Mars is in the news again.
NASA’s InSight spacecraft is on course to attempt a landing on November 26. Update: InSight Lands Safely on Mars – Congratulations, humankind!
For some, colonizing the red planet or the moon is our only chance. For others, it’s an impossible dream because of our biology.
Mars has always excited the human imagination. The planet nearest to Earth has featured endlessly in fantasy & science fiction, both literature and film.
Until The Martian (a great science & survival movie – but without much heart…) there was talk of a “movie curse” – a “box office curse” on Mars-related pictures.
Curiously, there has also been a curse on Edgar Rice Burroughs (“probably the most influential writer in the entire history of the world”, according to Ray Bradbury, at least); his novels are still as popular as ever, but despite the financial success of some of their cinematic adaptations, like the Tarzan series, they failed on the critical reception front. Victims of artistic snobbery against “pulp” fiction.
The huge-budget Disney project of a Burroughs novel set on Mars was, therefore, a double-whammy gamble against these odds; and fail it did, financially, monumentally so, yet only just, because its cost was so gigantically overblown it was a mathematical impossibility to recoup. Still, the film grossed a whopping, staggering, gargantuan 300 million USD worldwide, against a jaw-dropping production and marketing combined costs of $350 million… to break even, it would have to generate worldwide tickets sales of more than $600 million, a height reached by only 63 films in the entire history of moviemaking…it was a tall order but it was also colossal mismanagement, not lack of merit, that caused its failure.
Just give it a bit more time though…and it might just get there. Fantasy and sci-fi fans haven’t stopped loving, downloading, renting, watching, rewatching, blogging, talking, writing about it and defending it:
I’m talking of course about the awe-inspiring picture that’s adored by countless lovers of escapism, that totally wild visual feast, that cinematic riot of a space-opera-western-sci-fi-magic, that thrilling action-fairytale-adventure unlike no other, that mesmerizing, marvelous and uniquely Barsoomian, otherworldly romantic saga…
the one and only
The one movie that most fantasy aficionados want to see a sequel of before we die. An absolutely No 1 wet dream when it comes to movie bucket lists; and so heartbreaking that will never (?) happen, as John Carter has become box office poison, judged solely on how much money the studio lost on it, instead of the absolutely insane number of people who did see it, loved it and can’t have enough it. Yeah, that’s Hollywood, folks…Maybe it will change its mind yet…The film has all the markings of an underappreciated classic. And I think it will be favorably judged in years to come, by cinematic history, as the instincts of its objective viewers have already exonerated it and shown its detractors to be wrong.
It’s the moviegoers that are always the final decider, judge and jury of motion pictures. Just read what they have to say: the film critics who bashed it must have been watching a different picture – the consensus from those who did not believe the naysayers but formed their own opinion reads like “wow, what an absolutely stunning, surprising, mind-blowingly wonderful treat of a movie”… Disney studio executives made abysmally stupid errors in the marketing and promotion of the film despite the mostly excellent initial reviews…and why didn’t they call it Princess of Mars – what was wrong with Burroughs’ original title? it would have definitely made a big difference at the box office…
The -unimaginatively if not downright male-chauvinistically-named John Carter didn’t pretend to be arthouse, a vehicle of philosophical musings about the cosmos or an auteur director’s masterful commentary about the human condition. Its job was to offer one and a half hour of exhilarating entertainment, a host of fantastical creatures and adventures in imaginary worlds – and that it does pretty damn well, with a solid cast, great storytelling, memorable characters, fantastic atmosphere, beautiful music and stunning visuals. So well, in fact, that I haven’t been able to dismiss it ever since it first won me over; it’s still alluring and enjoyable every single time, archetypal fantasy at its best. And, needless to add, for me it’s The Princess of Mars and John Carter – that’s how I think of it.
