Everything Wrong With John Carter In 15 Minutes Or Less

[@silvussol8966]

It kinda seems wrong to ding the movie for it's cliches considering the books pretty much invented a lot of those cliches.

[@a1guy524]

Thank you lol

[@mindmesh7566]

Burroughs fine tuned those cliches with his Tarzan books, I feel. His Martian adventure series was nothing more than Tarzan on another planet. Good fun though to read. Just found an old copy of Chessmen of Mars - the period Delong with his daughter on Mars ( Carter is referred to in the books as “the Warlord” ). They were pulpy cliched stories.

[@RileyDogg]

Except the books explained a whole lot better even down to how the hours minutes and seconds worked on barsoom and how the the thark tribes ran things, the movie rushed it a lot but it is a movie tho they cant fit every single little detail and keep people entertained

[@fanzwaelabc9030]

Ktir 7elwin l videos LI bt 7etton

[@josiahbahuaud2294]

@SilencedFiend If we wanted your opinion we'd ask for it.

[@Aprlmoore]

John Carter's wife and daughter were not killed in a house fire. They were murdered and raped by Union Soldiers during the Civil War. And then those soldiers burned down his house. He was away himself, fighting for the South. That is why he talks about "not being too late" again. He had a huge amount of guilt over their deaths because had he been home - instead of off fighting - he might have saved them. And that was why he didn't want to be recruited - by Cranston's character or by Dejah or Tars - to fight a battle for a cause again.

[@randallulrich]

"John Carter's wife and daughter were not killed in a house fire. They were murdered and raped by Union Soldiers . . ." Wait.........they were murdered, then raped? Eeeeewwwwwwww......................

[@VikingLord2000]

@@randallulrich Ted Bundy... I thought he was born in the 70s.

[@luciddreamz1446]

You do realize this is a Disney movie.

[@lukecage9836]

Aprlmoore amazed that the author of this video couldn’t put two and two together.

[@seanmoore2860]

TMI

[@deejin25]

When you love the original book series so much that the only Sin you can think of is that you didn't get more movies in the series. I saw it in 3D, sat in the front row, and when he got to Mars it's like I was there living my childhood fantasy and tears damn near flowed from my eyes.

[@albinveselka258]

Exactly, but because of the politics of critics and Holly Wood money, we can't have nice things. We need a trilogy.

[@tmrferreira]

No sins can make me hate this movie. It's just pure gold. I love it.

[@maxwelldegn6651]

The hell? This movie was weird af

[@joshuaaustin2250]

@@maxwelldegn6651 I agree it was weird. It doesn’t change that it was awesome.

[@henrlima87]

Yes i cant hate on this movie. Its very cool 😁

[@Decade332]

Yes this movie was so good it gave me existential crisis

[@DJMarcO138]

I too have a weird affection for it. Like...I KNOW it's not good, but yet...it almost has that original Clash of the Titans vibe, of "so bad it's good".

[@shaidyn8278]

For all its sins, I still loved the John Carter movie, and I'm eternally sad that there won't be any more.

[@s.rolphsen174]

Seriously? I enjoyed the books, but the movie was terrible.

[@christiancarruthers635]

Me too.

[@DreammasterFTW]

you do realize that a sequel is planned to happen right?

[@jimbackmann7808]

Caelin Golladay not true, as a matter of fact the Burrough's family estate just purchased the rights for the film's BACK from Disney 2 years ago.

[@rogerskitt1542]

+James Backmann i hope so. oddly I also really enjoyed this movie

[@jaykaufman9782]

The first John Carter story, "Under the Moons of Mars," was published in 1912. The John Carter of Mars series is so well-established, the original Dungeons & Dragons rules included stats for the various creatures of Barsoom. It absolutely was known and did influence every science fiction and role-playing author who came later. You'd have to go back to, say, H.G. Wells, Georges Melies, or Jules Verne to find older source material. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World," the original man-meets-dinosaur story, was 1912!

[@GamerFromJump]

Not one single use of the _Super Mario Bros_ jumping sound in the gag reel? Sin on you, CinemaSins.

[@ilikecurry2345]

Or even Sonic.

[@Vox_Curio]

The movie became a lot more enjoyable when about halfway through it I looked it up and found out it was based on a book that was published in 1912. Part of an 11 book series that was finished by 1943. This guy was like making up modern technology as if it was sci-fi which it was in his era and was probably the first one to pull off all the crazy cliches.

[@vuton7670]

yup, him and Robert E. Howard.

[@CinemaSins]

Just thought I'd come back again and repeat how stupid it is they took "Of Mars" off the title before release. Have a good night, ya'll.

[@thomashpfner7711]

Banter

[@samuelsanaee]

Princess of mars would be the best title in my opinion. The marketing of this film was poor and the trailer was sooo cliché.

[@CanadianLoneWolf10]

Cinema Sins you legends

[@djscott1979]

You forgot to add a sin for the dude at the end looking like eminem

[@lukeroughan4658]

Please do The Hobbit battle of the five armies if it isn't in the progress

[@bullettube9863]

This movie does not repeat all the cliches ever made. It is based on a 1912 book by Edgar Rice Burroughs; the same author who invented Tarzan, and is based on what was then known of Mars and the solar system at the time The books were totally different at the time and created a sensation. The movie follows the book quite well, and thus any cliches are the original cliches of all time!

[@BlueinanotherLanguage]

Not to mention it paved the way for all the great sci-fi that followed it: Superman, StarWars, and Flash Gordon drew tons of inspiration from ERB.

[@bullettube9863]

Yes, I agree. George Lucas was a big fan of the Flash Gordon serials and read all of Burough's novels!

[@johncurt776]

You're comment about how the movie followed the book's story "quite well" shows you never read the book. The added characters in the film, the blue men; or whatever they were called, I can't remember while I'm typing this, that acted as the film's main antagonist were not in the book and were completely made up to help make the film's story more exciting. These added characters may seem small, but up until just before Carter kills one of the Martians and gains rights to all the Individual's possessions, the story was almost completely altered. Which in my opinion, is why the movie failed.

[@bullettube9863]

Your right, the blue men were from a different book in the series. I gave away to the library all my old Burroughs books, I think there were five of the Martian series.

