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JOHN CARTER (OF MARS!) |OT| (dir. Andrew Stanton)

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A

artist

Banned
Scullibundo said:
I really, really enjoyed the film.

As somebody who read A Princess of Mars a long time ago, I was very happy with the film. It is a space opera in the best sense in that it contains a romanticism for old-hat pulpy sci-fi. If you know what to expect when you're going in, you will enjoy the fuck out of it.

I really enjoyed the characters in this film. Dejah was very good. I did imagine her character to be somewhat stronger when reading about her in the books, but she won me over big time. I was so worried about Woola based off of the screens, but goddamn is he endearing in this film. Fierce loyalty and FUCKING HILARIOUS. I don't know who the fuck Tom Riggins is and so this is one of my first encounters with Kitsch. He was fine. He wasn't bad, he was likable for the most part, except when it came to giving what I felt was a stunted battle speech. John and Dejah have very good chemistry together, which is what matters most. I cared about these characters being together.

What I really took pleasure in the scope of the film. It really does feel quite large. And whilst I have no problems recommending people see this in 2D due to the rush conversion and very subtle use of 3D most of the time - those wide angle sweeps are pretty effective at increasing the scale in 3D. I certainly was not expecting that.

I felt that the first three quarters of the film were great, whilst the last quarter didn't quite deliver on what had been built up.

The absolute best part of the film that elevates it enormously is without a doubt Michael Giacchino's score. As I had said when I heard the first snippets of his score (and can now confirm) it is his best work since Star Trek. I think it is actually much better than Star Trek; a lot of the emotional chords running throughout the main themes feel as though they have traces of LOST's heart in them. I haven't been able to get the main theme out of my head since leaving the theatre.

The effects were very good when it came to environmental work like Helium and the airships. Pretty much everything looked great, though I still think the Tharks themselves are poorly designed compared to what could have been. They still look like they could belong in any CG slapstick animation.

Overall, I'd say its a great popcorn film that really channels the sort of love for the type of old hat, escapist science fiction that sought to whisk its' audiences away as opposed to the type that provokes serious thought.

It makes me hate Disney for their shitty fucking marketing, because I really do want the sequels now.

It is the best movie Andrew Stanton has made.
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Every fucking film that Sculli recommends, bombs at the BO. Cameron is an exception ofcourse.
 
Tokubetsu

Tokubetsu

Member
PhoncipleBone said:
So, as I predicted, it will probably become this year's Speed Racer. Cult following, but commercial bomb.
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Man, I rewatched Speed Racer this year (finally picked up the blu-ray on a whim), I was teary eyed for the whole intro stuff (Racer as a kid with X) and the build up to the end. Emotional rollercoaster.

I want to love this film. I'm going to love it.
 
Tokubetsu

Tokubetsu

Member
Was the twitch review posted? It's pretty positive:

John Carter does well to not treat its audience as imbeciles, nor does it shy away from what amounts to a couple hours of spiffy images and derring-do. It plays like an impeccable cover version of a song you can't quite put your finger on, a thoroughly enjoyable take on old fashioned epic adventure movie making. Forget talk of budget and sequels and marketing concerns, just go in, turn off the cynical part of your brain, embrace your inner 12 year old, and bask in the time spent with Mr. Carter and friends on the Red Planet.
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http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2012/03/review-john-carter.php?
 
E

Expendable.

Member
I never, ever trust any review that says "turn off your brain." Fast Five is the dumbest movie in the world, but still keeps your brain active due to some of the sheer spectacle on display and the fact that action scenes are well-crafted.
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
artist said:
Every fucking film that Sculli recommends, bombs at the BO. Cameron is an exception ofcourse.
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Since when? And this isn't a 'turn off your brain' movie. This is a 'know what you're going into' movie. It is fun, escapist sci-fi on a large scale.

But I do agree that like Speed Racer, it is a film that the cynical will love to hate.
 
bengraven

bengraven

Member
Bit-Bit said:
Disney needs to fire their trailer guy and hire this guy. http://youtu.be/OzPVYy7LHIo
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Wow, Dejah actually looks hot a couple times there.

Scullibundo said:
Since when? And this isn't a 'turn off your brain' movie. This is a 'know what you're going into' movie. It is fun, escapist sci-fi on a large scale.

But I do agree that like Speed Racer, it is a film that the cynical will love to hate.
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We don't go to movies to have fun. We also don't go to movies to learn.

Wait, why the fuck do cynics go to movies then...?
 
bengraven

bengraven

Member
Teh Hamburglar said:
Sculli has to make dat paper somehow.
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Wait, I thought Expendable was the viral marketer?

WHICH ONE IS THE VIRAL MARKETER?!

S6vGP.jpg


SHOOT THEM BOTH
 
J

JB1981

Member
Scullibundo said:
Since when? And this isn't a 'turn off your brain' movie. This is a 'know what you're going into' movie. It is fun, escapist sci-fi on a large scale.

But I do agree that like Speed Racer, it is a film that the cynical will love to hate.[/QUOTE]

so basically it sucks
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S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
Expendable is actually my alt. I use it to play against this account so that at any one time both accounts can be divisive on certain movies from the same studio I obviously represent without giving away my bias. Got a Locke/Desmonthenes thing going on. Don't be scared. The Warsaw Pact is next!
 
S

SCULLIBUNDO

Banned
Oh - and before my screening we got The Hobbit trailer in 3D in IMAX. That shit was ghosting like a motherfucker. I will not be seeing that unless it is in 48fps.