Every other genre picture that came before it, from Star Wars to Indiana Jones and Avatar (James Cameron admitted as much), had borrowed, copied from and was inspired directly by Burroughs’ iconic novels and the fantasy comics they generated. John Carter should have been more successful in cinemas than Avatar – not just because it’s a better movie than the much-hyped Avatar, but also because it is the original article while Cameron’s is a derivative “white savior” messianic pastiche epic…(basically, a copycat of Dances with Wolves set on another planet). John Carter does not save Barsoom – he is saved by it: “Fifty million miles apart, and no way to bridge the gap, no way to return my body and my soul to their true home“, his demoralized spirit and hungry heart having found new reasons to live and dream on Mars…But Avatar had the hype, the famous director, the better marketing and better studio management behind it…
John Carter is a back to the roots movie that just grows on you and involves you with its authenticity and old-fashioned cinematic magic; just like “magic” its appeal is never quite explicable yet it feels true; this is the stuff dreams are made of, silver screen dreams included: you somehow end up far more fond and nostalgic of it than other more critically acclaimed examples of the genre. The child in you finds himself or herself returning to the age of innocence and looking up in the night sky wishing that Burroughs’ Barsoomian universe was real, hoping that the Princes of Helium and her Earthman are out there living happily ever after… it’s Deja’s and John’s love story, a story made of the timeless essence myths and legends that stay with us are made of, because they speak to our souls…
Lynn Collins’ Deja Thoris is gorgeous and terrific: a fully developed, athletic-looking, fiery, scorchingly-attractive, proud, strong woman, unlike so many vapid lame adolescent cartoonish lifeless female pinup caricatures and totally feeble decorative bores in fantasy and sci-fi. She is a prototype “regal, formidable heroine who was entitled to choose for herself who she slept with despite what some men in her warlike, slave-owning culture thought to the contrary”; a woman of color, a warrior and a woman of wisdom – she is the Regent of Science and Letters – and before you think her scant outfits are a titillation device, think again: Barsoomian culture considers clothes “unsightly pieces of cloth”. Much less prissy than we are, those Martians…
Taylor Kitsch is fresh, fit and handsome here; he was cast because Carter’s character is a military survivor – not an apologist: a heartbroken man who has seen the ugly madness of war, has lost his loved ones and is looking for inner peace; a wounded human defending the Eros Principle, not a blunt, blind instrument of death; there “was a certain damaged quality behind the eyes,” said producer Jim Morris. “There’s something a little broken.”
John Carter is an entirely likable and thoroughly believable character, a perfect match for the Princess: a genuinely decent, honorable man who is star-struck and out of his depth on Barsoom, yet clever and courageous, swiftly adapting and evolving into a positively inspiring, noble hero as the movie progresses, never a stereotypical arrogant brute macho dick: he is respectful, intelligent, sophisticated, well-read and keen to learn; as a result, the love affair of Deja and John is effective; we empathize with them and their quest – to fight against oppression and be together.
The film remains faithful to the author’s vision while avoiding the sexist pitfalls of his era. It is an empowering film for women and a true romance. Barsoom has depth and a universal, timeless message of a legitimate struggle for freedom and survival bringing people together, that it delivers very well, without beating the viewer over the head with ideological propaganda, but through the medium of unapologetically fun adventure.
From the Tharks and their thoats to the stunning cyberpunkish airships and from the Great White Apes to the most-adorable-fantasy-dog-ever, Barsoom, Deja, Helium, Tharks, Therns, Zodangas, John’s escapades on Earth and Mars, and the ingenious finale are a great spin of the yarn Burroughs crafted…
Ignore the naysayers: this is a must-see movie. One brilliant, epic, intense, addictive, joyful picture with a very original story and impressive attention to detail that draws you in and leaves you craving a sequel – with the same cast, if at all possible…Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkas, Samantha Morton as Sola, Mark Strong as Matai Shang, Dominic West as Sab Than, Ciarán Hinds as Tardos Mors, James Purefoy as Kantos Kan, Bryan Cranston as Colonel Powell, Daryl Sabara as Edgar Rice Burroughs… and directed by Pixar’s brilliant Andrew Stanton, who would have loved to make those sequels…
Thark on Thoat
The film begins in 1881 after the sudden death of John Carter, a former American Civil War Confederate Army captain. His nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs, attends the funeral. Following Carter’s instructions, the body is put in a tomb that can be unlocked only from the inside. His attorney hands over Carter’s personal journal to Burroughs, in the hope of finding clues explaining Carter’s cause of death.
The diary goes back to 1868 in Arizona, where Union Colonel Powell arrests Carter, a civil war veteran, for refusing to join the army. Carter was trying to live a normal civilian life while Powell, aware of his military background, sought his help in fighting the Apache. Carter escapes but fails to get far with U.S. cavalry in close pursuit. After a run-in with Apaches, Carter and a wounded Powell seek shelter in a cave that turns out to be what Carter had been searching for, the ‘Spider Cave of Gold’. A Thern appears and attacks them with a knife; Carter kills him but accidentally activates the Martian’s medallion, which transports him to a ruined and dying planet, Barsoom.