[@toquemaniaca7980]

10 books. The "Blue" men were the "Holy Therm" and were the "White Men" of Barsoom. There were "Noble Red Men," "Treacherous Yellow Men," "Piratical Black Men," insect-like "Green Men", a spider-legged race of giant heads, a race of headless men, and more.

[@Jordie_42]

"How do they decide whose baby is whose" - They don't. They are picked out randomly a avoid any sentimental attachment of being with their true parents. That is their way. Tars Tarkas shows strong signs of emotions because he knows Sola is his daughter

[@ShadowMurloc483]

then why the scamble for kids before that if no one cares whos baby is whos

[@empusa23bis]

Because, if you are late, you end up with no baby at all.

[@ShatteredVinyl]

Empusa is right, only 100 eggs are allowed to mature regardless of the number layed. So some people don't have any eggs in the batch. But since nobody knows who's are which, it is first come first claim.

[@jackalope2302]

@@ShadowMurloc483 Who wants the slow baby? Especially in a society with a hard on for culling the weak?

[@HueyPPLong]

One horn did nothing wrong

[@asermpoyi4357]

Hidden gem of a movie. Can’t believe the wedding dress alone didn’t remove a few sins lol.

[@ReveredDead]

I seriously want a John Carter 2 because the framework is all set up for a sequel. This movie was pretty good.

[@6023barath]

I agree! It's one of my favourite movies as well xD

[@ReveredDead]

Barath Raj Wish they'd make a second one that expands upon the story. Like what happened on Barsoom during that 13 year gap when John was stuck on Earth and what happens when he returns.

[@6023barath]

Black Onyx It sounds great :D

[@AbhishekBilkanAind]

Hollywood would not warrant a sequel for the very same reason the subtitle "of mars" was redacted from the title of the first movie. For the very same reason Prometheus 2 will never happen (at least not in the bold mythology that it strived for) and any other film for that matter.

[@jakobrogers625]

It's been cancelled :(

[@NoahRandolph]

There's just one thing I don't understand: why the heck is narration considered a sin? I mean, yes, if used incorrectly, it gets annoying, but it's often the most effective way to give an introduction or back story.

[@Ten_Thousand_Locusts]

It's a bit of a cliché and they like to nitpick.

[@КнижникТихий]

It's just a comic relief. He sin'es Naration, Reading, Exposition by charactors saying things and No exposition at all. It's a "no-win" scenario for a film. And this is why it's great.

[@garavonhoiwkenzoiber]

It goes against the "Show, don't tell" rule of cinematography. The Morgan Freeman Rule overrides this, however.

[@sephapplewhite8477]

It's a sin because it's seen as a filmmaker error. If you take media/ get into filmmaking you learn that, for as much as you can, you should tell the story with imagery. It's what changes films from a story to an art form. It's the same reason they criticize exposition too. If your film needs to explain the plot, it's not functioning as a film, it's an audiobook with pictures. EDIT: I stupidly typed "watch" instead of "what"

[@CreeperKiller666]

Seth Apple Your a fucking idiot. Just plain stupid. People like you are why people like Michael Bay are popular directors. Based on your logic, with enough action words would not even be necessary. Jesus.

[@musicadictor]

always thought that the "of mars" in the end was for drama. like, he was john carter in the beginning but now he's john carter of mars!

[@Jenacide]

That's a cool way of looking at it.

[@kimballslice8419]

i thought that too

[@noquarter1037]

Disney really thought that a sequel would develop from this movie. It just didn't earn enough $ to make it so. To bad; Because I liked the movie, and would like to see 'John Carter of Mars'.

[@namedate3437]

Yeah I think that was their intentions

[@lamarravery4094]

Yes, but it's a boring title. People including me didn't see it in the theatre because it had that boring title and I didn't know much about it due to bad marketing. But I have the blu ray and love it. I wish Disney would make a sequel, I would definitely see it on the big screen next time.

[@solinvictus4367]

The guy spent $100 at a bar? In 1881?! He must of cleaned the entire bar out of their stock

[@empmaximus1]

NO NO NO....he had built UP a tab of $100 over a period of time....sheesh

[@ExplosionChimp]

Was built up over time, also pretty sure it was a general store. Most bars dont sell bags of beans and supplies.

[@paulmoffat9306]

@@empmaximus1 A really HIGH tab in 1881 would be $10. BTW - $100 from 1881 would be equivalent of $2600 today.

[@marcbraun5342]

@@empmaximus1 Yes ok, but even if, would there be a store nowadays where you could have a freakishly high tap for a few thousand dollar and be ok with it? :D

[@empmaximus1]

@@marcbraun5342 It's called credit. Alot of things cost several dollars back in that time. Weapons for example. Shrug, maybe if they had said $1000 that woulda been a hard one to swallow.

[@Tatianaesimpson]

We are watching a video about a guy sinning a movie where a guy is reading a story about a guy telling a story..

[@psdnmstr4609]

I'm reading a comment about watching a video about a guy sinning a movie where a guy is reading a story about a guy telling a story.

[@mateocodesido3807]

I'm reading a comment about a guy reading and commenting about a guy watching a video about a guy critizising a movie in which a guy is reading a story about a guy telling a story.

[@BunphGaming]

I'm reading a comment about a guy reading and commenting about a guy reading and commenting about a guy watching a video about a guy sinning a movie in which a guy is reading a story about a guy telling a story. That's a mouthful.

[@stevemcstuffins]

Bunph Gaming arghhhhhh.....

[@morganmftw9060]

I'm giving each and every one of you a sin for that @Psdnmstr @Mateo Codesido @Bunph Gaming

[@LittleRedTeaCake]

This was one of the first movies my husband and I saw when we started dating. We even named our puppy Woola. I know there were problems with it, but we still enjoyed it.

[@stephenkoehler4051]

Whats wrong with this movie is that it came out 30 years too late. You can see where Star Wars and about every other space fantasy written in the past 50 years stole their ideas from. This is the FIRST space fantasy written.over a hundred years ago and was written well before Star Wars was even a thought in the mind of George Lucas' ancestors. There was nothing wrong with this movie. If anything, it was sad that Disney didn't do anything to promote this thing. This was going to be the first Disney cartoon and Disney made a choice to make Snow White. How history would have been different if that had been the case.

