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JOHN CARTER (OF MARS!) |OT| (dir. Andrew Stanton)
- Thread starter SCULLIBUNDO
- Start date
- Status
The Outsider
Member
Beaten three times to making the obvious joke here.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Yes, thank you all for getting the joke I was making.
Expendable.
Member
Just in case, we were trying to say that John Carter probably won't make a lot at the box office.
Future Foundation
Member
A very popular NHL team, one that's not doing so hot right now.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
Exactly.
I read the review earlier. If those were big spoilers then this movie is more hollow than I thought.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
I should have said spoils it in every concluding paragraph that I might have been able to quote to give his impression of the film. Seems the things that irked him were very specific.
Are you skipping it, ma'jett? I think you could have some fun with this movie.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
Fairly surprised I still don't know much about the film's plot.
Then again, the marketing is horrible.
Then again, the marketing is horrible.
I'm considering giving it a watch, unfortunately I have the choice of watching it either in subbed-3D or dubbed-2D.
Maybe next week on a cheapo matinee or something.Count Dookkake
Member
Only friends that want to see this tonight are poster freaks.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
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speculawyer
Member
It can't be worse than Mars Needs Moms.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Oh I forgot to mention this hilarious story from the preview screening the other night. This crazy asshole knew the screening was on and kept telling these poor foreigners he would get them tickets. He would walk around the front of the line speaking really loudly into his phone as if he were talking to some connection in Disney's head brass or one of the event organizers or something.
He kept walking around doing this, asking for 'a couple of extra tickets' while winking at these other two people who now expected to get into the screening. Then the Disney reps showed up and started letting us in and he
1) Wasn't on the list
&
2) Wasn't talking into a phone, but a rectangular lanyard.
The organisers apologized to the couple who had been waiting with Mr. Nutjob for half an hour or so and then told the guy to fuck off.
He kept walking around doing this, asking for 'a couple of extra tickets' while winking at these other two people who now expected to get into the screening. Then the Disney reps showed up and started letting us in and he
1) Wasn't on the list
&
2) Wasn't talking into a phone, but a rectangular lanyard.
The organisers apologized to the couple who had been waiting with Mr. Nutjob for half an hour or so and then told the guy to fuck off.
DIE
well, don't expect much from the story, the movie doesn't take itself very seriously. It's more of an action-comedy flick.
shira
Member
[spoilers]it's on mars[/spoilers], but I do agree with the Wolverine aside.
Maybe Kitsch is not a leading man or an action star.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
So, just getting back. I splurged a bit on Twitter and I still need more room to talk about it. I'll start with the short theater impressions, because I really didn't expect there to be many people there. The theater I was in, Imax 3d, was surprisingly about 60% full, mostly late-middle aged dudes who just seemed like they get off work late and this is their only time to see a movie. I heard the cashier remark the regular theater had even more people, so I dunno, good sign? Considering I expected there to be about 7 people total there, it was well past that. Also, the Mondo poster is aces, if a bit smaller than I hoped but oh well, not too small. Printed on good paper too, I don't even want to roll the thing.
Now, down to the movie - uh, yeah. I don't have many problems with it. I guess I'm gonna have to read the spoiler reviews to find out what the issues were, because as film speaking it's own language, it did it exceptionally well. I had my doubts as Sculli loves Tintin/Avatar and touted the characterization here, I thought I was going to struggle to get on the wavelength of it but no, it really surprised me.
I went into the movie not really knowing the plot or what to expect from most of the characters, almost entirely because the marketing told me nothing. And what I found was, to my surprise, about a dozen characters that pushed and pulled the narrative in a very fluid way. They all had grounded motivations, they all had dedicated time to explain them, but Stanton kept the pace very swift throughout. They all had different flavors to them too, none felt like a retread or reprinted onto another, but their motivations did echo throughout resulting in a very strong thematic thread throughout the film.
Really, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to the quality. Maybe I was so swept up, I was more than forgiving, but I find that very doubtful. I had heard the final third or so of the film takes a dip, but it never struck me. I had heard there's a long stretch where there's no action at all but I didn't even think about that until the movie was over, it swept past me. I had heard there was sequel stuff shoehorned in, but it all felt seamless to me. I heard flashbacks were unnecessarily shoved into the film and disrupted the narrative, but they were all wordless and made perfect sense and were almost entirely well edited/paced in the narrative. I even thought Kitsch was more than worthy of the spot, although his gruffer than Riggins voice was a little noticeable and the two voiceovers he had to do could've been more natural line readings, but really, forgivable stuff. At most, there was maybe 3 cringe worthy lines? A good 50% of the stuff featured in the commercials either a) wasn't in the movie or was different or b) made more sense in context (particularly the You're John Carter of EARTH? line - holy shit that didn't need to be in the advertising, but it works fine in the scene).
