View Full Version : John Carter (Review)
John Carter is so bad it's actually good and may go onto be a cult classic of sorts. It does not make a lot of sense, it's a mish mash of other movies, and yet, I still found some enjoyment from this ridiculous movie. Typical of Disney, visuals and CGI are quite good, and they throw away 250 million dollars on this mess of a move. It's still actually silly fun to watch. Silly fun B+, actual movie D+
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcV7aXL8txU
hotrodder636
08-26-19, 09:18
I had a similar feeling when I watched this. It was a good movie yet at the same time NOT a good movie...if that can make sense to you. But I did enjoy watching this one.
I can't wait for you to do a review of The Room and Birdemic!!!
I had a similar feeling when I watched this. It was a good movie yet at the same time NOT a good movie...if that can make sense to you. But I did enjoy watching this one.
It's hard to explain, it's really not a good movie, yet there's something fun and enjoyable about it at the same time.
It is entertaining. Over the years I've watched this 5-6 times maybe.
Ned Christiansen
08-26-19, 09:49
I read all the John Carter series and a bunch more Edgar Rice Burroughs between the ages of 13 and 15, also all the Robert E. Howard I could find..... that was amazing stuff and would be still today if I read it again. So this is a must-see for me.
It's hard to explain, it's really not a good movie, yet there's something fun and enjoyable about it at the same time.
I think it has to do with how different it is from so much of the formulaic fodder Hollywood puts out. Yes it's campy and silly, but it's grand in scale and has a good cast, along with a story line just different enough to set it apart. I like it and watch it from time to time when it's on.
I think it has to do with how different it is from so much of the formulaic fodder Hollywood puts out. Yes it's campy and silly, but it's grand in scale and has a good cast, along with a story line just different enough to set it apart. I like it and watch it from time to time when it's on.
The casting did help keep it from being just awful and Xena warrior knock off actress (Lynn Collins) is so good good looking you don't care.
hotrodder636
08-26-19, 10:46
But I do thoroughly enjoy these Sci-Fi movies. I like time travel/space/stuff.
The casting did help keep it from being just awful and Xena warrior knock off actress (Lynn Collins) is so good good looking you don't care.
Agreed and I think she's highly underrated.
I like sci-fi also, Dune by Frank Herbert is my all time favorite, both the movie adaptations suck however.
I read all the John Carter series and a bunch more Edgar Rice Burroughs between the ages of 13 and 15, also all the Robert E. Howard I could find..... that was amazing stuff and would be still today if I read it again. So this is a must-see for me.
Exactly why I watched it. A lot of hokey fun.
I like sci-fi also, Dune by Frank Herbert is my all time favorite, both the movie adaptations suck however.
As you have gone OT in this thread, so shall I. If you like SF, I have 3 novellas that get good reviews. They can be read separately as e books, or found in a single print volume:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1730745741/
Will is spot on. I've actually watched this movie a couple of times on the 'flix while riding in the back of the plane.
FromMyColdDeadHand
08-26-19, 15:22
OK, I'll give it a second chance. I started watching it once and just gave up. I like the actor from Friday Night Lights, but good god does he make bad movies. That and the Navy movie, Battleship??. Savages was OK, except for the end.
OK, I'll give it a second chance. I started watching it once and just gave up. I like the actor from Friday Night Lights, but good god does he make bad movies. That and the Navy movie, Battleship??. Savages was OK, except for the end.
I would definitely rate this a bit above Battleship, if you're looking for a comparison.
As far as JC- as everyone has already said- it's one of those movies where you won't hate it so much you'll swear never to watch it again, but you'll also get to the end just be like... "meh".
In a sort of silly way, it works, it's just a great movie. You could say it's more notable for the impact it had on hollywood taking risks with new content than for any sort of cinematic reason.
OK, I'll give it a second chance. I started watching it once and just gave up. I like the actor from Friday Night Lights, but good god does he make bad movies. That and the Navy movie, Battleship??. Savages was OK, except for the end.
One of those movies you have to be in the right frame of mind for really. It's not like you're missing a classic by not seeing it either.
daddyusmaximus
08-26-19, 17:51
I read all the John Carter series and a bunch more Edgar Rice Burroughs between the ages of 13 and 15, also all the Robert E. Howard I could find..... that was amazing stuff and would be still today if I read it again. So this is a must-see for me.
SO true. Anyone who was dissapointed in this movie, or the evenmore dismal SiFi channel debacle... take the time to read the books. This movie right here, misses a LOT of the story (and gets a lot wrong) because it tried to encompass the first 3 books all at once.
