John Carter

            In honor of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ career, the movie “John Carter” has been produced.  An unknown Chicago pencil sharpener salesman, Burroughs published his first novel in a serialized format for the pulp magazine “The All-Story,” from February through July in the year 1912.  Entitled “Under the Moons of Mars,” the novel became a sensation, launching his career.  It became a hardback novel in 1917, re-named “A Princess of Mars.”  Burroughs wrote ten more books about his fictionalized hero, John Carter, the last, “John Carter of Mars,” being published in 1964.  We often think of Edgar Rice Burroughs as the man who launched the Tarzan books and movies, but John Carter was his first great success.  It also launched the entire genre of science fiction/fantasy, and served as the inspiration for the careers of many great writers and filmmakers, including Ray Bradbury, Carl Sagan, George Lucas, and James Cameron.Generally faithful to that first novel, “John Carter” tells the story of former Confederate cavalryman John Carter’s fantastical tale of travelling to Mars in the 1880’s.  While searching for gold in Arizona, Carter is attacked by Apache, hides in a cave, and is magically transported to Mars.  There, the lighter gravitational pull allows Carter to appear super-powered, and he finds himself embroiled in and a pawn of a bitter Martian Civil War.  Drawn to the beautiful princess Dejah Thoris, allied and indebted to his four-armed friends the Tharks, and having lost everything in the American Civil War and therefore reluctant to fight another such internecine conflict, Carter none-the-less shows his mettle and fiercely defends freedom and honor on Mars.  The story is at times graphic, and other times restrained, often humorous, poignant, mysterious, but always action-packed.             The two stars of the movie. Taylor Kitsch as John Carter, and Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris (both in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) have a certain visual appeal.  Their acting is competent if unspectacular which allows the story to play out visually, as intended by the writers and director.  One obvious flaw of the film is the weakness of their voices, which trail off disappointingly at times; but this drawback is overcome by some skillful direction, which compels the viewer’s eyes by movement, composition, and lighting to follow them whenever they are on screen.            The sets and cinematography are wonderful, and are the true stars of the film.  The detail of the Martian machines reveals Burroughs’ knowledge of the mechanical age, not our current fascination with the electronic age, adding a savory taste to the feast enjoyed by the viewers’ eyes.   Indeed, this movie has all the visual splendor of Lucas’ “Star Wars” series—but adds a 19^th century charm that makes it almost irresistible.  You’ll find yourself thinking about that movie franchise, as well as other classics, such as the original “Planet of the Apes,” 1939’s “Stagecoach” and “Wizard of Oz,” the inimitable “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and even “Superman” and “Peter Pan” at various points in “John Carter.”              Writer-Director Andrew Stanton (all three “Toy Story” installments) demonstrates his story-telling ability (other than a superfluous narrative introduction that distracts, rather than adds to the plot) and his visual flair in almost every scene.  It is refreshing to see a director that understands the power of composition and pace in story-telling.  Too often, it seems that modern directors rely on revealing and drawn-out close-ups of the actors to tell the story, but Mr. Stanton reveals his own John Ford-like ability to tell volumes with a few well-placed cameras.  Costumes are adequate; special effects are brilliant, backgrounds are awesome— while not a perfect movie, “John Carter” is a visual triumph.            “John Carter” is a thoroughly enjoyable, escapist film.  Just enough background on Carter is provided to add depth to him, and the passion he and the other characters display makes up for any other shortcomings their minimalist development omits.  Please see this on the big screen to enjoy it to the fullest.