Created by pulp novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs in the early 1900s, the fantastical world of Barsoom has captivated the hearts and minds of countless young readers, yet it took a full century for a big screen adaptation to appear. Disney finally answered the call in 2012 with “John Carter,” turning Burroughs’ “A Princess of Mars” into a live-action sci-fi epic. The film cost the House of Mouse a whopping $307 million to put together, but a poor marketing campaign tore the whole thing apart. With a box office return of $284 million, the studio lost a ton of money on this ambitious project. It even led to Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross resigning. But is “John Carter” really that bad? Well, no. In fact, it’s actually pretty good.
The film itself, which stars Taylor Kitsch in the title role, is frankly a lot of fun. It manages to adapt the source material fairly well, even with a few minor changes. Sure, there are a couple of dull moments in there, but it doesn’t change the fact that Kitsch was well cast in the role of John Carter and he does a great job all things considered. Whether you’re familiar with Burroughs’ original novels or not, “John Carter” is an adventure that is well worth revisiting today. It contains some fantastic world building, has a distinctive style, and features a unique combination of Western and sci-fi aesthetics. “John Carter” deserved to get a sequel, but the money involved meant that was never going to happen.
