You should rent John Carter (of Mars)

So what was the movie about?

John Carter is an adaption of the Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoom novel written exactly 100 years ago.  The story revolves around John Carter, a former confederate calvaryman from Arizona. Distraught and calloused due to the death of his wife and daughter during the war, John Carter looks out only for himself, and eventually lands in Arizona prospecting for Gold.

Hiding from attacking Apaches, John hides in a cave covered in mysterious images and writing. While investigating these mysteries, John is attacked by someone and then is unknowingly transported to Mars. John soon learns that the lesser gravity of Mars and his greater bone density gives him relatively greater strength and agility he wouldn't have on Earth. He also learns that Mars, which the natives call Barsoom, is in its own civil war, which may lead to Barsoom's ultimate destruction.

John is quickly captured by the 12 foot green martians of Barsoom, known as Tharks. The leader of the Tharks is Tars Tarkas who quickly realizes that John is a good person and ally. Now that John is no longer a prisoner, he is trying to find a way back home, and stumbles on the 1000 year civil war raging between two human factions on Mars.  

In the skirmish, John rescues the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris who tries to convince John to use his talents and strength to protect her people and ultimately the planet. John must choose between going home and helping the Princess, a decision that isn't as easy as John once thought. 

John also learns that this civil war is being engineered by a third-party, known as the Thern.  The Thern, which seem immortal, have the power of the "9th Ray" which gives them access to infinite energy, including the ability to move between planets. John also learns that the medallian the Thern wear is the way back home, if he wants to return.

***************Spoiler Alert*****************

John, who has fallen in love with Princess Dejah, decides to stay and help her save Barsoom.  Enlisting the Tharks, John is able to defeat the Thern and his minions.  John, now happy with his life on Mars, is visited by the Thern who send him back to Earth.

Back on Earth, John starts a quest, to find another medallion like the first one that brought him to Mars in the first place, so that he can return to the Princess Dejah.  

What did I Like About the Movie?

I understand that the movie wasn't exactly true to the original story written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but I haven't read the Mars series, so I can't comment on that comparison.  However, I really did enjoy this science fiction action flick.  

Watching the movie and knowing that John Carter was based on an original story, you could really see the influences of the original author’s life in the story. In some way, Edgar felt like John Carter, a stranger in a strange land. I also felt like Edgar had a connection, if not empathy, with Native Americans and their perception of being wild and on the outside of civilization.

How the story was told in the movie was also done very well. The movie itself is a flashback to what occurred over 10 years ago (in movie time), and we are now at John Carter’s reading of his last will and testament.   How the movie gets to this point, and moves forward from that point was what made the movie a fun ride and tied the pieces together nicely.

As with most action adventure movies, the storyline is fairly predictable, though I found a surprise twist or two at the end of the movie which made it more enjoyable for me.

  

A good movie allows me to be an invisible participant in the movie-- an observer of events happening in the movie. I need to be enveloped in the story, the action, and the world created. I felt like I was able to do that with John Carter.

Would I recommend it?

Yes. I definitely recommend renting this movie.

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