I really liked McNulty. His introduction was really nice and he played the lust for power type well. Mark Strong too, is making a legacy out of playing all of these villains and in this he had a different turn to it too, much more in the background than I expected. Lyn Collins did a standout job in the typical heroine role. Cranston has a fun small part. The Tharks played by Dafoe, Morton, Church, all stood out and their designs too were distinctive. The whole look of the film, I wanna say was probably a $150-$200 million looking film. Many grand set pieces, lots of good CG (the only poor CG I could tell, and maybe it was the 3d that made it stand out, was when they went to big tree thing at the River Isis - a short entry way sequence that seemed all green screen), costume work was great and unique. It all really came together.
Stanton really made his presence felt with this though - much like Bird's live action debut, this retained many of the visual gags and trickery you'd expect of a guy who has done exceptional animation direction in the past. Even though it's live action, Stanton got a lot of room to play with the CG in terms of the Tharks, the chase sequences & JC's pet, Woola, and he did a fine job of making something of his own with them. The narrative on the whole was very cohesive, aside from the bookends maybe that featured abrupt voiceovers otherwise not featured in the film, but they all locked into place with the story regardless. I couldn't really tell where the reshoots fit into the film, so good on Stanton for making that work to the untrained eye. The whole world felt real and lived in - for a comparison,I can say John Carter did much better than Chronicles of Riddick at all of this, and I dig that movie. Really, he did as great as Bird did with his first time directing live action IMO and both would do well to pursue it again.
Also, can we talk about how gory Disney films are getting? I thought PtoC:ATW was bad, what with the tentacle face rape and children being hung, but this film managed to go even further - full on decapitation and limb removal, a battle where like 60+ dudes get chopped up in swordfight and their bodies are distinctly piled high, a dude emerging from a bloody carcass.....the shit really surprised me. Moments where I totally expected the film to go the Hitchcock way instead explicitly showed everything. I like a little blood lust and this film delivered in ways I was not expecting.
So look at this, all this good stuff I had to say about the film. I can't even put together negatives right now. Nothing stood out to me, if anything there were just a handful of little moments that could've been improved upon. But that's all I can say on this first watch. I was uneasy going in, but the film won me over totally. Totally fun blockbuster entertainment. It's a film that, if you put even an ounce of faith into it, apply the smallest belief into want it' trying to say, it'll really sweep you away. It is right around that Speed Racer level (the only thing stopping from matching it is SR's flawlessly ecstatic climax, but not every film can end that well) and I wasn't expecting or even hoping for that going in. Totally deserves more from the marketing than what it was given and if anything I've said interests you, you owe to yourself to check it out.
Now, down to the movie - uh, yeah. I don't have many problems with it. I guess I'm gonna have to read the spoiler reviews to find out what the issues were, because as film speaking it's own language, it did it exceptionally well. I had my doubts as Sculli loves Tintin/Avatar and touted the characterization here, I thought I was going to struggle to get on the wavelength of it but no, it really surprised me.
I went into the movie not really knowing the plot or what to expect from most of the characters, almost entirely because the marketing told me nothing. And what I found was, to my surprise, about a dozen characters that pushed and pulled the narrative in a very fluid way. They all had grounded motivations, they all had dedicated time to explain them, but Stanton kept the pace very swift throughout. They all had different flavors to them too, none felt like a retread or reprinted onto another, but their motivations did echo throughout resulting in a very strong thematic thread throughout the film.
Really, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to the quality. Maybe I was so swept up, I was more than forgiving, but I find that very doubtful. I had heard the final third or so of the film takes a dip, but it never struck me. I had heard there's a long stretch where there's no action at all but I didn't even think about that until the movie was over, it swept past me. I had heard there was sequel stuff shoehorned in, but it all felt seamless to me. I heard flashbacks were unnecessarily shoved into the film and disrupted the narrative, but they were all wordless and made perfect sense and were almost entirely well edited/paced in the narrative. I even thought Kitsch was more than worthy of the spot, although his gruffer than Riggins voice was a little noticeable and the two voiceovers he had to do could've been more natural line readings, but really, forgivable stuff. At most, there was maybe 3 cringe worthy lines? A good 50% of the stuff featured in the commercials either a) wasn't in the movie or was different or b) made more sense in context (particularly the You're John Carter of EARTH? line - holy shit that didn't need to be in the advertising, but it works fine in the scene).
