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John Carter #Review – Mock Squid Soup No.15 #cinephiles #film #sci-fi

Wikipedia

Let’s recap my clues from last week:

Clue #1– It’s a 2012 Disney live-action, sci-fi release with a PG-13 rating. The title also has a handful of aliases.
Clue #2– Written and Directed by the same guy, known for his work with Disney animated features.
Clue #3– Most viewers either loved it or hated it, but it definitely tanked when compared to its production budget.

So what do you think, was I too vague or was my movie just too obscure? I think I had most people stumped, but for the Ninja Captain, Alex, this was easy.

If anyone is interested in my experience of watching John Carter, click here to see my notes.

This review will consist of me asking myself 10 questions and answering them to the best of my ability.

1. What is this film about?

This is a space opera with a time travel feel. There are so many elements at play with this story that you may not catch them all in one viewing. In any case, John Carter is a Civil War vet, I think, running from his past and pledging allegiance to no one. In pursuit of a treasure, John defeats an attacker and ends up on Mars somehow. Yes, there are green men, but also white men, and white apes… don’t recall seeing too many black people, but I’m used to that. Anyway, a reverse Krypton-like affect aids John in his quest to return to earth, which somehow throws him into the path of yet another civil war and the destiny of 2 princesses (one is never recognized, but I picked up on it)

2. What did I think of the title, poster, and or trailer?

I remember thinking the trailer was very confusing the first time around and after going back and watching it again, I realize that it was extremely misleading and heavily edited. The trailer is probably why I never saw it in the theater, that and the fact that so many didn’t like it at the time of its release.

3. What did I think of the main character(s) and how the actors performed them?

I thought the actors did a fine job. There were no standout performances, but no stinkers either. I liked the aboriginal-like Mars characters with all their faults and flaws. John was a good character to slowly warm up to.

4. What did I think of the direction and cinematography?

Considering the time and how many were still not doing such a fine job, I thought the effects and CGI were well-blended in with the live action. The lighting was good, not too dark in the dark scenes; that’s always an issue for me.

5. What did I think of the soundtrack and score?

I slept on this one. Sorry. I’ll make a point to pay more attention next time.

6. What did I like about the story as a whole?

I liked how the Mars John paralleled the Earth John without him realizing it. I also like the connection between ships that sail on water and ones that sail on light. There were many small or subtle details that made this film enjoyable, even some of the not so in-your-face themes such as: oppression, prejudice, and science vs magic.

7. What did I not like about the story?

There are a few cheesy moments and some logistics I didn’t quite get, but I can’t complain too much. This movie didn’t blow my mind, but it was still pretty cool.

8. Would I recommend this movie to others?

Yes, and I will.

9. If yes, who? What would I rate this movie?

I’m sure there are others who stayed away from this film for reasons similar to mine. I’m going to share this with all my friends, even the ones who don’t like sci-fi. Maybe this will become a cult classic if it’s not already.

On a scale of 1 to 5 movie reels, I give this film 4 reels.

MLikeIt

10. Was there anything in this movie that could be related to me or anything I have written?

Not yet really, but it’s perfectly in line with a new fantasy I’m working on. I like the world building of this story and am inspired to continue working on aspects of my story that have kept me stumped for a while.

Watch, rent, or buy this movie here.

Mock Squid Soup – Film Society

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MOCK! and The Armchair Squid are proud to introduce Mock Squid Soup: A Film Society. Each month, on the second Friday, we shall host a bloghop devoted to movie reviews. We invite others to participate and post their reviews…Don’t be shy; come join the fun! 😀

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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By Toi Thomas

Author and illustrator of children's books, as well as clean adult fiction and nonfiction. Toi is a geek-girl blogger, vlogger, reviewer, and advocate for a healthy reading lifestyle. She finds comfort in faith, family, and creative expression. Toi believes in the dream of world harmony and hopes all your dreams come true.

12 replies on “John Carter #Review – Mock Squid Soup No.15 #cinephiles #film #sci-fi”

Book trailers can be absolutely off the mark for me as well. Imagine how much money “experts” get paid to make them!
We love that film, it came out when our son was the perfect age for it. I don’t remember the music at all either… fun post

Glad you like the review and the movie. I’m tell all my friends to check it out now.

I knew the film did not get the right build up since many had no idea how to classify it especially with a civil war vet as the hero. I saw the last 20 minutes of the film when I was clicking the remote and it caught my eye. I do believe it will be a cult film and get more love as time goes on. Great review!

Yes, I agree. Cult status is eminent. Moreover, since its release it has finally made back its production cost. This would be a perfect time for video and download sales to boom. Glad you liked the review.

You got it Tony; that’s totally what Disney was doing. Still, it’s a good story in its own right, just poorly promoted.

… You’re right. Why did I think he was? I think I’ve always thought he was. Weird.

Anyway, I won’t say that’s why I didn’t see it. The reviews were so awful even before the release that I don’t think I ever gave it due consideration (which might explain why I was totally off-base re: the leading man).

There’s another big budget production scheduled for release this coming week… I’m wishing, hoping, praying that it won’t be a disaster. Unlike John Carter, it should make back its budget several times over even if it stinks. But come on, we’ve been waiting 30+ years for a Star Wars movie that’s worthy of the name!

I know what you mean. Between the new Star Wars movie and the Batman vs Superman movie, my geekdom is on shaky ground. These two movies have the potential for greatness or epic failure despite the huge amounts of money they are guaranteed to make.

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