[@GeorgeMonet]

There were earlier science fiction stories. Also, just because a movie came out later doesn't mean it stole from this book. The writer of that movie could have come up with the idea completely on her/his own.

[@jiado6893]

The story has been used and copied, that's true. But that isn't an excuse for similar cinematography and imagery.

[@stephenkoehler4051]

Its like when I was walking out a movie theatre which showed an Animated Version of EE. "Doc" Smith's "The Lensmen" and listing to the idiots saying how the makers of the movie had ripped off Star Wars. Please don't try to say it wasn't influenced or copied. George Lucas himself even admits he was influenced by Flash Gordon and originally wanted to make Flash in lieu of Star Wars, but couldn't get the rights. He grew up with Flash Gordon serials on TV which were heavily influenced by the early pulp era works. These new kids, growing up on a diet of Video games and TV shows and having never cracked a book in their lives unless they are forced to, don't know what they are missing.

[@CliventheTraveller]

Romano Coombs Kurasawa ripped off John Ford tho, so it's all good.

[@kevinjonhason1106]

Stephen Koehler I love this film, but it's is hard to understand it being that it was compressed so much, it was a hard job to tell the full stroy in the given time. I agree with you, i really like this film and to me, is way better than starwars in many ways the old and new, this books actually have some sciencie behind them, i hope in the future it can be remadeor something.

[@Wenvolt]

I dont care what anyone says this movie is awesome and i love it and it inspired me to read the books!!

[@SpecialProjectY]

Fun fact, most of the creatures from the books inspired the creation of creatures of "Dungeons & Dragons" universe which unspeakable number media base upon unknowingly they weren't original.

[@RandomInternetProfile]

CinemaSins comment thread “i don’t care what anyone says, this movie was great” cliché

[@likenem]

People do realize the story of John Carter is older then Super Man. Like Super man ripped it off.

[@yourguykhonshu3972]

Superman = gladiator John Carter =/= Every piece science fiction (like people in the comments are implying

[@GeorgeMonet]

Just because something came first does not mean that something which came later necessarily ripped off the first work. Maybe the concepts in the first work were so necessary and obvious that everyone who wrote a work of that type would come up with those ideas completely on their own. And let's face it, nothing about this story is even a little bit new. There were other stories following the same narrative format written hundreds of years earlier. The only thing different is the setting. But that wasn't really integral to the story.

[@jiado6893]

But in the novel, John Carter didn't actually get any super powers when he came to Mars, did he?

[@likenem]

Jacob Bielski When the super Man comic first came out he was strong and could jump high

[@jiado6893]

likenem I know Super Man wasn't as strong in his first appearance. I'm asking about John. In the books, could this guy hop from one plane to another, in flight? Or clear city blocks?

[@OrangeHand]

John Carter was an awesome movie, a really under-appreciated gem.

[@PomPomegrenade]

Wouldn't say awesome or a gem, but enjoyable.

[@2Tudew]

it really was enjoyable. so much unwarranted hate but hey, it youtube. so of course.

[@SokarEntertainment]

It was enjoyable, but if you are EVER asked to analyse it, or very intellectually stimulated when you do watch it, you are gonna have a bad time.

[@francesco8000]

I'm sorry but every movie with a princess that want peace but refuse to marry a guy "because he is a monster" it's not a gem, it's pretty dumb.

[@OrangeHand]

***** How is that dumb?

[@nitaluhromyk2157]

That head slap was hilarious though

[@thomasluffiii]

NiTaLu Hromyk Yes like really jon you had 1 job!!!

[@DaveKraft1]

Made even more so in that Tharks weren't supposed to have a "traditional" sense of humor. The tribes of the Green race of Barsoom only found the inflicting of pain as something to laugh about, the more pain inflicted, the "funnier" and worthy of more laughter.

[@mikeholton9876]

the Gibbs Slap

[@vishnurk3107]

True😂😂💀

[@sofiarodriguezsantiago5403]

Everything wrong with John Carter: It doesn’t have a sequel *ding*

[@Maples01]

Disney has chose too many things to ruin to take on anything else, marvel and star wars you know

[@Maples01]

@Ricardo Alonso Rojas Shows you have no taste, star wars is a train wreck thanks to disney!

[@alvexok5523]

@Ricardo Alonso Rojas Ikr? I just couldn't take this movie seriously. The big white ape scene was hilarious and not a serious action sequence to me. And I love Jeremy's funny comments and quips on stupid movies like this one

[@alvexok5523]

@@Maples01 This movie's a train wreck. It's unintentionally funny. The Star wars franchise was definitely of a better caliber in my book. And Disney, well classic Disney anyway is Gold. No movies like this one can be compared to any of them

[@Maples01]

@@alvexok5523 Disney destroyed star wars, they have thrown out all cannon material as it contradicts their movies, there are only 3 Star Wars movies.

[@lazorbeak]

I Love John Carter from Mars, dont care what it made or how many sins it got it was just a good fun flick lol

[@hetzelstevemejiavidales5487]

Yup

[@PhilipZeplinDK]

First thought reading the title: "Can you really manage that in 15 minutes?".

[@evilmonkey542]

Lol

[@silverdudes1]

*DING*

[@Theodoreroum]

He did not. He left out at least 20+ sins. I guess because he got tired or run out of time :P.

[@PhilipZeplinDK]

I'm not even being a smartass here... it was literally my first thought x'D Man, this movie was such a disappointment!

[@AlexanderForsman]

Quest for Truth well he added at least 50 unnecessary sins so...

[@pinkmilkywaymilk7234]

The wrong thing about this movie is it became a flop due to bad marketing. I love this movie! It's truly a 'misunderstood masterpiece'!

[@KamenRider1113]

Me too, people just don't understand the beauty in this. This movie gave me the feeling that I couldn't explain bit I feel it while watching some of my other favorite movies.

[@Aristocratic13]

+KamenRider1113 especially with that score

[@Durwood71]

"Misunderstood", maybe. "Masterpiece", not even. The narrative was disjointed to the point that I suspect half of the movie's plot was left on the cutting room floor.

