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A great 'popcorn' movie! - 10/3/2012 8:27:09 PM

chrashed

Posts: 5
Joined: 25/1/2006

While watching John Carter 3D, I couldn't help but feel like I was a 10-year-old kid again. As I was whisked away to Mars (Barsoom in the film) and plunged into the middle of an inter-planetary civil war! The film took me back to a time when I watched films such as Star Wars, Clash of the Titans (the original 1982 version), Krull or even Flash Gordon for the very first time and felt that thrill and excitement you only get as a child.
The team at Pixar animation - producing their first ever live-action movie under the stewardship of Andrew Stanton (award winning director of Wall-E & Finding Nemo) - have managed to create a rich, diverse and colourful (if mostly Red!) world, and filled it with highly engaging, emotive and carefully thought out characters.
John Carter certainly matches, and in most cases betters, many of the Sci-fi blockbusters that Hollywood has produced over the last few years and If your idea of a visit to the movies is to be whisked away to far off lands and marooned in a sea of thrilling action and adventure, then go see John Carter 3D, as you won't be disappointed!

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Post #: 31

Don't Bother - 11/3/2012 9:00:38 AM

Maneroch

Posts: 13
Joined: 19/5/2009
From: Lichfield

I had high hopes for this film after seeing the first 10 mins on line. But the rest of the script was clunky and cliche ridden with none of the wit and character that the 10 minute trailer delivered. (and no more Walter White). Dominic West was rubbish - he just gurned and over acted his way through the whole thing kept slipping back to Martian Sheffield.(I know planets have a north - but come on) Can anyone think of a film West has been any good in? - So, badly acted - badly written but good special effects -we wished we'd seen Stars Wars 1 in 3D - that's how disappointed we were!

< Message edited by Maneroch -- 11/3/2012 9:02:02 AM >

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Post #: 32

- 11/3/2012 10:46:51 AM

ericcoyle

Posts: 45
Joined: 9/10/2009

Anyone who knows the history of this story knows that it is not cliched or derivative. It created most of the "cliches" we see today and almost every sci fi actioner from Flash Gordon and Star Wars to Avatar (quite shamelessly it has to be said) has derived most of their ideas from John Carter, including strange names and strange locations and the idea of physical projection into an alternative body existing in another place.
For my part I left the cinema with a smile on my face reminiscent of the one I had as a 14 year old boy departing the cinema on my first viewing of Star Wars. It manages to be fun, exciting and romantic and have the physical punch I want from this sort of film. Any criticism of it being "bonkers" or "silly" should look back at all the great sci fi action/adventure films and realise that all this stuff is bonkers and silly. That is why we love it so.
I saw the film in 2D and would need to be payed to see a 3D film as it is the death of modern cinema. The visual images were incredible and the leaping was incredible. I read a review which said it was fake looking. What does this even mean? Has anyone ever seen a man leap through the air like this? How does any one have the bench mark to measure that against for realism. How on God's earth could it have been made more believable? Critism like that come from people trying to find fault and grasping on to whatever they think they can get hold of.
I would happily watch John Carter again and will certainly be getting the DVD. That is the mark of a good film as far as I am concerned.

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Post #: 33

RE: John Carter - 11/3/2012 4:14:41 PM

princessa

Posts: 728
Joined: 6/6/2006

Didn't expect much from this so was not disappointed. The movie looks good shame Disney did not spend enough time on the script. The plot is overcomplicated and weak. The acting ranges from ok to awful. I was bored tbh.

Taylor Kitsch proves himself a good leading man. I thought the scenes worked well when he was with humans unfortunately when he was with the aliens the film got dull.

2/5 stars for me.

I think it will do well but not as expected by Disney.

Post #: 34

RE: John Carter - 11/3/2012 9:37:59 PM

Rgirvan44

Posts: 18863
Joined: 10/3/2006
From: Punishment Park

So the water can translate the martian language and provide John Carter with a translation for "solar system" but not "king".

Such an odd film - much like Riddick it couldn't balance the serious stuff and the goofy stuff. But worth seeing. And I like that it was pretty self contained.

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Post #: 35

A fantastic film - 12/3/2012 5:45:21 AM

Cynric

Posts: 30
Joined: 26/11/2006
From: Penarth

I genuinely loved this film. I am fully aware that many critics have panned this film (and I am intrigued by Empire's generally positive review, yet three star rating), but I found little to not to enjoy. The story (thanks to source) was engaging and enjoyable, The effects were as good as can possibly expected, and the cast (predominantly made of Rome alumni) were brilliant. My only worry (from watching the trailers) was Taylor Kitsch, but he proved a compelling lead. I make no denial of the fact that I spent much of my viewing shouting "Hah!" and "yay!". If I had to try and justify it to nay-sayers (as I imagine I am going to spend the next few weeks doing) I'd point out that I have had no where near as much fun watching a film (especially in fucking 3D) in a long time.

