Don’t believe the negativity - this one’s actually quite good!
Adapting a work as old and influential as A Princess of Mars is a daunting proposition in this day and age; not only because it is a classic and beloved work, but because its influence is so great and varied, it’s in danger of appearing derivative of the works it directly inspired. Edgar Rice Burroughs almost single-handedly invented the entire “planetary romance” genre with his century-old tale, influencing works that have in turn gone on to have great influence themselves across the genre. Without Princess of Mars, there would be no Star Wars, which would remove much of the last thirty years of cinema history. So already Pixar alum Andrew Stanton is in trouble, tackling a work whose DNA is so widespread it’s been made virtually invisible. But against all the odds, Stanton and his team did the unthinkable, and brought John Carter and the world of Barsoom to vivid, beautiful life. It’s far from perfect, but not nearly deserving of the reputation it’s gathered upon initial release.
There’s an annoying tendency amongst poplar culture to measure quality with success. John Carter will indubitably go down as one of the biggest bombs in film history, destined to never recover even half of it’s projected $250 million budget. We could sit here all day, hemming and hawing over the reasons why and why not the film didn’t catch on at the box office* - but that has nothing to do with the film’s quality in and of itself. The truth is that Stanton truly understands the source material - knows exactly what makes it tick - and although the film has some significant flaws, the care and reverence taken in the adaptation goes a long way to make the film work, regardless.
The story concerns Civil War** veteran John Carter, a disillusioned man desperate to separate himself from the rest of the world. He gets his wish upon stumbling on an alien in a cave, which results in him being transported to Mars, where he finds himself embroiled in conflicts between various exotic alien races. It’s a classic, familiar story. The fantasy of every young boy: being transported to another world where you fall in love with a beautiful princess, your best friend is a big green guy with four arms and you have an amazingly loyal alien dog. Stanton’s film captures this to a tee, crafting an immensely detailed world that begs for closer examination.
Taylor Kitsch takes on the title role, and although he has considerable talent and charm, one can’t help but feel he’s been slightly miscast. Kitsch approaches the role from a thoroughly modern standpoint: all growly and serious and internalized, where a slightly more old-fashioned take might have been more appropriate. While certainly haunted by his experiences during the war, Carter is still the classic, prototypical swashbuckler - there should be a certain lightness; a dashing, Errol Flynn-like quality to the character. Regardless, Kitsch still delivers a fine performance, and most importantly, has instant chemistry with his female lead. This is a love story, after all, and the make-or-break component of any love story is the chemistry between the two lovers.
Which brings us to Lynn Collins, who as Dejah Thoris is the absolute best thing in the movie. Burroughs’ original heroine was little more than plot motivation - a typical damsel-in-distress existing merely to be rescued by Carter time and time again. Stanton and Collins here refashion the titular Martian Princess into a far more interesting character: a smart, empowered woman who can swing a sword with the best of them without losing an ounce of her own femininity. It’s hard to sell a romance that happens instantaneously once the main characters meet, but Collins’ portrayal makes it easy to see why John Carter is immediately drawn to her - who wouldn’t be?
Stanton stacks the deck with the rest of his film, casting some of the very best actors working today. As the four-armed Tars Tarkas, Willem Dafoe cuts to the heart of the character - a noble warrior caught between the harsh ways of his people and his own feelings. A wonderful blend of performance and animation, Tarkas is sadly not in the film enough, undercutting the character slightly in the process. Reliable British actors such as Dominic West, Samantha Morton, Cirian Hinds and James Purefoy add much class to the proceedings - doing a lot with what screen time they manage. Add others such as Bryan Cranston, Thomas Hayden Church and Polly Walker, and you have a pretty great group of actors playing roles both minor and not-so-minor. Also, Marc Strong continues to be the Alan Rickman of his generation, as Hollywood’s new #1 bad guy here takes on the role of lead heavy Matai Shang…
…and that’s precisely where the film’s flaws start to show. Strong’s performance reminds us why he’s become the go-to bad guy in so many movies, but the fault lies in the scripting. Stanton, working with fellow scriptwriters Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon, overcomplicate the narrative, undercutting the fine work they put elsewhere into the film. The source material needed to undergo severe changes and updates to be successfully translated into a modern film, but the writers take the plot too far, with the characterization of Matai Shang and his fellow Therns as secret motivators for life throughout the galaxy being a prime offender. It’s not a terrible approach, but anytime the subplot of the Therns pops up, the film comes screeching to a halt. The script is filled with such inconsistencies and pacing problems, threatening to derail the good work done elsewhere in the film.
But fortunately, that good work outshines whatever flaws are found throughout. Stanton’s world equals Burroughs' pound-for-pound in imagination and excitement, and here crafts a great and lush spectacle worthy of the original story’s legendary status. Several flourishes abound throughout to make the movie more than just a nonstop thrill-ride, such as the stunning scene where Carter faces down an entire army. The scene doesn’t play out in typical action movie fashion, instead providing the film’s most powerful moment as Carter undergoes an emotional catharsis for his haunted past.
John Carter is unfortunately going to be remembered for its failures rather than its actual quality, which is a shame. Despite its shortcomings, the overall craft and Stanton’s sheer love for the source material shine through in every scene, giving us another sci-fi romantic epic to ogle at in the years to come.
* One fairly indisputable reason would have to be the indescriptive title - originally entitled John Carter of Mars, for some boneheaded reason or other the Mars part was dropped mere months before its release. The original title tells you exactly what kind of movie you’re going to get, while the final title could describe anything from a legal thriller to a sappy coming-of-age story.
** The film wisely forgoes updating the time period and keeps the late 19th century setting, which is crucial. At the time of the story’s original publication, science and technology were developing at a rapid rate, but not so much as to completely rob the universe of its mystery. Back then, it was still entirely plausible that Mars was populated by four-armed green men, and that there was still some secret civilization hidden away in the far corners of the world.
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