I really liked McNulty. His introduction was really nice and he played the lust for power type well. Mark Strong too, is making a legacy out of playing all of these villains and in this he had a different turn to it too, much more in the background than I expected. Lyn Collins did a standout job in the typical heroine role. Cranston has a fun small part. The Tharks played by Dafoe, Morton, Church, all stood out and their designs too were distinctive. The whole look of the film, I wanna say was probably a $150-$200 million looking film. Many grand set pieces, lots of good CG (the only poor CG I could tell, and maybe it was the 3d that made it stand out, was when they went to big tree thing at the River Isis - a short entry way sequence that seemed all green screen), costume work was great and unique. It all really came together.
Stanton really made his presence felt with this though - much like Bird's live action debut, this retained many of the visual gags and trickery you'd expect of a guy who has done exceptional animation direction in the past. Even though it's live action, Stanton got a lot of room to play with the CG in terms of the Tharks, the chase sequences & JC's pet, Woola, and he did a fine job of making something of his own with them. The narrative on the whole was very cohesive, aside from the bookends maybe that featured abrupt voiceovers otherwise not featured in the film, but they all locked into place with the story regardless. I couldn't really tell where the reshoots fit into the film, so good on Stanton for making that work to the untrained eye. The whole world felt real and lived in - for a comparison,I can say John Carter did much better than Chronicles of Riddick at all of this, and I dig that movie. Really, he did as great as Bird did with his first time directing live action IMO and both would do well to pursue it again.
Also, can we talk about how gory Disney films are getting? I thought PtoC:ATW was bad, what with the tentacle face rape and children being hung, but this film managed to go even further - full on decapitation and limb removal, a battle where like 60+ dudes get chopped up in swordfight and their bodies are distinctly piled high, a dude emerging from a bloody carcass.....the shit really surprised me. Moments where I totally expected the film to go the Hitchcock way instead explicitly showed everything. I like a little blood lust and this film delivered in ways I was not expecting.
So look at this, all this good stuff I had to say about the film. I can't even put together negatives right now. Nothing stood out to me, if anything there were just a handful of little moments that could've been improved upon. But that's all I can say on this first watch. I was uneasy going in, but the film won me over totally. Totally fun blockbuster entertainment. It's a film that, if you put even an ounce of faith into it, apply the smallest belief into want it' trying to say, it'll really sweep you away. It is right around that Speed Racer level (the only thing stopping from matching it is SR's flawlessly ecstatic climax, but not every film can end that well) and I wasn't expecting or even hoping for that going in. Totally deserves more from the marketing than what it was given and if anything I've said interests you, you owe to yourself to check it out.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
My man, you possess the voice of Barsoom! You get it.
I would spoiler some of those story bits you were surprised with for the sake of others wanting to also be surprised.
I would spoiler some of those story bits you were surprised with for the sake of others wanting to also be surprised.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
Christ, I didn't even comment on Giacchino's fantastic score (again!) or how this movie can basically be summed up as Superman: Renegade Cop. John Carter's characterization as a reluctant hero isn't revealed at all in the marketing, so I was surprised to find him instantly likable in the first meaty scene they give him and it's all due to Stanton's directing skills making an exposition scene so ridiculously funny.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Yep. Like I said - Giacchino's best work since Ratatouille.
Oh - and I never touted the characterization so much as I said I actually cared about these characters and thought Carter and Dejah had good chemistry.
Oh and I fucking love Woola! And Willem as Tars!
Oh - and I never touted the characterization so much as I said I actually cared about these characters and thought Carter and Dejah had good chemistry.
Oh and I fucking love Woola! And Willem as Tars!
Team Filler
Member
Sooooo ready. New Drafthouse just opened up too, so I get to watch this in that fresh theatre smell later today!
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
I need that track for when Edgar Rice Burroughs first arrives on the train. Holy mother of God, GIACCHINO!!!!
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
You really do seem to have had the exact same reaction as me, Speeding. Even down to the Superman comparisons. YOU WILL BELIEVE A MAN CAN JUMP!
