A Martian Movie Worth Seeing

So. Important question for y’all: Have you seen John Carter?

Well for Pete’s sake why not?? (If you have, please disregard last sentence).
This is a darn good movie. I have made it my mission to educate people about this movie since Disney did such a poor job promoting it. For starters, the title should be “John Carter of Mars.” It’s based on a series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Not ringing a bell?

He’s the same man who wrote Tarzan. He wrote the Mars books back in 1917. Two important things to note about this date. 1) The Civil War was still fresh in people’s minds. And 2) Astronomers in 1917 observed what looked like man-made lines on Mars' surface. Telescopes have obviously come a long way since then, but these lines were a major discovery at the time. They gave rise to the belief that there was life on Mars and that it was capable of technology.

Enter our intrepid author, Mr. Burroughs. From this age and culture, he writes a science fiction series about a Civil War veteran who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars. Once there, he (and by “he” I mean John Carter of course) encounters the various races that inhabit the planet: the tribal Thark, the Red Men (humans), the mysterious Therns, and the unforgettable Princess Deja (yeah, you know where this is going - boy meets Martian girl and all that). Most notably, though, he discovers Mars is in the middle of its own civil war and despite his protestations, he is pulled into the conflict and forced to choose sides.

That is the basic gist of the story. My husband has read all the books, so I have it on good authority that the movie stays pretty true to the original plot. Besides an interesting historical background, though, this movie is really well done. Family friendly, action-adventure, it blends elements from Prince of Persia and Star Wars into a fun mix of humor and mystery. Witty well-scripted dialogue and a compelling redemption story don't hurt either.

If you haven’t seen it, and you’re a fan of science fiction, you should consider giving John Carter a shot. It has become an instant family favorite for us.

Of course, if you’re not a fan of science fiction, feel free to totally ignore everything I've said. In fact, if you don't like Star Trek or Jules Verne, chances are you probably didn’t read this far down. :)

Anywho, that's my two cents for the day: See John Carter. Then tell me what you thought.