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Post #: 36

A fantastic film - 12/3/2012 5:45:23 AM

Cynric

Posts: 30
Joined: 26/11/2006
From: Penarth

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Post #: 37

extra - 12/3/2012 5:54:39 AM

Cynric

Posts: 30
Joined: 26/11/2006
From: Penarth

I'd also like o point out that the Tharks felt like a far more REAL society than the Na'vi ever have or will.

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Post #: 38

RE: Get Your Ass To Barsoom - 12/3/2012 10:22:40 AM

Wild about Wilder

Posts: 1480
Joined: 9/4/2010
From: Hertfordshire

Saw it at the Weekend though it wasn't as bad as was led to beleave thought itcould've done with being trimmed by 15-30 minutes as some of the script was "FUCKING AWFULL!" though will say much prefered the aliens in this to Ja Ja & chums especially liked the Dog type thing? there you go (GEORGE!) if you if you are going to have a kid friendly character at least make him usefull.
I don't think we can blame the B-movie type performances on the Actors as they can only deliver what's on the script & judging by weekend box-office in the US it looks doubtfull well be seeing another John Carter film couldn't even come in at N.O.1

An ok 6.5/10

Post #: 39

RE: John Carter - 12/3/2012 4:19:09 PM

spamandham

Posts: 481
Joined: 27/11/2008

Dear lord what a terrible, gigantic, turkey of a film. I would say good luck in recouping the ~$500M but then again I don't give a toss!

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Post #: 40

JC - 13/3/2012 10:00:14 AM

Skillgannon

Posts: 594
Joined: 16/5/2008

Having read some mixed opinions before the film was even released, I was uncertain whether to see this.
Watched it yesterday afternoon (3 people inc me in the Odeon) and thought it was great. Was a little bit slow at first but once he got his ass to Mars, I had a blinding time. Yeah, ok so we have seen some of the things before but as mentioned elsewhere, this is based on a novel from way before any of these other films.
Personally I loved it and will be buying it when it comes out on Blu ray.
4 stars...
but 5 stars for Lynn Collins who looked stunning!

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Post #: 41

John Carter - 13/3/2012 5:11:24 PM

mazgolightly

Posts: 8
Joined: 12/3/2012

I thoroughly enjoyed myself for 2 hours. Having read some lukewarm reviews and all manner of feedback comments, I do wonder why people nitpick over science fiction films details/plot/alien life forms etc etc. It's SCIENCE FICTION, so it's not real. It's sheer escapism and I thought it was cool. Taylor Kitch did a super job for his first major film role, Mark Strong was an excellent baddie as always, though I would like so see him in a non-baddie role for a change... All in all, it was great fun. Just saying....

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Post #: 42

Total lack of caring - 14/3/2012 10:24:40 AM

sephiroth7

Posts: 150
Joined: 14/10/2009

This is a terrible movie with dull characters and failing action. AVOID!

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Post #: 43

Good Old Fashioned Fun !!! - 14/3/2012 10:57:34 AM

happiboy

Posts: 3
Joined: 1/12/2010

Most of the reviews for this film say the action set pieces are below standard. Not true, within the context of the film, the politics and the earth bound set ups, they work magnificently. the true joy of John Carter is the fact that it brings to mind every western, sci fi, roman epic you ever saw and then some. The dialogue is witty and well written, Kitsch proves he is admirably up to the task of a leading man and all the other characters play their parts well. There are so many nods to the great matinee movies of the 50's and 60's ( Time Machine, Spartacus etc....). My only complaint is that at two and a quarter hours it wasn't long enough !!! Loved it.......

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Post #: 44

Good Old Fashioned Fun !!! - 14/3/2012 10:58:50 AM

happiboy

Posts: 3
Joined: 1/12/2010

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Post #: 45

Wait, I'm sure I have been here before!?? - 14/3/2012 8:54:19 PM

Ramone87

Posts: 37
Joined: 24/12/2011

A solid Sci-Fi yarn but just too familiar in amost all it's aspects to make it truly stand out. The story centers around a Virginian Civil War vet called John Carter who get's transported to the Planet of Barsoom mars and get's tangled in a civil war between two alien races.

