John Carter

I resisted the John Carter phenomenon for many years, but the beauty of Dejah Thoris is immense, and in the Dynamite comics, it's also an enjoyable read. It was thus necessary for me to watch the film that was released for the 100th anniversary. The opening scenes, admittedly, are not great, and the introduction to the complex plot unfolding on several levels is not entirely successful. But once this predecessor to Superman and Star Wars rolls into one, it's awesome. The excitement of a pre-World War I future, the fascination with the unsuspected possibilities of craters on Mars - all these aspects are there for the taking and entice us. (27/06/2019)

John Carter may be brimming with breathtaking audiovisual effects and lavish production design, but on the other hand, there is a fairly bland story (to what extent this is the fault of E. R. Burroughs, I really don't know), which is marred by a lot of clichéd dialogue and a few completely deaf spots. Andrew Stanton is much more suited to directing animated films that stand very tall within their genre (Finding Nemo, WALL-E). The lead actor, Taylor Kitsch, also doesn't have that much potential to grab the audience's attention - which (in my opinion) was mostly taken care of by Mark Strong (and that cute "dog"). In short, a film that is solid in terms of form, but not so much in terms of content. (08/03/2013)

Not surprising in terms of plot, but still a visually stunning fairy tale with great music, an unsympathetic main character and quite pleasant humor. I don't know if it's worth writing about all the things John Carter rips off or does not rip off, because its plot is simply told using familiar, time-honored techniques that, let's face it, we've come to expect from sci-fi/fantasy. Among the best scenes are the first steps on Mars and the whole next part, in which Carter meets Tharky and which has the atmosphere of Lawrence of Arabia (seriously!), I liked the spectacular battle interspersed with flashbacks, and the ending just as much. All in all, in my opinion, Andrew Stanton's first feature film fared much better than his colleague Bird, whose Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol was very disappointing. (15/11/2012)

A cool and watchable fantasy snack. The great visual and sound effects, the captivating sets and an interesting alien setting greatly support a slightly routine story that can no longer be taken seriously these days. Taylor Kitsch is ok, but Jake Gyllenhaal could have been better. Otherwise, I can’t complain. the two hours passed like water, Lynn Collins has beautiful eyes, and John Carter boldly aspires to be not only the best popcorn movie of the year, but also the most visually enchanting spectacle since the lush and magical Prince of Persia. 75% (19/09/2012)

A princess (from Mars) and I have been catapulted into a world inhabited by little green men, where they shoot with ray-guns and they have funny-looking dogs. Exactly as I had imagined. John Carter is pure pulp fiction, the type I grew up on (I read two books from the Carter series). Maybe it leans more toward being a fairytale, but the important thing is that the story is nicely predictable, easy to follow and entertaining. It was one of the first of its genre and finds it really difficult to come up with something original, but Stanton did a good job anyway. I didn’t have much trust in Taylor Kitsche before seeing this movie, but he surprised me, as did Lynn Collins and the greenies. The monsters didn’t have that Star Wars stamp on them and they certainly are no substitute but stand alone in their own right. Carter is passable as a piece of history. What a nice wedding it was. (19/03/2012)