JOHN CARTER

Popular science-fiction owes a great deal to the fantastical works of author Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan). Most notably, A Princess of Mars laid the foundations for ‘space opera’ with its synthesis of grand adventure, exotic locales and interplanetary-romance. One could argue that but for this seminal pulp classic, there would be no Flash Gordon, no Star  Wars, no Avatar. To coincide with the novel’s centennial anniversary, Disney have released a live-action adaptation titled John Carter. Directed by Pixar-veteran Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo,Wall-E), the film centres on Carter (Taylor Kitsch), a former Confederate captain who is busy fending off a tribe of Apaches when he is mysteriously transported to ‘Barsoom’ (Mars in Earth tongue). Caught in a deadly conflict between the planet’s various nations, Carter forges an alliance with the beautiful humanoid Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) and Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), the kind-hearted leader of the green-skinned, four-armed ‘Tharks’. So, does Stanton’s film live up to Burroughs’ legacy? John Carter benefits from stunning visuals and Stanton’s flair for humour, especially clever sight gags. Unfortunately, it is also hamstrung by wooden characters, hokey dialogue and an incoherent plot that deviates from the charming simplicity of the source material. Even the action scenes, though epic in scope, tend to numb more than exhilarate. As the proverbial ‘fish out of water’, Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) fares well enough – although a little more charisma wouldn’t have gone astray, the actor does manage to find the warmth beneath the swashbuckling hero’s austere demeanor. Ultimately, John Carter is a popcorn flick that underwhelms for all its bells and whistles. (JH) **1/2