Here we have it all, Avatar scenes, Star Wars scenes, Flash Gordon scenes, Superman like powers, even a dose of Indiana
jones thrown in for good measure. Fair enough this adpation of Edgar Rice Burroughs 'A Princess Of Mars' could have been
the original inspiration for all our beloved sci-fi epics since but it does'nt garentee that this will be as good as what we have
seen before.

Taylor Kitsch, Mark Strong and Lynn Collins stand out in thier lead parts and do what they can with a script which is merely
adequate, and goes through the motions we have encountered done to death in Star Wars and any other intersteller epics.

The main problem is that Avatar is now the bench mark in terms of visual and impactfull Sci-fi strorytelling and it just does'nt measure up, sure there some enjoyable set pieces and action sequences but not outstanding enough to stun the senses.

Worth a trip, but you have been here to many times already!!

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Post #: 46

RE: Get Your Ass To Barsoom - 15/3/2012 3:12:41 PM

FoximusPrime

Posts: 214
Joined: 11/12/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Timon

However saying that, when it got going it was a great old fashioned yarn. Personally, it needed more James Purefoy as apart from being the 'loyal soldier' Kantos Kan had nothing to do. I assume, he plays a bigger part in future stories?

Here be spoilers:

Purefoy still managed to be the highlight of the film for me. Outside the stunning Lynn Collins anyway.

I'd pay real money to watch a buddy-cop(soldier) spin-off where Purefoy's character teams up with a straight-laced, by-the-book new partner to fight evil, solve mysteries and get into general shenanigans on Barsoom. There was a brief scene with him during the big fight at the end of JCoM that gave us a flash of what that could be like.

The rest of the film was simply boring - as boring as the final hour of Transformers Dark of the Moon. As boring as the entirety of Salt. Or like someone had sucked all of the fun out of Flash Gordon. I was clock watching before the hour mark.

I liked the opening, despite Dominic West's awful delivery of the line, "Who...WHAT are you?" and Mark Strong was ever-reliable - a new addition to my list of 27%ers in the last couple of years. But after that prologue, there seemed to be some needless and confusing time-hopping: we had the 1881 setting purely to introduce us to "Ned": a thread that I think felt shoe-horned in. We then jump to 1868, which is where I think we should've joined Earth to be honest.

Was the fact that Carter looked no older in 1881 than in 1868 linked to the later revelation that the version on Mars was a copy or that he'd obviously been "away" for months or years - long enough to have Bryan Cranston decay to a skeleton (I was hoping we'd get more of his character)? No. They just decided that he wouldn't age in those 13 years since his return to Earth.

I appreciate the legacy of the source material (which I've never read although I've often considered picking up the Dynamite comics version) and there was a very good film to be made out of it but despite giving it a go, with poor dialogue, poor delivery by so many of the cast, sloppy pacing at least at the beginning (which meant they'd lost me pretty much from the off) and a general lack of fun considering what they were working with (I did like the dog thing and Tars Tarkas), this was not that film. Disappointing.

Post #: 47

john carter - 16/3/2012 8:44:58 PM

HERMES_67

Posts: 91
Joined: 1/10/2005

this is a good film that is well worth watching...

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Post #: 48

john carter - 16/3/2012 8:45:00 PM

HERMES_67

Posts: 91
Joined: 1/10/2005

this is a good film that is well worth watching...

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Post #: 49

John Carter Review - 17/3/2012 12:19:44 AM

DaleLawson

Posts: 21
Joined: 19/12/2011
From: Exmouth

Elaborate special effects, a large budget and a week plot are often three aspects that define a blockbuster movie. Everyone also always expects them to be somewhat enjoyable and entertaining, whether you are a film critic, movie-buff or just an occasional cinema goer. So when John Carter, the first blockbuster of the year, was released; audiences expected an entertaining linear narrative. What we werenâ€™t expecting was a slow paced, overly complicated sci-fi/fantasy film with mediocre acting and special effects that really werenâ€™t that special.

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Post #: 50

John Carter Review - 17/3/2012 12:57:18 AM

the film man

Posts: 598
Joined: 13/10/2010

While John Carter looks terrific, delivers its share of pulpy thrills and successfully brings you into the world made fantastically by Andrew Stanton, the film unfortunately suffers from uneven pacing and occasionally incomprehensible plotting and characterization.

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Post #: 51

RE: RE: - 17/3/2012 1:31:04 AM

Emyr Thy King

Posts: 2153
Joined: 13/4/2006
From: The Grid

quote:

ORIGINAL: impqueen
I too would love for someone to adapt Tarzan as he was created but I doubt it will ever happen.

