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

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.

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

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