Today's review is a little special. Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for pulp fiction. This was started during my early teens with a love for the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read all of his Tarzan, Carson and Carter books growing into adulthood and often return to them now.
Flash Forward to the 17th of April some 14 years ago I was sat at a South london Hospital awaiting the birth of my son (the aforementioned Boy Wonder) and the book I held in my hands to pass the time waiting was A Princess of Mars. The first in the series of Barsoom/ John Carter novels.
I was very interested in what the film version would be like as well as what my son thought of it.
Here is his review.
Read on.
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Movie Review - John Carter.
Cert - 12A.
John Carter is a movie about a treasure hunter from Virginia in the period shortly after the American Civil war being transported to the planet Mars.
The story once he arrives there and finds his feet is all about the wars between the different clans and races on the distant planet. This is very well thought out and introduces each group in a very interesting way.
It is probably worth mentioning at this stage in my review that whilst I saw it in 3D it would probably be a better expeience to watch the 2D version. The 3D did not sem to add much more to the movie and if anything was a bit of a distraction.
The movie is very fast paced. There is a lot of violence in it but all of the fighting has it's place and is a great watch.
I am not really going to make a big comment on the acting in the movie as my age group are not really bothered by that sort of thing but I cannot fault any performances anywhere. The CGI characters and the 'real' characters seemed to engage in a well made and perfectly believable way.
The special effects were incredibly well done. I really liked the design of the flying machines.
I have heard that people might think that the Mars section of the film occurred during a 'dream' that John Carter has whilst knocked out in the cave. I don't agree with this and you can prove that it wasn't a dream because of the other officer in the cave who had become a skeleton, and so showing the passage of time. The journal that he has written is really detailed, more than would be possible if it had come from a dream.
In conclusion I can say that the movie is thoroughly enjoyable but avoid the 3D version if possible.
My favourite moment was when the Green Martians crashed through the wall in the flying machine to save the day.
I don't think that the movie has inspired me to go on and read the books as can be the case with other similar modern movies. On the other hand I would like to see a sequel. I would also like the people who are comparing it to the movie Avatar to realise that John Carter was written almost 100 years before that film!
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There you have it.
Go see it. We loved it.
NIA.
Another great review! You're right: the special effects and the ship designs were fantastic. Not too sure about the jumping, but maybe that's just me. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks dude. Much appreciated.
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