[@TheThejayman32]

Andrew Stanton controlled the marketing. Blame it on him.

[@djbare9]

It is one of my guilty pleasures, I almost never saw it, I didn't consider the title inspiring, have to understand I'd never heard of or read the book, I don't even remember how I came to watch the movie, suffice to say, I found it very enjoyable.

[@iamok7085]

Sin the character for being like Superman when the character was one of the inspirations FOR Superman.

[@alecdaley6105]

The marketing department had "of Mars" removed because they believed that it would remove a potential audience of people not interested in Sci-fi films...which in hindsight is fucking dumb as the marketing still indicates that it's definitely a science fiction film.

[@scarecrow9974]

Am I the only one who got the dialogue joke? The movie begins as just 'John Carter'. Then, during the movie, John Carter states that "Of Mars" is better. After saying that, the final credits change to 'John Carter of Mars'. The title evolved as the character evolved... Or maybe I'm giving the dialogue writer too much credit.

[@johnvfx143]

It was originally called John Carter of Mars, but Disney was afraid it sounded too much like Mars Needs Moms, a movie flop, and so Disney commanded the movie title be changed to lose the "of Mars" part. Dumb move, since the only John Carter most modern audiences would know is from the show E.R., Noah Wiley's character. Stanton, the director, snuck it into the dialogue and ending title.

[@DeEwouterKabouter]

about the horse thing, the horses chasing another horse always win, because they see a target to chase and the horse in front doesnt. why am i saying this on a year old video? thats a sin i guess

[@laylahli7558]

where'd ya learn that?

[@DeEwouterKabouter]

biology class :)

[@TheRightNut]

+DeEwouterKabouter Also 2 riders vs 1 rider.

[@markoproloscic4492]

Woah thats pretty cool. I just learnt something in the youtube comment section!

[@topanteon]

Well, actually that's not really true. That would imply the horse that is leading a race could never run to it's fullest potential.

[@hueyiroquois3839]

11:15 It's obvious. Since Mars only has about 1/3 the gravity of Earth, instead of weighing 100 tons, that thing would only weigh about 30 tons. Piece of cake.

[@josephglatz25]

Probably the biggest reason this film failed is because Disney put no effort into marketing it. When I saw the trailer, I thought they were selling a Disney version of Clash of the Titans, and suspected it would flop.

[@josephglatz25]

Joseph Glatz Not to say it was all that great to begin with, but that hasn't been a barrier to movies making a shit load of money these days. (Transformers, Star Trek Into Darkness, Jurassic World, 50 Shades of Grey, Twilight, etc.)

[@rickwpaperworkmakeschildsu4655]

+Joseph Glatz I think it was the name and marketing, but It was brilliant! Just sit down, turn off the world and let yourself believe. The production was outstanding!

[@NicaremE]

+Rick W You're kidding right?

[@Merione]

The trailer was terrible. I think it's one of the prominent reasons for the absolutely undeserved flop of this movie.

[@lamarravery4094]

Definitely, it was the marketing that killed this movie. Because it is a great movie, I enjoy it everytime I see it. I want a sequel. Disney needs to do one before the actors get too old. They made the mistake with the sequel to zorro, they should have made a sequel a few yrs after the original. But I hope someone at Disney will give us a sequel and hopefully market it this time.

[@mrnickbig1]

The biggest problem with the movie was the really crappy MARKETING! The public would have been far more accepting of the movie if the advertisements had simply made it clear the movie was based on a classic hundred year old science fiction series. Since no context was given, people judged the plot by what is known today, and thought it was silly.

[@TheDeadman419]

This was actually a pretty good movie, and for those of you who didn't like it, read the original book first and then go back and watch it. They made a lot of smart improvements for the film. Deja Thoris in the book was nothing more than a tool. I don't mean it in a bad way but she was only there for John Cater to save, that was her whole purpose. Being saved and loving John Carter unconditionally. In the movie at least she's proven her intellect, and that she can handle her own in a fight. And in the book a lot of events conveniently fall into place for John in a way that almost feels deus ex machina-ish. Now I give the books a pass because they were written in 1912, back when these cliches weren't even really cliches, they were new. But what this movie did good was that it kept the world of Barsoom exactly as ERB wrote it, and it made a new story from the same world, which is pretty refreshing if you ask me. It's a way to stay true to the original source material, but still allowing for some new and inventive ideas to be implemented. I really hope they make a sequel.

[@karl123260]

TheDeadman419 We could also that another improvement is changing some parts to appeal to the audience. Since the novel was made in 1912, obviously, there will be things people won't like. This movie gives really good groundwork for a full-fledged world, but alas, Hollywood is only in it for the money, they don't consider the true potential of making quality films, only banking on things that draw much attention.

[@GoatPopsicle]

This movie will never get a sequel, a reboot maybe, but never a sequel. The only movies that get get sequels are based on comic books, (almost) universally loved/appreciated movies, and movies that made a ton of money regardless of quality(Suicide Squad, Pacific Rim).

[@laeldestan1536]

An animated series would be pretty cool.

[@DaveKraft1]

Totally agree with your analysis. As a kid, I must've read the SERIES (11 books!) umpteen times over; and the first three books to the point where I was able to quote them by memory to MY kids at bedtime 20 years later! They updated a early 20th Century cliff-hanger series, and made it work pretty well in the 21st Century. Totally agree about Dejah Thoris -- MUCH more interesting in the movie! A Real person, not a prop. As for the CGI -- this is one of the reasons the series was never made before now; they lacked the technology to be able to create Tharks and thoats and calots etc. (Martian creatures, BTW). This was simply not doable with clay-mation. The books just had to wait for the technology to enable its making. So I give them LOTS of credit for the effort they put into it (and BTW, the re-creations were VERY faithful to the book descriptions overall).

[@TheThejayman32]

None of this post is remotely true.

[@david162116162140]

It's on Netflix currently and I came back to this to satisfy my need to watch it.

[@MajorSuperstar]

Do Everything wrong with "After Earth". Please.

[@madampluto3092]

I'm still waiting for that one.

[@R619ification2011]

They can't upload the whole movie

[@madampluto3092]

R619ification2011 Why not?

