John Carter (2012)
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A former soldier is transported to a dying planet where he must navigate a landscape of warring kingdoms and ancient secrets.
The story
In 1868, a soldier named John Carter is transported to the dying planet of Barsoom, known to him as Mars, after activating a mysterious medallion. On this new world, he discovers that his unique physiology allows him to perform feats of incredible strength. He finds himself caught in the middle of a thousand-year war between the Red Martian cities of Helium and Zodanga. Carter must navigate the dangers of the landscape and the politics of the warring kingdoms while attempting to find a way back to Earth, all while facing the threat of a mysterious organization manipulating the civilizations of different worlds.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1868, American Civil War veteran John Carter is transported to the planet Barsoom (Mars) after activating a medallion. On Barsoom, he possesses superhuman strength due to the lower gravity. He is captured by the Tharks, a nomadic tribe, and eventually encounters the Princess of Helium, Dejah Thoris, who is fleeing an arranged marriage to the ruler of Zodanga. Carter joins her and a Thark named Sola to find a way home. They discover the medallions are powered by a 'ninth ray' and are attacked by the Warhoon. After being captured by the Thern leader Matai Shang, Carter learns of the Therns' plan to exploit the planets' resources. He eventually becomes the leader of the Tharks and leads them to Helium, where he defeats the Zodangan army and marries Dejah. He initially decides to stay on Mars, but after a challenge from Shang, he returns to Earth. He spends years on Earth, eventually dying and leaving a complex set of instructions for his belongings. In the present day, his former friend finds his tomb and is confronted by a Thern, only for the real John Carter to appear and defeat the intruder before returning to Mars.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 132
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Andrew Stanton
- Writers
- Andrew Stanton · screenplay; Mark Andrews · screenplay; Michael Chabon · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Taylor Kitsch · John Carter; Lynn Collins · Dejah Thoris; Samantha Morton · Sola; Willem Dafoe · Tars Tarkas; Mark Strong · Matai Shang; Ciarán Hinds · Tardos Mors; Dominic West · Sab Than; James Purefoy · Kantos Kan
- Genres
- science fiction; action-adventure
- Themes
- war; exploration
- Tone and mood
- action-packed
- Setting
- The Arizona Territory in 1868 and the dying planet of Barsoom (Mars).
- Premise and plot tags
- space opera; fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- A Princess of Mars, the first book in the Barsoom series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
- Franchise connections
- Barsoom series
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, praised for its visuals, score, and action, but criticized for its plot and characterization. It was a significant financial failure at the box office.
- Production trivia
- The film was one of the most expensive films ever made at the time.; The marketing campaign was cited as one of the worst in movie history.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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