John Carter
Or...The Princess of Mars
When John Carter accidentally discovers a hidden cave of mysterious carvings, among other things, he is accidentally transported to Mars where the natives are 12 feet tall, tusked and heavily armed (ha ha, pun intended...ya know, cause the natives have four arms. Well, anyway...) On Mars Carter will have to decide whether helping to save the planet is a cause he's willing to fight for and if love is a cause worth staying for.
Critics hated this movie partially because it was slow at times. Well heavens forbid an adventure movie would pause now and then to develop some plot! I appreciated the build up of plot line, characters and relationships while still entertaining us with some great battles, funny looking aliens, comedic relief now and then and a good dose of Carter flying around having fun with Mars' lighter dose of gravity. It's not Star Wars and it's not going to change your life but this is a really fun movie worth seeing in theaters and not even close to as bad as critics have made it out to be...but please do read the Motherly Advice below before taking your teens.
Motherly Advice: If some PG-13 violence doesn't bother you, the worst of it being the sight of Carter having just cut his way out from a blue blooded beast's insides, then what you'll want to be aware of is the costumes. Be warned, all of the human looking Martians wear very little clothing. Is it the heat? Or are they afraid that their red tattoos will smear at the feel of cloth? Who knows? But the Princess spends the entire movie wearing costumes that cover the equivalent of what a 'modest' bikini would cover with some columns of cloth hanging around here and there. The cleavage is minimal and the rear end is completely covered but the midriff, shoulders and majority of legs are there for the world to see. Likewise, Carter spends the majority of the film shirtless. Mars IS pretty close to the sun I guess. There's no sex, only seeing the Princess getting up out of bed with the covers around her (after her wedding). Anyway, there's the info, you be the judge on this one.
Danielle'- Movie Mom of Earth
P.S. Anyone else find it interesting that the title of this book is 'The Princess of Mars' and they changed the movie title to John Carter? I'm thinking a John Carter title appeals better to male audiences and so would likely be more successful at the box office. Interesting how marketing works.