[@R619ification2011]

Copyright m8

[@MotionPicturesTC]

R619ification2011 LOL!!!

[@RDFranklin]

When John Carter drank the translation goo, all of Martian should translate. So when she named the planets in Martian he still should have heard them in English. "Mars" huh.. That's what we call it too...

[@Brakiros]

only if it translates directly he would

[@krillin123499]

really liked this movie wish they would have made more

[@DaveMorgan]

Matthew Aldridge thank you for using would "have". That's rare these days.

[@MrChaotic4]

It if wasn't for Disney's awful marketing campaign, this wouldn't have bombed.

[@colinparry4126]

I have no idea if it's been noted, but does anyone else love that both Mark Anthony and Julius Caesar are running around this film, they're almost dressed like Rome too.

[@ricklosangeles5043]

"John Carter" didn't fail at the box office because it was a (lousy movie) as some may think. It opening on March 9, 2012 on 3749 screens domestically. It had respectable returns of $30M for that first weekend. Trouble started on the second weekend (March 16th) when ticket sales were down 55%. and the third weekend (March 23rd) when ticket sales were down 62%. So what happened? "21 Jump Street" opened on March 16th and then "The Hunger Games" on March 23rd. Even "21 Jump Street" sales dropped 43% on the weekend "The Hunger Games" opened. It wasn't that "John Carter" was a bad movie, it's what it was up against on the second and third week that killed it.

[@bethanychatman9531]

It looks stupid

[@QuikVidGuy]

Jeremy: "Can we give this guy a whole movie for once?" Cranston: *Makes **_Why Him?_*

[@jweezyyy]

Macaroni and Cliches huh? “Makes why him?” is not a very coherent statement

[@Astroman10]

@@jweezyyy "Why Him" starring Bryan Cranston, James Franco, and that girl from "Suite Life on Deck", which I would prefer to watch rather than "Why Him" ...

[@KaeraNeko]

I still want a sequel for this.

[@lamarravery4094]

I watch my blu ray every now and then. It's a very well done movie, I wonder what happens when he gets back to Mars. I too want a sequel. I'm sure if Disney made one, it would have done better.

[@williamtaylor3484]

This movie was great. I would also love a sequel

[@wiseoldwizard]

*Disney isn't going to sequel a failed movie.*

[@KaeraNeko]

@@wiseoldwizard Be that as it may, this isn't about what Disney will or won't do; it's about what I want.

[@wiseoldwizard]

@@KaeraNeko *John Carter was one of the most expensive films to make, but sadly it flopped by failed marketing :(*

[@guardingdark2860]

9:15 I think she means that that particular garb was worn by the groom's mother for her wedding, not that the style of garb is worn by the mother of the groom in any wedding. If that makes sense.

[@modeldaughters]

I totally agreed with everything, but Lynn Collins is like at least a 100 point handicap - damn she prime in this movie!

[@DIOSpeedDemon]

SHE IS HOTTER THAN HELL ... What a woman...

[@elblaise5618]

Movies like this always leave me baffled as to why Hollywood folk are so insistent upon changing a working narrative? I mean the whole reason behind choosing an adaptation is because it's already popular so why f*ck up the story?

[@Arimil1234512345]

Well had they stayed true to the books literally everyone would be naked.

[@THEPELADOMASTER]

Ian Roper Hmmm... That sounds like the perfect movie.

[@Arimil1234512345]

Heh, the only thing anyone ever wore were the bits of metal which essentially displayed their rank and status.

[@raknai]

Ian Roper True, everybody is naked in the book.

[@Aeroldoth3]

+Ian Roper (Arimil75) But this is murica, where violence is fine but sex or nudity is foul and disgusting. : (

[@raknai]

+Aeroldoth3 I'm a bit old, so that is very weird to me. In the 70s you could see nudity in every film and we are fine. A guy cut his finger in Alcatraz and people talked about for a year Today any 14 show like supernatural has people cutting limbs and heads all the time. But if you show a female nipple the world goes down. WTF happened?

[@spidertown1]

John Carter From Mars was a great film and deserved to be a trilogy....and ..it was MUCH better then Avatar

[@emilykruger2844]

spidertown1 Agreed

[@albinveselka258]

Absolutely, way better than the hippie jungle smurfs movie. Just great entertainment by a man who basically invented the genre, not some politically charged garbage posing as an actual story.

[@ChloeCinema]

Fun Fact: This movie was in development hell for so long, it was almost the first theatrical full-length animated feature film before Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

[@Bigbub66]

That would've been really cool.

[@slipstreamxr3763]

Considering the relative sucess that Disney had with Tarzan as both an animated movie and a tv series back in the late 90s and early 00s you'd think that they would've been able to work this into a fairly acceptable movie or television series around the same time. They waited too long and tried to pit John Carter against the juggernaut that was Avatar at the time and that was one of the main reasons that the movie flopped.

[@jonny5777]

I absolutely love this film in my eyes it's perfect I have no idea why people didn't like it!

[@McDanny420]

I'm writing a book about me watching this video about you watching this movie about a guy reading a story about a guy telling a story. Which will be made into a video game, which will be made into a movie, which you will review, and the whole cycle starts again......

[@wingsandash]

Someone expressed regret regarding Taylor Kitsch not getting more work. I agree. He's of a much better caliber than most of the movies he's associated with, and very humble and professional n his approach. I hope he is offered more serious roles in the future, he could definitely win an Oscar if given the proper chance.

[@SilentCheechGaming1991]

I thought it was a decent film, defiantly deserved more success.

[@bloodrunsclear]

Don Cheech The effects were impressive and the acting fine, but don't you admit this movie could have stood a lot more work? It's not even close to the original stories and the current story it tells doesn't make a lot of sense ^^;

[@bloodrunsclear]

ElectricDreams Nitpickers? The problems I had were sheer areas of completely nonsense, not 'details'. I imagine you don't nitpick movies like Meet The Spartans or Howard the Duck either?

[@prizefighter7607]

+Silent Cheech Disney marketed this movie into the ground.

[@TheThejayman32]

+PrizeFighter no. Andrew Stanton controlled the marketing. He marketed the movie into the ground.

[@prizefighter7607]

Milton Jackson True, but he was working for Disney, and Disney's head of marketing, MT Carney, also admitted to suggesting the name change.

