Review by Hag
On DVD, Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray 2/7/12 (12) 5 Stars
Parent view:
Whatever you’ve read about this film, ignore it – this is a really good movie. The only reason ‘John Carter’ didn’t perform well at the Box office was due to the extreme budget ($240,000,000), the 12A rating (It needs to be a PG so the target audience gets to see it) and the film title (John Carter sounds like a UK gangster film when parents look up ‘whats on’ in the listings).
This film was rated 12A at the cinema, meaning with a parent any child under 12 can see it (Although the BBFC believe the film to be more appropriate for Kidz over 12 as it ‘Contains moderate fantasy violence’). Personally I would be happy for both my 7 year old and 5 year old to watch ‘John Carter’ – the perfect audience (in my opinion) is boys aged 7 to 12 years old. If George Lucas had made this in the 80’s it would have carried a ‘U’ rating.
Hag just loved this film and really wants sequels. ‘John Carter’ is a classic Star Wars/Indy epic for young boys. Great 3D and bundles of fun.
3D Blu-Ray review:
Disney take the 3D market very seriously and this movies to their normal high standards – representing exactly the same quality as theatrical. John Carter isn’t really a film of 3D gimmicks like some other films, its less reliant on weapons appearing from the screen, concentrating more on depth and reality to the characters. Well worth the extra spend if you collect 3D Blu-Rays. Stand out 3D moments: All landscape shots in the desert, Arena fight with monster and the ‘escape – ‘Pod Raceresque’ flying scene.
Hag at the on the Red carpet with the stars!!!
Taylor Kitsch (John Carter)
Hollywood Legend Willem Dafoe (Tars Tarkas)
Mark Strong (Matai Shang)
Lynn Collins (Princess Dejah Thoris)
Rock Legend and John Carter composer Peter Gabriel
John Carter Producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins (…as well as Wall-E, Ratatoulle and Finding Nemo)
Full UK Press conference
OUTER SPACE WITH JOHN CARTER
Although many of us dream of visiting other planets and seeing outer space, few are as lucky as Disney’s new hero, JOHN CARTER. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ books about Barsoom, (that’s Mars to you and I!), this lucky guy gets to travel the universe, have incredible adventures and meet some amazing creatures along the way.
The solar system is fascinating, and is made up of nine planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, but in the world of JOHN CARTER, they have very different names….
BARSOOM AKA MARS
• The Greeks and Romans named Mars after their respective gods of war, Ares and Mars. However, the residents of JOHN CARTER’S Mars refer to it as Barsoom, (made up from their word for Planet, “Soom” and their word for eight “Bar”)
• The people there are called the Barsoomians, instead of Martians as we might know them!
• Mars is only half the size of Earth, making it the seventh largest planet in our solar system
• The largest canyon on Mars would stretch from the UK to Africa. One of these is named after the writer on the Barsoom books himself; Edgar Rice Burroughs.
• Mars has 37.5% of the gravity that Earth has. This means that a 100lb person on Earth would weigh only 38lbs on Mars and could jump way higher than they could on Earth, which is exactly what happens to John Carter!
• John Carter, our hero, is whisked to Mars and discovers a dying world of dry ocean beds where giant four-armed barbarians rule, of crumbling cities home to an advanced but decaying civilization, a world of strange beasts and savage combat, a world where love, honour and loyalty become the stuff of adventure!
JASOOM AKA EARTH
• The original dwelling of John Carter; Jasoom is the place we call home – Earth!
• Scientists have dated “Jasoom” as being 4 – 5 BILLION years old!
• Jasoom is the third planet of the solar system, located between “Barsoom “(Mars) and “Cosoom” (Venus)
• The distance between “Jasoom” and “Barsoom” is 48 million miles, and only one Earthman has been known to travel to Barsoom – John Carter
