There is a lot you should know about “John Carter.”  The trailer depicts a new Disney franchise with enough special effects, 3D and alien-slaying packed into it to make any action movie fan pump their fist in tense anticipation, but what the trailers fail to mention is “John Carter’s” or more accurately, “John Carter of Mars’” rich history.

John Carter, the character and hero, makes his first appearance in “A Princess of Mars,” the first book in a series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of “Tarzan,” published in 1912, exactly 100 years ago.

The book and the movie tell the story of an average young man who is mysteriously transported to a fictionalized world on the planet Mars. He becomes the hero of Mars thanks to his super strength, which comes naturally to him simply because the gravity on planet Earth is much heavier than that of Mars, which allows him to jump like Super Mario, for example.

What is so interesting about “John Carter of Mars” is the fact that this science fiction-fantasy-adventure story pre-dates just about any science fiction, fantasy or adventure story that moviegoers are familiar with today.  Anyone familiar with “A Princess from Mars” can see parallels with “Star Wars,” “Superman” and even “Lord of the Rings.”

With links to the “John Carter from Mars” narrative so thoroughly engrained into the narratives of our media culture, that is, not just movies but literature, comic books and video games, the realization that the story has finally made it to the big screen is an enormous one.

Disney is well aware of “John Carter’s” historical importance and relevance. So to ensure the success of its new franchise, it equipped the project with an enormous budget—the likes of which only Disney could provide—to film the movie in 3D and furnish it with a thoroughly fanciful yet realistic cast of CGI characters.

That coupled with the leadership and vision of Andrew Stanton, a writer-director who has proven himself as more than worthy directing modern day classics like “Wall-E” and “Finding Nemo” and writing the ever-loved “Toy Story” series.

Needless to say, Disney planned the live-action equivalent of a Pixar film, which is appropriate considering the influential literature the movie is based on. With all of that said, do not expect too much from Disney’s “John Carter.”

There isn’t much to say about the plot that hasn’t already been said, but to sum it up, if you are familiar with the story of Mario and Princess Peach, this film won’t present you with many twists and turns, but what it will give you is some lovely eye candy to look at. The 3D is used effectively, though it still probably isn’t worth the extra money. It’s refreshing to see some new actors, and the CGI and the action scenes are definitely some of the best I have ever seen, and I am a self-proclaimed action movie junkie.

At the end of the day, John Carter is more of an extra glossy action flick than an age-defining epic like the descendants of the original material. If you appreciate action movies or just enjoy the visual wonder of modern cinema, I have to recommend this movie.

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Ian Storey/For the Review
Ian Storey can be reached at [email protected].