Because of his different bone density and the planet’s low gravity, Carter is able to jump very high and perform feats of incredible strength. He is however captured by the Green Martian Tharks and their Jeddak (emperor) Tars Tarkas. And he is “adopted” by a Barsoomian dog-like companion, the devoted Woola. Woola is a calot: Carter saves him from a Great White Ape and “in a little experiment, wrapped an arm around Woola’s neck and began to stroke his ugly head as one would stroke the head of a dog. Woola, who’d never before experienced kindness, felt an immediate love for the Earthman, and thereafter became his loyal hound.”
Woola is intensely loyal and affectionate, fiercely protective of Carter and his family, funny, playful and has a very keen sense of smell – he can find Carter from practically anywhere. His ten (or six) legs allow him to run faster than any other creature on Mars, at an amazing 250 miles per hour. He also digs into the sand to burrow for camouflage. Technically he is a reptilian, a kind of lizard, and his three rows of shark-like teeth are extremely sharp and useful in battle. Basically, Woola is the best pet anybody could ever wish for on Barsoom and adorably “ugly”-cute…
Elsewhere on Barsoom, the Red Martian cities of Helium and Zodanga have been at war for a thousand years. Sab Than, Jeddak of the genocidal Zodanga, armed with a powerful weapon he got from the Thern leader Matai Shang, proposes a marriage between himself and the Princess of Helium, offering a cease-fire and an end to the war. The Princess refuses, perhaps sensing it’s an evil plot, she escapes and in the process, she meets Carter; they rescue each other, then Dejah, Carter and Tarkas’ daughter Sola embark on a journey to the end of a sacred river; they seek to find a way for Carter to return to Earth, that the Martians call Jasoom. They learn about the “ninth ray”, a means of using infinite energy that can save the dying planet and is also the key to understanding how the medallion works.
Deja, John and Sola are attacked by Shang’s minions, the Green Martians of Warhoon. Carter and the Princess are captured but Sola manages to escape. Dejah reluctantly agrees to marry Sab Than in order to save Helium and Carter. She gives him the medallion and sends him back to Earth, but he decides to stay; he is then captured by Shang, who explains to him how the Thern overlords manipulate the civilizations of different planets. Carter escapes and returns with Sola to the Tharks to ask their help, only to discover that Tarkas has been overthrown by a ruthless, cruel brute, Tal Hajus. Tarkas, Carter, and Sola are thrown against two enormous four-armed Great White-Apes. Carter defeats them and kills Hajus. The Tharks adopt the Earthman as their new Jeddak leader.
The Thark army attacks the imperialistic Zodangans at Helium and defeats them by killing Sab Than, but Shang escapes. Carter marries Deja and becomes the prince of Helium. He decides to stay forever on Mars and throws away his medallion on their wedding night. Shang then appears and takes the opportunity to banish him back to Earth; Carter embarks on a long quest, hoping to find another medallion; after several years he appears to die suddenly and asks for the unusual funeral arrangements, as his return to Mars would leave his Earth body in a comatose state. He makes Burroughs his protector, leaving clues to him about opening the tomb.
“We may have been born worlds apart, but I know you, John Carter…”
“Don’t you see? Carter, I fled to find another way. You are the other way“.
Back in present time, Burroughs opens Carter’s tomb only to find it empty. A Thern who has been watching Carter disguised as a man has followed Burroughs and is about to kill him when Carter appears and kills the Thern. Carter then tells Burroughs that he never found a medallion but devised this scheme to lure one of the Therns into revealing himself. Carter takes the medallion, whispers the code and is transported back to Barsoom, to be reunited with Deja.
As the InSight is making its final precarious approach to the Red Planet, I will be roaming alongside John somewhere in Helium, with Whoola zooming back and forth chasing Martian sticks at three hundred miles an hour. Update: Woola has a new friend to play with – InSight has landed!
How about you? Wanna step onto my Spaceship and travel to Barsoom?
Carter to his nephew, Edgar Rice Burrows, as he turns to go into the mausoleum:
– Oh, and Ned. Take up a cause, fall in love, write a book.
Carter about to close the mausoleum:
– It’s time I went home…
The Eros Principle 