There's probably more chance of finding gorillas in the mist.

I was initially going to ignore this film seeing as the Kermodo dragon's tongue was sharp on this one and the Mayo was stronger than usual. But on the whole, it seems that people's comments here are positive if admittedly not very glowing, still that's enough for me. Taylor Kitsch seems to have come out all right? Perhaps his viking lander has an equally sturdy footing in Battleship?

< Message edited by Emyr Thy King -- 17/3/2012 1:34:35 AM >

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Post #: 52

Very enjoyable - 17/3/2012 11:27:56 AM

sjmlondon

Posts: 46
Joined: 19/9/2006

I thoroughly enjoyed this. The two main leads Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins are good and you can see where the money has gone on the effects. There is a good love story under all the action and slightly confusing story telling.

It does suffer that some of it's key action scenes seem to have been lifted straight from Star Wars, such as the Arena fight (Attack of the Clones) and the Speeder chase (Return of the Jedi). It doesn't help either with one of the alien races being refered to as Jeditch or simlar (Jedi) and the whole Mars thing looks like Tattooine. Whether George Lucas read the book first and borrowed ideas, who's to know.

I have to say some of the other Brits look a bit less comfortable in their roles with Dominc West, James Purefoy, Mark Strong and Ciar�n Hinds (in novelty fright wig) all looking as if they wished they were somewhere else..

At least it is change from all the recent inane comedies and copycat rom coms. Certainly worth checking out and I would like to see a sequel

< Message edited by sjmlondon -- 17/3/2012 11:29:40 AM >

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Post #: 53

RE: RE: - 17/3/2012 1:09:30 PM

Proudfoot

Posts: 318
Joined: 13/4/2009

quote:

ORIGINAL: Emyr Thy King
Taylor Kitsch seems to have come out all right?

He does a fine job. He's very earnest and commited and it works.

But I do think this film will more or less destroy his career. On the other hand, people have walked away from major flops unscathed, so who knows.

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Post #: 54

Super Fun..... - 19/3/2012 7:27:56 PM

docksidedave

Posts: 19
Joined: 5/6/2009
From: Doncaster

........Saw this at the weekend and both my wife and i thoroughly enjoyed it,The Tharks,especially, put a grin on my fizzog which never went away,not to mention the best Space Princess since Leia circa 83....in short,we loved it.....

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Post #: 55

Super Fun..... - 19/3/2012 7:28:02 PM

docksidedave

Posts: 19
Joined: 5/6/2009
From: Doncaster

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Post #: 56

Super Fun..... - 19/3/2012 7:28:08 PM

docksidedave

Posts: 19
Joined: 5/6/2009
From: Doncaster

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Post #: 57

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT... - 21/3/2012 9:44:54 PM

boredbluekoala

Posts: 418
Joined: 23/8/2006

When was the last time you saw such an epic fantasy movie?
Lord of the Rings?
Avatar?
Well, John Carter (of Mars) is my personal fave of the year so far, a massive story on a broad canvas.
This film HAS to be seen and appreciated in a cinema, watching it at home will not give you the sense of scale or more importantly the awesome sound effects.
It's a damn shame that John Carter looks set to become a financial disaster, I would have loved to have seen a sequel.
Props to Michael Giacchino for the score, I've been humming it all day.
I wanna give this film 5 stars, but I've only seen it once and I'm a terrible critic first time around.

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Post #: 58

RE: Turd - 24/3/2012 6:48:41 PM

mackey

Posts: 337
Joined: 15/7/2007

I saw this earlier today and thought it was fabulous entertainment. In fairness, I haven't been getting to the cinema as much as I'd like lately but this was a totally enjoyable popcorn flick for me. Okay, so there was nothing particularly original on show but it was visually rich with excellent special effects. It probably lacked a really standout set piece but overall the action was envolving. Kitsch proved to be a good leading man too but Lynn Collins as the princess was absolutely stunning in every sense of the word.

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Post #: 59

RE: Turd - 26/3/2012 12:26:44 PM

superdan

Posts: 7199
Joined: 31/7/2008

Well I quite enjoyed it, and it certainly had more charm than the likes of Clash Of The Titans or Avatar. The acting was fine, the effects were great and I thought the score was good too. There were some things I found confusing (like if John Carter is so strong and good in a fight how come he keeps getting captured?), but as simple cinema entertainment it was well worth a couple of hours. It's a shame so many seem to be reveling in it as a bomb, it deserves better than that.

Solid 3 stars.

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Post #: 60