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
I was just really pulled in by Carter, his character's motivations, the themes of it all, it really echoes throughout the whole film in a very apparent, real, unique way. It definitely feels like a film much more About Something than MI:4. The trade off may be the action in some close up shots, but those are often preceded by some really jaw dropping sweeping shots. John Carter is a dude who fucking Just Goes For It and somehow an hour into the film I was still surprised at how much this guy threw himself into shit. I feel like the marketing could've communicated this in some way - I know his opening scene with Cranston is a fantastic gag you wouldn't want to give away, but they could've slipped into a trailer and made this film a shit ton more money.
Team Filler
Member
I'm curious, Speeding: did the movie give you an itch to read the Princess of Mars stories?
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
He totally was a interesting Superman. But he had limitations,
he needed help breaking that boulder
Basically: "He can do this in some capacity, he can't do that, but he will do....THIS!! " and then you're just like :-O
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
TBH, I'm not a big reader, don't have much time for it, but if you handed me a Kindle loaded with JC stories, I could probably burn through them. I'd totally want Stanton on board for a sequel, he really honed in on the theme in this movie of detachment, regret, and the walls of defense people put up to not get hurt again.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
A Princess of Mars is free on iBooks.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
So I mean, basically, this is the best super hero movie in years, right? It's basically a superhero movie by today's standards. Just straight up shits on the whole game that's been going since 09.
Team Filler
Member
That's really good to hear. Like Riddick with Twohy, which I also really like, I hope Disney will continue with Stanton should sequels be greenlit.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
I kind of want a rip of this movie right now, so I can start cutting trailers and videos myself to sell it by the time the bluray hits. Looking back on al lthe positive shit I had to say about it, my thoughts on the people selling this movie have gone from "the dude who cut this shit must have had a knife stuck in his brain in the wrong spot" to full on "this guy has a vendetta against Stanton".
I'm not gonna say the film was for everybody, but it totally deserves a first weekend box office "okay, everybody gets to see what this is about before WOM spreads" type smash.
I'm not gonna say the film was for everybody, but it totally deserves a first weekend box office "okay, everybody gets to see what this is about before WOM spreads" type smash.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
I have a strong feeling I'm going to see it again before the weekend is out.
SpeedingUptoStop
will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
It's definitely like, a day one rewatch wherever it pops up first & I get another chance to see it to see how it holds up / talk about it some more.
Really am gonna have some fun taking about this movie on Gaf over the next whatever length of time.
D
Deleted member 22576
Unconfirmed Member
Yeah... just set an alarm for 8am. If I'm still feeling it in the morning Ill catch the 1030 showing.
Count Dookkake
Member
Mostly enjoyable cheese that appears to suffer from molestation by committee.
Carter should have been
.
Carter should have been
black
Team Filler
Member
I've always wondered if rival studios would go to the lengths of actively spreading rumors and disinformation about competing movies releasing close together. I'm not saying that's what happened here, because clearly it's Disney themselves with their marketing decisions that are actively trying to kill John Carter, but it's always struck me odd for the finances of movies to become part of the pre-release pessimism surrounding the larger movies.
-ImaginaryInsider
Member
Just got back, its a good movie, not perfect, but better than the Star Wars prequels imo. It really sucks that its going to get lost in an epic wave of "bomba" backlash. I think most of my complaints with the movie have more to do with having to cram so much story so quickly, to do it justice it needs to be miniseries.
There were only 20 people at the screening, and its a giant Imax theater...
There were only 20 people at the screening, and its a giant Imax theater...
Why?
Really great review, SpeedingUptoStop. I think you sold me on seeing the movie.
Speeding and Sculli: did you both see it in 3D? I'd rather see it in 2D but I fear there will be no 2D showings around here. Turns out there are 2D showings but probably in the smaller-sized theater rooms.
Speeding and Sculli: did you both see it in 3D? I'd rather see it in 2D but I fear there will be no 2D showings around here. Turns out there are 2D showings but probably in the smaller-sized theater rooms.
-Plasma Reus-
Service guarantees member status
Really excited to see this.
brandonh83
Banned
I thought Speed Racer's score was miles ahead of Ratatouille-- it's still my favorite not-Lost Giacchino score-- but this is pretty close behind it for me. I may think more highly of it when I hear it in context though.
edit: I shouldn't say "miles ahead," but rather Ratatouille's score isn't really my preferred kind of film score flavor if you will. Felt the same way about Hugo's score, not bad but not music I'd really choose to listen to outside of the movie.
crazy monkey
Banned
story wise that is not very hard to do lol.
gutter_trash
Banned
they should have given the movie a different name.
I know , book, book but still
I know , book, book but still
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