review by OBSVR
John Carter 2012
Watched Jun 21, 2012
OBSVR’s review:
'John Carter of Mars sounds much better.'
This is a really enjoyable film, far more enjoyable than I had imagined based on its reputation and its marketing (which was blamed for its flopping, which didn't do much for expectations either). But you know what? John Carter was a victim. Watching this movie, there's no reason it couldn't have been very popular. I certainly preferred it to the comparable Avatar - not that that's hard - and even though there are a few things that hold it back from being really good, it has a lot going for it. Michael Giacchino's score is magnificent, my favourite of 2012 so far, Taylor Kitsch's performance is really solid and anchors the movie nicely, and the Tharks are surprisingly brutal for a Disney movie. Stanton really doesn't hold back with their culture and finds really effective solutions for getting the savagery across without diluting it or being too graphic.
Observations:
- Lynn Collins is awful.
- There was some shockingly bad greenscreen in a couple of scenes.
- The Thark babies were adorable.
See Also:
Flash Gordon, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Attack of the Clones
Really agree about Giacchino's score. If anything, most of my positive feelings toward this film were mainly because his score really helped make the film feel like a pulp Sci-Fi Fantasy.
Epic, epic score. The only thing that bugs me about Giacchino is that he doesn't let his themes repeat as much as the could on record, so you get a track that builds to a really awesome few bars, but then doesn't return to them. Accompanying the film that isn't an issue at all though. Great listen in its own right, perfect with the movie itself.
Agree on pretty much all counts. Curious how you didn't like Lynn Collins though, since most reviews I've read find her to be the sole redeeming factor.