[@Nexus42]

So, is Everything Wrong With Eragon ever going to happen? I haven't read that book, but apparently the movie was pretty awful too. Seems like prime material for this channel. ^__^

[@raidenshotgun5997]

RIP bol's :'( u will not be forgotten!!!

[@Nexus42]

omar faruk =)

[@GameCriticNoob]

Imagine a movie tearing out literally everything from the source material and burning it. That is Eragon.

[@dlira6242]

Book series was great except the 4th book which was a bit too rushed. Movie was so bad it makes "The Room" look good by comparison.

[@ariels.1436]

Bolsssssssssss why did you have to go???

[@bloodrunsclear]

This movie was all kinds of wacky messed up. I actually had no idea his family died in a fire. I thought they might have been killed by native americans or calvary officers or...heck, JOHN could have killed them for all the sense that flashback made in deep sautéed black and white with very little lighting.

[@bazzer124]

Just a minor continuity thing that struck me. When Deja shows Carter the planets (~5:50), there are nine. The story was published in 1917, before Pluto was discovered in 1930. Cheers...

[@firebeard2412]

I'm just waiting for him to start the movie and say "EVERYTHING" and add a million sins

[@seanking4351]

Thought he was going to do that for The Last Air Bender

[@alyero6341]

+Macho King should have done that yea

[@Beretta249]

Sin #36: Emperor Dad is also Caesar from Rome!

[@iamtenzin4409]

+Beretta249 Emeperor Dad's best buddy.....Marc Antony...

[@masondeross]

He starts as John Carter and transforms to John Carter of Mars by the end of his journey (or the start, since it was probably also meant to open it up as a continuing franchise before they decided it didn't sell well enough).

[@SSHitMan]

Mary: Those aliens have no nose! John: How do they smell? Mary: Awful!

[@Kidastro123]

This is actually one of my favorite movies, it cause me to read the books. Which were good as hell

[@BifronsCandle]

Why are the Reds supposedly more advanced than the Tharks yet still fight with swords?

[@sldragon512]

SlyBiffrons Because action!!

[@sagerider2]

SlyBiffrons Good question, in personal battle they would fight with swords, but in other battles, they had weapons that could fire for miles. So, I don't know why they didn't do that?

[@TheNinjaBlades]

+Marilyn Newman Haha true! Book states that Tarks' rifles can hit accurately over 300 miles XD

[@reptomicus]

+SlyBiffrons Technology doesn't develop in a straight line. The two species developed independently in different branches.

[@BifronsCandle]

reptomicus Pretty sure they have interacted with each other more on one occasion.

[@Lakanus]

Everything wrong with John Carter, starts by making fun of the Disney Logo...love it!

[@empirestate8791]

The funny thing is that even though the John Carter movie may sound cliched, it's based on a book series that was one of the first to use those cliches. Many later sci-fi works take inspiration from Barsoom.

[@qwerty6699]

i could give this +100 sins because dejah is wearing something other than nipple pasties

[@BatPierrot]

Come on ! No Rome joke ? Because i totally saw Julius Cesar and Marc Antoine fighting alongside together in this movie !

[@gilzineto]

thanks!

[@GylleTheGreat]

Posca was there as well

[@DonnieDarkmode]

Damn, I feel like when they did casting for that HBO miniseries "Rome" they just took a bunch of characters from this movie

[@msullivan85]

Caesar and Mark Antony. I didn't see anybody else. Love the name drop though. "Rome" is probably 2nd my favorite show of all time behind BB.

[@DonnieDarkmode]

msullivan85 Could've sworn I saw Atia too but maybe it was someone else. Agreed though, great miniseries

[@msullivan85]

JoHn DoE It's really kind of shame the series was basically too good for its own good...they were spending a fortune on production compared to its return which makes sense when you think about the sets and aesthetics of the show. They left no stone unturned when it came to detail which apparently cost a lot. Being HBO and limited availability didn't help. The show encompasses without a doubt one of the most interesting times in Roman history. I thought the show ended well. They really could have kept going though. There is plenty more material within the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula, Germanicus, Claudius, Nero. Not to mention Agrippina, daughter of Marcus Agrippa (Octavian general). First a wife and then a mother of Roman Emperors. Its a subtle thing but that show was one of the best I've ever seen, film or otherwise, to remain historically accurate in all the right areas. Some of the only characters I thought were fictional and had never heard of, Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus were real members of Caesar's 11th legion mentioned by name in Caesar's writings. I shit you not too. If you look at a real life bust of the general Marcus Agrippa...he actually looks exactly like the actor they found to play him. The creators didn't have to do that. Nobody would have noticed. It's such a subtle thing but it makes me appreciate the show that much more.

[@joakimandersson7769]

JoHn DoE Except this movie came ouy 7 years after Rome? And I don't know about "miniseries", since it ran for 3 full seasons with 22 episodes :P

[@marcopolos7937]

+Joakim Andersson Except Rome ran for 2 seasons :P

[@JohnWayneStraightcy]

Man, I LOVE this movie growing up as a early teenager. But man, you made me feel stupid for loving this movie 😂😂😂 I still love it! Core memory when I skipped school in 9th grade with a small group of 4 to go see this movie. We all read the books growing up. We also smoked weed too! Seeing this in theaters stoned asf, UNSUPERVISE, and the theater was empty! The amount of Slurpies and pretzels w cheese we ate! I was the fastest one, they said. I was one of the two, to run down to the counter and refill our slurpies. 😂😂😂 man, good times My favorite sin. Out of the planets being called something different, sun is sun. 🌞

[@chopmopjeter18]

First, do EWW Alien. Then, EWW Aliens. I will not stop posting this until you do.

[@theonewhoknocks96]

I just realized both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony are in this movie

[@GarethRoriston]

This movie is one of my favourites

[@liammurphy625]

if thats true you must read the books, this movie is a travesty

[@jamesdeen164]

“Keep moving! We’ll get there!” Yep that’s how trips work.... I luv this guy

[@hippymad1]

Why does this movie get such a bad rap? I mean it's not exactly a good film and has a lot of faults but at it has it's moments and has some more imagination than half the tosh that is spat out by Hollywood.

