John Carter
Eeeeee! I went to see on its opening weekend Saturday, and it still fills me with so much glee. Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom series has always been one of my absolute favorite sci-fi adventure stories. Some of the previous takes I've seen just made me grit my teeth, but Disney had the budget to do it well and the desire to do the same. Plus, we finally have the effects technology to pull things off.
The changes between the movie and A Princess of Mars tended to fall into one of four categories:
1) translation from book to film,
2) the two hours plus time limit,
3) this is is 2012, not 1912, and
4) the scriptwriters could read the entire series rather than making it up as they went along like ERB did.
I didn't find any of the changes objectionable, though I didn't always agree with every choice made. Most of it is that John Carter didn't have enough time to bro it up with people as is his wont in the books. That being said, the story was well-executed and the designs were amazing. I love the green Martians, the thoats, the styles of the ruined cities, Helium, Zodanga... they remembered to do Helium Minor and Helium Major! :D Also, I really liked the decision to do the red Martians as very slightly reddish-skinned with lots of red henna tattoos and designs.
The frame of the story is the opening of The Gods of Mars, so Disney is ready to dive right into a sequel if demand justifies one. The actor who played Edgar Rice Burroughs was a cute little fellow.
I'm glad they didn't change John Carter being a Confederate veteran and pleased with how they handled his time on Earth. They very cleverly established him as a loner and outsider, then got him up to the cave quickly. You didn't feel like the time on Earth was a waste, especially Carter's time with the local cavalry unit. But things did get exponentially more awesome when we got to Barsoom.
The movie was quite funny. The people handling it did not play things omgserious, though it definitely wasn't a comedy. It was, well, a lost world romance and a pulp adventure, and it had thorough fun being so.
Kantos Kan: (to the guards and a captured John Carter) "I hear you are a very dangerous prisoner." (hissed to John Carter) "Take me hostage."
John Carter: "... what?"
Kantos Kan: "Take me hostage!"
John Carter: "Are you all right?"
Kantos Kan: *oh, ffs* *draws his sword, twists, forces his sword into John Carter's hand with the blade at his own throat* "Oh, no! The very dangerous prisoner has taken me hostage!"
Seriously, that scene alone is worth the price of admission.
Anyways, I really hope everyone goes to see it because I would really like a sequel. Barsoom is one of my oldest and dearest sci-fi loves.
The changes between the movie and A Princess of Mars tended to fall into one of four categories:
1) translation from book to film,
2) the two hours plus time limit,
3) this is is 2012, not 1912, and
4) the scriptwriters could read the entire series rather than making it up as they went along like ERB did.
I didn't find any of the changes objectionable, though I didn't always agree with every choice made. Most of it is that John Carter didn't have enough time to bro it up with people as is his wont in the books. That being said, the story was well-executed and the designs were amazing. I love the green Martians, the thoats, the styles of the ruined cities, Helium, Zodanga... they remembered to do Helium Minor and Helium Major! :D Also, I really liked the decision to do the red Martians as very slightly reddish-skinned with lots of red henna tattoos and designs.
The frame of the story is the opening of The Gods of Mars, so Disney is ready to dive right into a sequel if demand justifies one. The actor who played Edgar Rice Burroughs was a cute little fellow.
I'm glad they didn't change John Carter being a Confederate veteran and pleased with how they handled his time on Earth. They very cleverly established him as a loner and outsider, then got him up to the cave quickly. You didn't feel like the time on Earth was a waste, especially Carter's time with the local cavalry unit. But things did get exponentially more awesome when we got to Barsoom.
The movie was quite funny. The people handling it did not play things omgserious, though it definitely wasn't a comedy. It was, well, a lost world romance and a pulp adventure, and it had thorough fun being so.
Kantos Kan: (to the guards and a captured John Carter) "I hear you are a very dangerous prisoner." (hissed to John Carter) "Take me hostage."
John Carter: "... what?"
Kantos Kan: "Take me hostage!"
John Carter: "Are you all right?"
Kantos Kan: *oh, ffs* *draws his sword, twists, forces his sword into John Carter's hand with the blade at his own throat* "Oh, no! The very dangerous prisoner has taken me hostage!"
Seriously, that scene alone is worth the price of admission.
Anyways, I really hope everyone goes to see it because I would really like a sequel. Barsoom is one of my oldest and dearest sci-fi loves.