The film is derived from a set of magazine serials and novels (called Barsoom) by Edgar Rice Boroughs, which date all the way back to 1912, so the concept is a very old one. There have been various comic book adaptations of the stories and in 2009 the first novel, a Princess of Mars, was released as a direct-to video film.
The film may be likened to Avatar in the way that it is set on another planet, but I can safely say that apart from that, I haven't seen anything similar to it before. The concept of a human being travelling to other planets has been done, yes, but has Dr Who ever saved a Princess from an evil man with a blue glowing hand? I think not.
The plot is difficult to explain, as it has many facets that need to be looked at. First, there is the character of John Carter himself. All he wants to do is get home to begin with, but as he gets to know the inhabitants of the planet, and the danger they face, he feels such a connection with them that the need to go home vanishes. The indigenous tribe (four-limbed, big green martians with tusks) are savage and their tempers are brittle, yet John finds some hope that there is more to them than their savage behaviour lets on. There is also a humanoid species living on Barsoom, and that's where all the trouble lies. One man has declared war on the planet, and because of him, it is dying. The Princess of Helium has run away after spurning his marriage proposal, and the hunt is on to catch her again.
But there's much more to it, and it is truly incredible that they have managed to make a film in which it is all explained and nothing is vague. The film has the odd bit of humour too, mainly at the beginning as it becomes more and more serious as the situation progresses. The style of the landscape and the presentation of the characters is very similar to that of 10,000 BC.
And I have to say that the acting isn't too shabby either. I think the most impressive was Lynn Collins (who you may recognise from X Men Origins: Wolverine) whose acting was completely realistic and whose prescence as sceen-stealing. A fun fact for you is that Taylor Kitsch, who plays John Carter, was also in X Men Origins:Wolverine as Remy LeBeau, otherwise known as Gambit.
The cast contains a bucket load of good actors: Mark Strong, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West and James Purefoy to name a few. I think the best idea of this film is that it is filled with well-known actors and actresses, and yet they aren't main characters. The way Disney does this with their films means that lesser known actors and actresses get their limelight, and something might come of it.
Disney has had a huge hit with Pirates of the Caribbean, we can't forget the visual perfection of Tron:Legacy or the thrilling action sequences from Prince of Persia : Sands of Time, but will this be a hit? We can only wait and see...
8 out of 10
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