OF MARS
Went to see John Carter A Princess of Mars (fixed that for you).
Really, really good movie. Visually stunning, original look, excellent CGI, and just general awesomeness. It was just beautiful, and some of it shot in Dead Horse Point, Utah, which is one of my favorite places I've ever been. So, apparently I have been to Mars. Love.
I love the Burroughs Mars books, without reservation and also without pretending they are anything other than what they are. I really do love them. Like, I have gone on record as saying, and will say again, that while I do not intend to have children, ever, that nonexistent child's middle names are "John" and "Carter."
I could make legitimate criticisms of the movie, but the thing is, it's silly to complain that a movie adapted from material pulled from the most beloved planetary romance of all time -- total pulp -- is too overstated or that it's unsubtle. It is what it is, and the source material is what it is, and the two of them agree, and that's really how it ought to be, and so I won't complain. I will say that it never reminded me of Star Wars visually, which is a feat.
I will also say that the reviews can fuck off, Taylor Kitsch was perfectly fine as John Carter, accent or not. He looks gloriously sexable. One of my fondest memories of reading the books after Sargon forced them into my hands lo these many years ago was saying "So . . . you never told me that this John Carter guy is extremely hot." Which is not something that gets acknowledged about the source material, since everyone (fanboys) is busy getting excited over Dejah Thoris -- also extremely hot. I am glad that they acknowledged it here. "He's just pretty, he can't act!" is a ridiculous criticism. First, we -- as in people attracted to men -- have been suffering through pretty actresses who can't act and fugly leading men for time immemorial. That this wasn't allowed to happen here is nothing short of a fucking miracle. Second, Taylor did okay. He's charismatic, he has good physical presence and competence, he's so very hot when he's angry, he has beautiful eyes, and wow, what a gorgeous neck.
Dejah Thoris, played by Lynn Collins, was resplendently beautiful, and actually had about thirty times more character than she ever acquired over all the books. And they found a way to make her hotter: they made her a geek. They let her kick plenty of ass, and general sexist fuckery was kept to a startling minimum, especially given the source material. Lynn Collins has great presence, immense dignity, and comes across as smart enough to pull off "arch wit" without it seeming forced. Poise.
The loyal and steadfast Kantos Kan (or, since I've read the books, Kantos Who Occasionally Couldn't) got a little screen time and a lolarious moment of awesome. I'd watch James Purefoy sit and read a newspaper, so it wasn't exactly a chore, but he looked surprisingly awesome in the greco-roman-barbarian-with-henna-tattoos getup.
So, you know, when that threesome happens, I'll take a link to the fanfic, please.
Mark Strong is a great villain, and I am glad to see him getting work. Dominic West is as sleazily attractive as usual. Everyone was pretty much perfect for the roles.
It's just frustrating to me that the studio orphaned it, how it was buried before it was even born, and now it's being panned as "derivative" by incredibly ignorant people who know nothing about the genre and its history. Who don't care.
I'm sorry . . . motherfuckers, every sci-fantasy movie I have heard it compared to would not be there if not for Burroughs' books. Those books made a place for hundreds of other books, then hundreds more. The books led to movies, serials, comic books. I mean, Star Wars owes its existence to John Carter. Think of how Star Wars revolutionized the genre. Look at all the people who grew up watching those movies. Look at the merchandising empire, no matter what you think of it. Look how it's changed the way we look at movies, at trilogies. Now look at John Carter. Now look at all those movies and books you love or hate or love to hate but that exist in such wondrous and sometimes appalling multiplicity. Now look at John Carter. And show some fucking respect. Dude was there in 1912. One hundred years ago.
If you are a fan of the source material, see it. It's a treatment that honors, not exploits. If you aren't, well, I honestly have no idea how it would seem to someone who had never read -- or who didn't love -- the books. But it's pretty, and I am terribly sorry that it has not done well. At least that will save us from terrible sequels. And, frankly, if it had become very popular, that would have rankled in its own way. I'd rather have one good movie that nobody liked than three bad ones that everyone liked. So maybe it's better this way. Just me, my books, my imaginary boyfriend, and now, a really fun movie.
I love you, John Carter. I am glad to see you again.
