fully convinced now that there is breathable air on mars and that I could go there, jump fifty feet high, fight Martian villains and score a hot brilliant raven haired dusky scantily clad Martian princess babe
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Comments for Review: In defense of “John Carter” – Why this true sci-fi epic is worth seeing and not a big-budget bomb
Brian
I was excited to see this movie and went to a midnight showing in my town, it STUNK! I’m guessing you must have seen a different movie than me because what you wrote about is not what I stayed up late and paid $10.75 for, if you want to see it wait to rent if for $1 at a redbox.
Kristy
I enjoyed the movie. But I honestly really liked it the second time. The first time you don’t really know what is happening and you are like what? But I think the second time you know the characters and can grasp more of the story.
Craig
Story line is difficult to follow, and I have read the book. Enjoyable to watch regardless. Edgar Burrough’s was ahead of the curve with his John Carter stories. Go and see it.
Jones
It can be worth seeing and still be a big-budget bomb…
Ricky Brigante
Unfortunately, you’re right. But my point with the headline was more that it shouldn’t be a big-budget bomb. That is, John Carter should not bomb at all. Strong word of mouth will rescue it from that fate, though it seems unlikely at this point.
Hal9000
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such conflicting opinions for a SciFi film before. Try this: sort all the positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and give them a read. So many enthusiastic reactions, some even recommending watching it twice. Then read the negative opinions, which account for almost exactly half the opinions. You’d think two different movies were being reviewed.
I’m intrigued by this dichotomy, and I honestly can’t wait to find out which side I fall on.
Ricky Brigante
Agreed. It’s a bizarre split. I think there are camps out there who are excited to see Disney fail, much as there were people who were excited to see Pixar fall from their #1 spot with Cars 2. Then there are those who have formed their opinions based on released clips and trailers and haven’t even bothered to see the movie before writing a review. Then there are those who insist John Carter is ripping off other properties (Star Wars, Avatar, Prince of Persia, etc.), though in reality those films in some ways were really inspired by John Carter, the book series. And then there are those who just simply don’t like the movie for any number of personal reasons.
In my opinion, it’s a solid sci-fi film that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. There’s an emphasis on the fiction rather than the science. The movie doesn’t explain how or why a lot of things are happening, nor does it need to. It should simply be taken as an opportunity to be transported to another time and place to watch an adventure unfold.
Hal9000
Finally saw it. Great movie!
While I would ding the movie for cramming in a lot of info without finesse, I also have to praise it for ironing out some of the original book’s meandering storylines into a narrative that makes cinematic sense.
The introduction of the Therns this early in the story (they don’t appear until the second book) adds a level of mystery which is really great, especially in relation to the warring of the two human factions. And the addition of intrigue back on Earth is wonderful.
The film’s big srrength is in getting the audience to root for John and his Princess of Mars. If their story did not work, the movie would have been a bust.
4 out of 5 stars.
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Clay Matthews
I saw this with my family yesterday. I doubt it is going to win any Oscars but I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. The most baffling thing to me is all the hate toward this film that seemed to be in full force well ahead of its release. If you are looking for this movie to be in the same camp as “Ordinary People” it’s not going to be for you. But if one goes into it with the same un-sequestered heart that one must take, say, into the Magic Kingdom (that is to say – leave any “snark” at the door)it is a treat and a great escape. I’m siding with Ricky on this one.
wsouthwell
I went & saw this in 3D, & while I don’t think the 3D affect was critical to the picture, I think the film ROCKED!It was fun, very few slow points, & I have to admit I want to buy some toys from this movie.
Hal9000
Here’s a bit of trivia: Michael Crichton, the creator of ER (and better known for sci-fi like JURASSIC PARK), was a fan of the John Carter of Mars books, and deliberately named Noah Wylie’s character after him.
FS
“I found myself nodding off while attending the huge two-hour Walt Disney Studios presentation.”
That was pretty unprofessional of you, considering that you run a Disney News site and all. And more to the point, considering the fact that no cameras were allowed, you didn’t even have to attend. You could have even left early if you were so bored.
Also;
“I, along with thousands of other Disney fans in the audience, were completely disinterested with the presentation of movie clip after clip”
How do you know that? Did you ask everyone in attendance? I was there and I enjoyed the presentation. That comment of yours really disgusts me.
Ricky, you didn’t used to be so negative. I used to expect better from you.
By the way, I did see John Carter and I thought it was pretty cool.
Ricky Brigante
Did you read the rest of the review or just stop after the first few sentences? I was making a point about just how dull John Carter seemed based solely on the first clips and trailers and yet it ended up being a great movie. The split between what was originally shown and what the movie turned out to be is astounding.
And though I did not ask each and every person in the D23 Expo Arena audience, I did talk to many and every single one was less than enthralled by the John Carter clips shown there. The presentation, as a whole, was a series of ups and downs and unfortunately John Carter was one of the downs – at the time. But the movie itself is definitely good, as the rest of my review makes quite clear.
Scott B
I saw John Carter last night. I dug it. I thought it was fun. A lot of funny actually. Though I think in the Pixar live action directorial debut contest, Brad Bird still holds the edge over Andrew Stanton for his work on Mission Impossible IV.
I was kind of surprised by how hard the other critics hammered this one.
Scott B
#Correction…..A lot of fun actually…..not a lot of funny. If only there were an edit button!
Jay
I stayed up nights as a kid in sweltering Ft. Lauderdale summers. John Carter’s exploits kept me going and alert. The shadows of the Royal Palms etched their character impressions of moonlit fear on my bedroom walls. I have not seen this, but will. I doubt the sheer nobility of the main character could come across as in the book. Burrows often left each tale in a clifhanger position, where, getting the next book was the only solution acceptable to kids. These were my own Dad’s copies, and he had difficulty ever living in the here and now outright. It was the 1950s when I read the series, and Castro was fighting Batista’s army, and as it was spun on the Black and White tube, he was a hero taking on corruption. He later disclosed his Marxism, after winning and setting up firing squads for the opposition. Perhaps the first tale is meant to confuse whose who a bit, and leave one in doubt, to get you to go on to another. The only clarity was that Carter was smitten, and was a macho hero. That holds, right?
Greg Mathews
I totally agree with you about disliking the Disney movie names lately. For the last two years, all of their movies seem to only have one word. My triplet girls (4 yrs old) talk about dressing up like Tangled or going to the park and getting Tangled’s autograph.
Mike Poteet
I enjoyed reading your positive review of the film. I think “John Carter” is a brilliant movie on so many counts – the epic worldbuilding, the surprisingly meaty and literary script, the incredible creation of the Tharks, Giacchino’s fantastic score, the fast-paced action sequences – I am just flabbergasted that Disney put so little effort into promoting it properly. Disney could have had a HUGE hit on its hands, and they have no one to blame but themselves for its failure, because they didn’t give it a fair chance.
I also think a PG rating would have helped. Trim just a few sequences, and I think it would be there. I don’t know if they felt they needed PG-13 to be taken seriously, but they should have been more concerned about not effectively shutting out a whole demographic segment of the potential audience from the get-go. I think many 8-10 year olds could enjoy this film, too, but may not get the chance because parents or guardians are spooked by the PG-13.
I just don’t get Disney’s total lack of faith in this film. Shame on them.
Drew
I finally saw this movie tonight, and more than once I thought to myself, good heavens, what was Ricky Brigante thinking?? I was so extremely bored throughout the entire thing, this is seriously one of the only times I have ever actually considered leaving the theater early. I checked my watch several times, and audibly groaned when I saw it had only been an hour. The acting was bland and wooden, the effects and creatures didn’t seem original or interesting (especially those grotesque maggot babies and that repulsive dog creature, I seriously retched every time it came on screen), the combination of action, comedy, and romance just didn’t seem balanced or authentic, and the story was weak and played. I just didn’t care what happened to any of them. Maybe if the casting had been better it might have made it a little more tolerable, but as it is, it was one of the dullest movies I can remember seeing in a long time.
Phew, I’m glad to get this off my chest. 🙂 I will be seriously amazed if this spawns a sequel. Considering how much of an understandable failure it was, I don’t expect it will happen.
Jks
Wow, amazing how polarizing this movie is. I loved it, better than avatar or any other recent scifi. I am fully convinced now that there is breathable air on mars and that I could go there, jump fifty feet high, fight Martian villains and score a hot brilliant raven haired dusky scantily clad Martian princess babe
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wonderful to have something like this available. I’ve been doing franchise development for a while now and I adore locating things like this that I can easily give to associates and individuals looking to start franchising. Discovering really good franchising info is quite tough, so it’s good to be able to
share this with people that are into franchising or
are checking the waters too.
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