Thursday, March 8, 2012

JOHN CARTER (C-)

Bottom Line: It took over 100 years to bring this classic Edgar Rice Burroughs story to the big screen and although it, undoubtedly, inspired dozens of other movies – it still feels like a late-to-the-party cinematic stew using equal parts STAR WARS, AVATAR, GLADIATOR, LORD OF THE RINGS, BRAVEHEART and DANCES WITH WOLVES. For all its good intentions and occasional thrills, JOHN CARTER still plays out with a been-there-seen-that malaise. It’s an overly long, sometimes dull, generally lackluster and unwitting ode to all the movies the book helped spawn. I did have a bit of shoulder-shrugging fun while watching it ‘cause, you know, stuff blows up – but the planets never fully align to make this Disneyfied, wannabe-space-epic truly soar…

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, William Dafoe, Samantha Morton and Mark Strong
Directed by: Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO and WALL-E)
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 132 minutes
Story: Born in Virginia and a veteran of the Civil War, John Carter is an honorable and courageous man. However, the war let him dispirited and broken. Accidentally transported to the planet of Barsoom, he soon finds his strength and jumping abilities greatly amplified. He must use these newfound powers to survive the centuries-old war between the native inhabitants and save this dying world. (Disney)

Trailer: www.disney.go.com/johncarter/

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