[@PatricioINTP]

The title change. Which sounds like a better movie, "John Carter" or "Princess of Mars"?

[@557deadpool]

Wtf are you talking about? This movie is far from imaginative and is filled with couches

[@557deadpool]

557deadpool cliches*

[@hippymad1]

557deadpool some the flying machines have interesting design and I think the culture of the Martians is something I luke to learn more of. I haven't read the original source material but I believe that that this movie suffers from not being able to express everything within the allocated time. Don't get me wrong, this film is riddled with clichés and I do believe that I said that this film and some and wasn't swimming in it but doesnt mean there isn't any. Also, cliche aren't are necessarily a bsd thing. It is hard to avoid them seening that so msny Ideas hsve been used so often in the past. The trick is implementing well although this movie didn't manage to do that.

[@hippymad1]

557deadpool all im saying is thst there are far more films that deserve bad rap and I don't believe thst this film earns the level that it is given.

[@wasabipiep4724]

LISTEN UP CINIMA SINS!!!! YOU NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WRONG WITH: After Earth White House Down The Day After Tomorrow The rest of the Terminator franchise (that includes the 2nd one) Total Recall Mocking jay Part 1 Hulk And any kids movies such as Cars, rattotoulle, wall-e,etc. DO IT!!! DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!

[@wasabipiep4724]

This wasn't for you.

[@XCallisto111]

Hasheem Gul i _literally_ see *_ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FUCKING WRONG WITH HIS SPELLING_*

[@XCallisto111]

I didn't see that. And I don't think it's justified to call him retarded for one misspelling. And a common one at that.

[@ninjasplicer7]

Ratatouille was amazing fuck you

[@Novakane78]

WasabiPie:P No Sir !! No!! you are loud sir !!! noo! lol

[@scienceme9794]

Pretty much every problem with this movie was because they didn't follow the book properly. Seriously guys, you had a perfectly good and (fairly) logical plot laid out for you 100 years ago and you decided to abandon it for this. Oh well. Maybe in another 100 years Barsoom will get the movies it deserves.

[@greena874]

Cinemasins... Did you noticed that "the women wearing something bright " 0:40 it looks to similar like the girl from the movie "The Time Machine" (2002 film) remember... Alexander's fiance at the star of the movie...I think her name was... Emma...

[@stephencarlish8799]

Minus 10 sins for the hot princess!

[@laeldestan1536]

Totally agree

[@broken95firebird]

agreed

[@Lukiel666]

But plus 100 sins for not being true to the books. Where the princess is naked.

[@Jon_EC]

Chris Carlish she's hot but she sounds like a dude

[@LightForxes]

Jon_EC 1105 Have care for how you speak! Check your ears. She doesn’t sound of what you described..

[@RemyBeast]

I wanted to see a sequel, but only because I want to see Lynn Collins in another movie.

[@ReveredDead]

+Remy Beast Right?

[@megasean3000]

Somehow, I get the feeling it would have been awesome and ground breaking if it were released ten years ago =/

[@ninjasplicer7]

Law x Chopper

[@blacksage2375]

It would have been doomed anytime after Star Wars, the curse of influencing later work that the general public won't realize no you were first they got it from you. And it took severe hits before that when NASA proved Mars was a cold red rock, aliens had to move out of the solar system.

[@matman000000]

blacksage The Lord of the Rings was probably the biggest influence on fantasy books, movies and videogames in the last 50 years, but the movies were still great and very successful.

[@blacksage2375]

Max Payne And what movies are those pray tell? Only movies matter here. I know LotR is not the first fantasy film of course, but I dare say that those before it would be "fairy tale" not "high fantasy" sorts so not so readily comparable, and I simply cannot name one that did anything near as well. And yes that money matters, Star Wars is second only to Gone With the Wind in inflation adjusted dollars. The money tells you how many people saw it and what sort of footprint its going to leave in people's minds. LotR has cinematic precedents of course, but they are things like Lawerence of Arabia or the Ten Commandments. And its most obvious is Star Wars. Yet LotR also has obvious differences from those, you'd never *confuse* one for the other. What I'm talking about would be if they'd made something like Sword of Shannara into a movie before LotR. Which if it did well despite being a knock-off would have everyone saying a LotR movie was "just like Shannara" which from their perspective would be essentially true.

[@gold_leaf0702]

* sins the movie for portraying Mars as it was in the movie, a habitable planet * sins the movie for world building * sins the movie for taking the "no marks left" literally * sins the movie for calling the princess a "red girl" despite them being called Red Martians

[@TheAdam1995]

I'm going to come right out.... I liked this better than Star Wars. *flame shields up*

[@rockhoppa9012]

The originals or the prequels? Bc one and two of the prequels were shitty (2 was enjoyable) but if u mean more than the original, then I don't even fucking know how, unless the advances of CGI and sound effects and shit like that are why u like it more, then I still have to personally disagree

[@TheAdam1995]

ROCKHOPPA901 Actually I meant Star Wars in general. I don't like John Carter just because of the advance of CGI and sound effects and shit like that. I think John Carter is a great film because it faithfully brought the great story to the big screen. I liked the actors, the action and just the overall scope. I have more appreciation for this film and the book it's based on than I do for the original Star Wars trilogy.

[@CreeperKiller666]

ROCKHOPPA901 Some people like this type of science fiction. The classic type that makes no real world sense, like something that Jules Verne might write. This movie might be poorly directed, but the story itself is very good, and the original book is even better.

[@AnakinSkyobiliviator]

RAAAAAHHHHHH- You know what? I actually don't feel mad. Strange, if this is me around 2 years ago...I would be quite peeved.

[@Frankenstein077]

***** I also enjoyed the movie a great deal but I'd hardly call it a 'faithful' adaptation of the book*s* as they brought in characters from the first three ERB Mars books, Princess, Gods, and Warlord, and completely changed characters, settings, and plot.

[@k2live787]

Game sins Commercial sins

[@tommycarr8111]

They could just take down brand sins and replace it with commercial sins.

[@mirrorslash028]

They did GamingSins.

[@Reccini]

*Commercial Sins* "They exist"

[@mirrorslash028]

*Game sins* Shoot the red barrel - Cliché. *DING*

[@wiiagent]

I actually loved this movie despite all of its flaws!

