John Carter is a film about a man living in a post-Civil War era who finds a hobby in treasure hunting. He comes across a man with an item that would transmit him directly onto Mars. His challenges do not only include finding a way back to Earth but also to understand and socialize with the various species of aliens that are inhabited on Mars.
John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) AKA Dotar Sojak, explores the various cultures, religions, and traditions of Martians as he navigates his way back home and learns what it means to truly find a purpose in life.
Mastering the Art of Juggling: Navigating Dual Realities
The man from Earth who is a Civil War vet now has to face the challenge of building a completely new identity for himself on Mars AKA Barsoom according to the Martians. John Carter has this advantage over the audience by making them instantly relate to him due to his situation which forces him into starting at the same level of knowledge as that of the audience when he first lands on Mars.
The fact that the main character comes back to Earth to continue his life as a treasure hunter throws some spice into the film full of mystery and action. Having to deal with two completely different environments with no similarity with each other puts the audience in an engaging mood. Having the act to actively switch back to the knowledge of Earth and Mars as the movie progresses forces the audience into paying attention to what twists the film has yet to offer.
The Chameleon Code: Unveiling the Names Behind The Roles
Even though the backstory of John Carter is complicated, with its multiple groups and difficult-to-recall names, the film’s strong lead characters make it such that the specifics of the plot rarely matter too much.
Tars Tarkas, a stern but devoted Thark warrior who quickly becomes Carter’s close friend, and Woola, a six-legged dog, are a few among the various characters. Tars Tarkas is performed by Willem Dafoe, who is virtually unrecognizable beneath a layer of motion-captured pixels.
Dejah Thoris is played by Lynn Collins, who adds value to the performance with her imposing screen presence and sword-swinging prowess.
Consider how puzzling John Carter must find the plot’s quick summary, here is a quick and short explanation: He is a combat-weary, bearded confederate soldier at the beginning of the movie who is suddenly transported to the planet Barsoom and into the heart of yet another civil war.
Did You Know This About John Carter?
- The production team unintentionally came across a 60-foot-long sauropod dinosaur skeleton while filming at Big Water in Utah. The land management agency of the state assumed control.
- Since then, ownership of the books has returned to the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate, which is still willing to make an effort to make the books into a lucrative film series.
- John Carter fought for the same audience as Wrath of the Titans (a book with a comparable literary theme that included a buff male lead, major action sequences, and 3-D releases). The Hunger Games, which stole their audience, ate both for breakfast.
- The movie has likely spent the most period in “development hell”—79 years—of any project. Edgar Rice Burroughs was approached in 1931 by director Robert Clampett of Looney Tunes to have the first novel in the series, A Princess of Mars, turned into an animated film. John Carter might have surpassed Walt Disney’s 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to become the first animated film in America if plans had been carried out. When filming in London began formally in January 2010, it finally emerged from the depths of development hell.
- After Disney anticipated they would lose $200 million on the movie, studio chief Rich Ross resigned from his role as head of the Disney Studios. Although Ross took over the studio’s leadership once the film was already in production, he bears responsibility because he had the power to halt production or cut the budget, but instead, he granted director Andrew Stanton’s request for a $260 million budget.
- There has been significant debate over the name change from A Princess of Mars to John Carter of Mars and then just John Carter. There have been conflicting explanations offered, such as the desire of the Disney marketing department or director Andrew Stanton to appeal to a larger audience, or the studio’s ambition to develop a film series under the banner title John Carter. According to industry lore, films with the word “Mars” in the title frequently have poor financial results. One such example is Mars Needs Moms (2011), which was distributed by Disney and ended up being a huge financial failure for the company. Ironically, Disney’s worst financial failure since Mars Needs Moms would be John Carter.
From Nine to Five and Beyond: Crafting Your Dual Identity
Because his lovely wife and little child met a tragic end and he had to bury what was left, Carter does not want to become involved in other people’s troubles. His whole appearance is depressing and apathetic.
When he finally decides to join the Heliumites, Stanton creates the comic spectacle of Carter excavating a grave on Earth and Carter slashing away at swarms of Tharks on Barsoom.
Speaking about a bustling Barsoom, Carter’s emotions are ultimately aroused by Princess Dejah Thoris. She has a face as strong-boned and attractive as Kitsch’s is soft and lovely, and she is a bright scientist who discovers the “ninth ray,” much to the concern of the Therns’ Matai Shang (Mark Strong).