1. A Princess of Mars
2. Gods of Mars
3. Warlord of Mars
These first 3 are pretty much one long story line, and the start of an 11 book series. Each book centers on a character, and John Carter does make appearances from time to time. If I remember correctly one or two of the last ones center around him. They are all a great fiction/fantasy read. Burroughs has a great writing style.
Being a impressionable teenager myself when I read them... I kinda adopted Carter's rather rigid code of conduct. I always wanted to name a dog Woola, but I seem to keep getting female dogs. Maybe I should name one Dejah, or Sola...
I rather liked the movie. I enjoyed the story, liked the characters, and thought it was all well done. I've never understood why it didn't do better than it did in theaters. I figured it was bad timing or weak advertising.
Business_Casual
08-26-19, 19:01
It's hard to explain, it's really not a good movie, yet there's something fun and enjoyable about it at the same time.
And she’s got an amazing tan.
I rather liked the movie. I enjoyed the story, liked the characters, and thought it was all well done. I've never understood why it didn't do better than it did in theaters. I figured it was bad timing or weak advertising.
The first problem was the name. Unless you are familiar with the John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the name means nothing to you and does not give you a clue on what to expect. They should have at least called it "John Carter of Mars" so that people could make some assumptions going in and as it unfolds.
Then, as has been mentioned, they tried to cram 3 books into 1 movie, so a lot has to get dropped, changed, minimized, etc.
I would thoroughly recommend reading the books. You can get 1/2 of them from the Apple Book store for free or for $0.99 or similar for a large collection. Edgar Rice Burroughs is also the author behind Tarzan, and a bunch of other books (including the Pelucidar series, a journey to the center of the earth series).
I read the John Carter books as a teenager. I recently, in the last 2 years, re-read all of them, then read all the Tarzan books, all the Pelucidar books, and a bunch of Edgar Rice Burroughs stuff. Very engaging. (Just remember he wrote 1911 through the mid 1900s and he is a product of his time [1875--1950]).
I was underwhelmed when I watched it, but felt there was room for sequels.
...Being a impressionable teenager myself when I read them... I kinda adopted Carter's rather rigid code of conduct. I always wanted to name a dog Woola, but I seem to keep getting female dogs. Maybe I should name one Dejah, or Sola...
Get 2; name one Dejah and the other Vu.... :p
John Carter is so bad it's actually good and may go onto be a cult classic of sorts. It does not make a lot of sense, it's a mish mash of other movies, and yet, I still found some enjoyment from this ridiculous movie. Typical of Disney, visuals and CGI are quite good, and they throw away 250 million dollars on this mess of a move. It's still actually silly fun to watch. Silly fun B+, actual movie D+
Per the bolded part, it seems that way because Buroughs wrote the books the movie is based on in 1917-1919, and some of modern Sci-Fi cinema borrows from or blatantly copies elements from his stories (including Star Wars).
The feeling that the movie copies from other Sci-Fi films is a frequent complaint. I think it's because of serious flaws in how the movie was marketed, and how the story is presented to audiences.
As others have said, it's definitely a B movie, fun because of it's campy feel as much as anything else, but it does not do the source material justice. Unfortunately the fact that it flopped so completely may have doomed any future attempts at adopting the stories into film.
daddyusmaximus
08-27-19, 22:22
Per the bolded part, it seems that way because Buroughs wrote the books the movie is based on in 1917-1919, and some of modern Sci-Fi cinema borrows from or blatantly copies elements from his stories (including Star Wars).
The feeling that the movie copies from other Sci-Fi films is a frequent complaint. I think is because of serious flaws in how the movie was marketed, and how the story is presented to audiences.
As others have said, it's definitely a B movie, fun because of it's campy feel as much as anything else, but it does not do the source material justice. Unfortunately the fact that it flopped so completely may have doomed any future attempts at adopting the stories into film.
That's what I thought about that horrid SiFi attempt, then this one came out. This was an improvement...
When I hit the lotto, I'm gonna fund a proper trilogy of the first 3.
Chicks will go see it. After all... it's a love story.
That's what I thought about that horrid SiFi attempt, then this one came out. This was an improvement...
Haha, that's a good point.
MountainRaven
08-28-19, 01:55
Watched it last night (for the first time).
It was OK. I don't regret watching it, but I'm not sure I'll ever watch it again. Something I could see watching with one's kids, like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.
I would have likely enjoyed seeing where they might have gone with a trilogy of movies.
daddyusmaximus
08-28-19, 07:41
I've been singing praises of the books... just out of curiosity, how many here have read them?
I found it thoroughly entertaining.
I watched it in the theater when it was released. I really enjoyed it but I also have a family member in the cast so I’m biased. It was originally supposed to be a trilogy but the budget was cut and then it didn’t do great at the box and Disney cut the other movies.
"John Carter"? Holy 2012, Batman!
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