The Wrath of the Titans trailer actually looked great in 3D. Guess they learned from last time that you don't rush-convert the shit.
 
E

Expendable.

Member
Scullibundo said:
Expendable is actually my alt. I use it to play against this account so that at any one time both accounts can be divisive on certain movies from the same studio I obviously represent without giving away my bias. Got a Locke/Desmonthenes thing going on. Don't be scared. The Warsaw Pact is next!
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Don't reveal our secrets! We can never agree on a film again.
 
E

Expendable.

Member
Whoa, Entertainment Weekly never gives anything lower than a B or B- usually and look at their John Carter review:

The Heliumites fly around in contraptions that look like aerial pirate ships ringed with feathers from a giant badminton birdie. Stanton keeps cutting back and forth between visually sleek shots of them and the clunky action taking place on board. He seems to have forgotten the first rule of digital effects: They don't work unless they're fully integrated. But then, nothing in John Carter really works, since everything in the movie has been done so many times before, and so much better.
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Grade = D
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
Expendable. said:
It might be less convoluted than John Carter though. Is the book complex? For someone that supposedly knows story so well, I thought Stanton flubbed that aspect so hard.
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It's not that complex. But there's a lot of political workings in there as well as your standard action scenes.

I just really don't like Gavin Hood, was a bad choice.
 
T

tino

Banned
I hate Speed Racer with a passion. But this flick's FX is way too generic for me to hate it as much as Speed Racer.

Just tell me is there decent amount of skin in it?
 
3

3N16MA

Banned
I read that this needs to pull $400-$700 million WW to break even. Not sure how they got that number but it's screwed if it's anywhere close.
 
A

Anticitizen One

Banned
They should have made John Carter more modern. Taking place in the present day where a street hood thug killah gets teleported to Alpha Centauri where he gets caught up between 2 waring tribes. Packed to the brim with funny one-liners, over the top action, and half ass CGI with a fresh soundtrack by Skrillex. That's the only way to connect with modern audiences.
 
T

Trurl

Banned
I just hope that this film is dumb in a pulp fiction kind of way, not dumb in a 21st century CGI-orgy with nearly no story kind of way. .
 
E

Expendable.

Member
Trurl said:
I just hope that this film is dumb in a pulp fiction kind of way, not dumb in a 21st century CGI-orgy with nearly no story kind of way. .
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Yeah, I was hoping it would be the former in a great Captain America sort of way. Unfortunately it is much closer to the latter.
 
C

ChoklitReign

Member
Anticitizen One said:
They should have made John Carter more modern. Taking place in the present day where a street hood thug killah gets teleported to Alpha Centauri where he gets caught up between 2 waring tribes. Packed to the brim with funny one-liners, over the top action, and half ass CGI with a fresh soundtrack by Skrillex. That's the only way to connect with modern audiences.
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Sounds just like Battlefield.
 
M

Mr. Sam

Member
Expendable. said:
C'mon, you know how much I love that movie. Especially the tone.
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I really dug the kitschy tone too. OK, maybe it swung too far toward GI Joe levels at times, but I really dug it all in all.

Reckon I'll be giving John Carter a shot regardless of reviews.
 
J

JGS

Banned
Mr. Sam said:
Well, their reasoning seems to be that other movies have done what it does, and done it better. That last bit is key.
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Well, they had a 100 years to perfect it. And I don't necessarily disagree either just find it a bit ironic. The movie version of the book should have been the standard bearer, but it was never made when it should have been. Disney got interested in it too late.
 
S

SpeedingUptoStop

will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
Discotheque said:
Captain America was so bad. I can only fuck with the first 10-20 minutes.
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But that was like the cheesiest part?

Okay it was all cheesy, but the first 15 minutes wants so jankily paced, because everybody knew we were really there to see Captain America. Totally for the MTV generational dudes who couldn't handle the first hour of Batman Begins.
 
D

Discotheque

Banned
Nah mate, the cheesiest part was that horrible action montage.

And the first hour of Begins is the best thing about Batman Begins. That and Cillian Murphy's face. Slap a wig on that dude and I'm going to town brah!
 
S

SpeedingUptoStop

will totally Facebook friend you! *giggle* *LOL*
Discotheque said:
Nah mate, the cheesiest part was that horrible action montage.

And the first hour of Begins is the best thing about Batman Begins. That and Cillian Murphy's face. Slap a wig on that dude and I'm going to town brah!
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Action montage was so ridiculous it was awesome by me.


RANDOM EXPLOSION WITH CAP FLYING OUT OF IT ON A MOTORCYCLE AMERICA FUCK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I busted out laughing.


Worst part I think was how low budget every scene Red Skull seemed to be. Shit constantly took place in one room, I wonder if Johnston even bothered to shoot those himself or he sent the second unit out to do it.
 
Tokubetsu

Tokubetsu

Member
SpeedingUptoStop said:
Action montage was so ridiculous it was awesome by me.


RANDOM EXPLOSION WITH CAP FLYING OUT OF IT ON A MOTORCYCLE AMERICA FUCK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I busted out laughing.


Worst part I think was how low budget every scene Red Skull seemed to be. Shit constantly took place in one room, I wonder if Johnston even bothered to shoot those himself or he sent the second unit out to do it.
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All the sets in general looked cheap as hell. At times looked like a soap opera. Overall though, I didn't think it was as awful as some people make it out to be. I'd still rather watch Captain America than Iron Man 2 for example.
 
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