Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Mark Strong
Plot: US Civil War veteran turned gold prospector finds himself transported from an Arizona cave to the planet of Barsoom where his unwitting actions fuel a vicious civil war that threatens the future of the planet… and Earth.
TM Rating: First of all, there’s the title of the movie, John Carter. It sounds like this is going to be a contemporary drama starring someone like Denzel Washington and not a space travelling adventure that mixes Avatar with Star Wars with The Wild, Wild West.
The names of people and races are typically sci-fi silly; Zondagons, Heliumites, Matai Shang and so on. And the premise of a renegade human mixing it up with the oddly coloured locals isn’t the newest concept on the interplanetary block. But this tale of heroism, funny looking creatures, epic battles, mutant apes and princesses in bikinis pre-dates just about every other sci-fi movie you can think of given that it’s based on a novel written by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs 100 years ago.
A strong cast and visuals which come close to matching those of Avatar’s help John Carter a lot, as do the lashings of imagination on show… but it doesn’t quite reach the dizzy heights of Avatar’s Hallelujah Mountains.
John Carter’s Dialogue can be clunky and the big action scenes don’t quite thrill as much as they should but it does look lavishly good. Ultimately John Carter is entertaining without being exceptional.
7/10 ““ John Carter ticks all the right sci-fI boxes with good versus evil, planets to be saved, lots of heroic derring do and funny looking alien critters. It should please fans of the genre and anyone else who enjoys escapist and impressive looking blockbusters.
Screening Times: Zentral Center, 6.30pm daily, 12.30 on Saturday and Sunday until 15th March 2012
Other English language movies on Tenerife
The Descendants with George Clooney continues at Gran Sur Cinemas at 5.10pm daily.
Tickets: €6.50 Buy Your Tickets Here