X-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment count:
Really, really good movie. Visually stunning, original look, excellent CGI, and just general awesomeness. It was just beautiful, and some of it shot in Dead Horse Point, Utah, which is one of my favorite places I've ever been. So, apparently I have been to Mars. Love.
I love the Burroughs Mars books, without reservation and also without pretending they are anything other than what they are. I really do love them. Like, I have gone on record as saying, and will say again, that while I do not intend to have children, ever, that nonexistent child's middle names are "John" and "Carter."
I could make legitimate criticisms of the movie, but the thing is, it's silly to complain that a movie adapted from material pulled from the most beloved planetary romance of all time -- total pulp -- is too overstated or that it's unsubtle. It is what it is, and the source material is what it is, and the two of them agree, and that's really how it ought to be, and so I won't complain. I will say that it never reminded me of Star Wars visually, which is a feat.
I will also say that the reviews can fuck off, Taylor Kitsch was perfectly fine as John Carter, accent or not. He looks gloriously sexable. One of my fondest memories of reading the books after Sargon forced them into my hands lo these many years ago was saying "So . . . you never told me that this John Carter guy is extremely hot." Which is not something that gets acknowledged about the source material, since everyone (fanboys) is busy getting excited over Dejah Thoris -- also extremely hot. I am glad that they acknowledged it here. "He's just pretty, he can't act!" is a ridiculous criticism. First, we -- as in people attracted to men -- have been suffering through pretty actresses who can't act and fugly leading men for time immemorial. That this wasn't allowed to happen here is nothing short of a fucking miracle. Second, Taylor did okay. He's charismatic, he has good physical presence and competence, he's so very hot when he's angry, he has beautiful eyes, and wow, what a gorgeous neck.
Dejah Thoris, played by Lynn Collins, was resplendently beautiful, and actually had about thirty times more character than she ever acquired over all the books. And they found a way to make her hotter: they made her a geek. They let her kick plenty of ass, and general sexist fuckery was kept to a startling minimum, especially given the source material. Lynn Collins has great presence, immense dignity, and comes across as smart enough to pull off "arch wit" without it seeming forced. Poise.
The loyal and steadfast Kantos Kan (or, since I've read the books, Kantos Who Occasionally Couldn't) got a little screen time and a lolarious moment of awesome. I'd watch James Purefoy sit and read a newspaper, so it wasn't exactly a chore, but he looked surprisingly awesome in the greco-roman-barbarian-with-henna-tattoos getup.
So, you know, when that threesome happens, I'll take a link to the fanfic, please.
Mark Strong is a great villain, and I am glad to see him getting work. Dominic West is as sleazily attractive as usual. Everyone was pretty much perfect for the roles.
It's just frustrating to me that the studio orphaned it, how it was buried before it was even born, and now it's being panned as "derivative" by incredibly ignorant people who know nothing about the genre and its history. Who don't care.
I'm sorry . . . motherfuckers, every sci-fantasy movie I have heard it compared to would not be there if not for Burroughs' books. Those books made a place for hundreds of other books, then hundreds more. The books led to movies, serials, comic books. I mean, Star Wars owes its existence to John Carter. Think of how Star Wars revolutionized the genre. Look at all the people who grew up watching those movies. Look at the merchandising empire, no matter what you think of it. Look how it's changed the way we look at movies, at trilogies. Now look at John Carter. Now look at all those movies and books you love or hate or love to hate but that exist in such wondrous and sometimes appalling multiplicity. Now look at John Carter. And show some fucking respect. Dude was there in 1912. One hundred years ago.
If you are a fan of the source material, see it. It's a treatment that honors, not exploits. If you aren't, well, I honestly have no idea how it would seem to someone who had never read -- or who didn't love -- the books. But it's pretty, and I am terribly sorry that it has not done well. At least that will save us from terrible sequels. And, frankly, if it had become very popular, that would have rankled in its own way. I'd rather have one good movie that nobody liked than three bad ones that everyone liked. So maybe it's better this way. Just me, my books, my imaginary boyfriend, and now, a really fun movie.
I love you, John Carter. I am glad to see you again.
X-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment count: