journal features

movie review - John Carter

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Toronto, 2016.09.23

This is an update of an early science fiction story from a full Century ago. A human is transported to Mars because reasons, and becomes involved in an epic quest to liberate a downtrodden people from well a pretty nasty totalitarian regime. Our human has incredible strength because he's from a much larger planet and I really would advise anyone making a movie set on Mars to tread lightly with science because Mars is a hopeless hell bathed in hard radiation and anyone who thinks there's any kind of future for us there is delusional.

Oh right, movie review.

The thing is beautifully made and does a remarkably good job of staying on point despite a rather paint-by-numbers plot and any number of ways that it could have gone wrong. There's plenty of eye-candy to go with the fantasy and everyone seems to take this with just the right degree of seriousness. Imagine a shade less wink-wink than Xena Warrior Princess. The Boy, aged eight, liked it and on the whole I have to say I'm a bit surprised I haven't heard more about it.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

—Hermann Goering