[@depaulvera]

By far your very best ending bloopers. Every single one is perfect! 🤣😂

[@shagrat47]

Sometimes if a movie is filmed from the story of an 19th century novel, it is a good idea to read the novel(s), to be able to differentiate between original setting and what you in your personal opinion deem a "sin". Considering the novels and their story, they did an amazing job to preserve the narrative, have not overdone the action, yet managed to present the fictional world of Barsoom (Mars) in a convincing way. I would consider about 90% plus of the so called "sins" as pretty good entertainment. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@albinveselka258]

Spot on! The critics hate it because it doesn't fit their politics. Not enough people watched it because it was really poorly marketed. And notice how many likes vs views this video has.

[@Rexyf]

I know this is years old at this point, but the anticlimactic battle being anticlimactic (between John Carter and the Thark Chieftan) was intended as such. Even in the original book it got pretty much a single line, to demonstrate that the Chieftans bark was worse than his bite.

[@albinveselka258]

You thought you were coming in late. I just came across this pathetic critique of the movie seven years too late, and I can't help myself. You're right. It was a great movie, and we should have had a trilogy.

[@KamenRider1113]

To be honest, this is one of my favorite movies. I want a sequel.

[@theofficer7755]

This has to be the only movie in Netflix where I actually watched all of it

[@meghandavis5327]

that last minute of stuff was hilarious!!!!!OMG

[@jeffreyriley8742]

John Carter would have done much better at the box office if they'd just added "of Mars" to the title. That's just how people are. More people would have given it a chance. "John Carter" makes it sound like a George Clooney legal drama. It may not have done a lot better but it would have done better.

[@benjaminfugman7333]

What do you mean, "How do they decide who's baby is whose?" Don't you know anything about Tharks? "All children belong to the horde." I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you never read the book.

[@cristianverdugogalaz8725]

they have said multiple times, books don't matter, you should be able to understand a movie base on the books without reading the books, cos it only leads to confusion for the people that haven't read them

[@HueyPPLong]

@@cristianverdugogalaz8725 It was obvious in the movie as well. They even said it later when the king showed love to Sola

[@cookiesnugglez7318]

@@cristianverdugogalaz8725 bro they showed it in the movie aswell and the books do in fact matter

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

I read Burroughs's 'mars' series when I was 8. I still remember his description of the slave-revolt. "They attacked their cruel masters with every weapon they could find. Those who found no weapons used their teeth." 50+ years later, I am still in awe of that image. Thank you Edgar. BTW. I don't care how much money Disney lost. I don't care about critics of this film. This is MY movie. And I'm fine with that. Oh...and you guys at CinemaSins. Don't be bitching about this film 'stealing from Star Wars'. It's the other way around. MAJOR BALL DROP on your part.

[@GathKingLeppbertI]

As a film no, Cinemasins don't care about the books. And besides star wars, pardon me if I'm wrong, was always film first books second. So entirely different.

[@repe0]

10:56 Literally Star Wars, but what's general Grievous doing on Geonosis?

[@jonathandavenport2500]

THE REASON WHY THE MOVIE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE STAR WARS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE GEORGE LUCAS HAS SAID THAT HE DREW INSPIRATION FOR STAR WARS FROM THE OLD JOHN CARTER BOOKS.

[@magiciansapphire9278]

That maybe one of the reasons that doom the John Carter movie because the books set so many standards and pioneered a lot of concepts that various sci-fi franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, Flash Gordon, etc. uses to this day, that when this movie came out, all those things had been done to death and rob John Carter of it's charm.

[@jonathandavenport2500]

Exactly, I haven't read the books myself, but I feel that if we had never seen all the sci-fi movies and tv shows that we had that John Carter would have been much more popular.

[@GoBenJohns]

I Wish This Movie Had A Sequel. Instead Of Being A Box Office Bomb :D

[@reichlinsmall9765]

Ben Johns Agreed, and not to troll on a video DESIGNED for trolling, but a lot of the things complained about were accounted for very well in the movie.

[@lamarravery4094]

I loved it. Watch the blu ray 2 to 4 times a year. I want a sequel, I'm a big fan.

[@paulmcdaniels6021]

I loved this move. I read everything by Edgar Rice Burroughs as a kid. They did a great job.

[@MegaSants]

okay,,, I see Disney logo at the beginning.. So, Dejah Toris is our disney princess, right??

[@schwarzerritter5724]

The comment section can't decide whether the movie is accurate to the book or not. Half of them defend the movie's cliches by pointing out how old the book is, which would only make sense if the movie is accurate to it. The other half says the movie has nothing to do with the book.

[@SailorBarsoom]

+Schwarzer Ritter This movie was spot on with some things (Carter leaving a seemingly dead body on Earth, the names of most of the characters) and totally bonkers inaccurate with other stuff (the Therns weren't even in the first book, and they were FALSE gods WITHOUT superpowers in the second and third).

[@yourlocalbicronoverlord]

+Sailor Barsoom not to mention that they are the other races of Barsoom

[@jackalope2302]

They retained the cliches but dropped the plot. So both are true.

[@SailorBarsoom]

Actually, I can narrow it down to two sins: *1)* They changed the hero into a different sort of person, and *2)* they changed the villains from false gods to real gods, or to real might-as-well-be-gods. And if you've changed both the hero and the villain all to hell, does it really matter what other sins you've committed? Or even the few things you get right?

[@orinanime]

1) they gave the hero depth and a backstory 2) the therns in this movie are still false gods. they're white guys with tech that gives them crazy powers. they're just made more powerful and added to what would have been the first of at least three movies to make for a more cohesive villain setup and story structure. I would have been fine with a more episodic series of movies that resembled the books. It worked for Tarzan back in the day and is still working for James Bond now. It could have worked for John Carter. BUT I'm also fine with the movie we got. I wish it had been marketed better and they hadn't spent money on a useless Super Bowl commercial which drove up the expense of the movie cutting into it's chance for profit.

[@SailorBarsoom]

Aaron Nicewonger I don't know how they could have done _The Gods of Mars_, which is all about the Therns. How are the First Born supposed to prey on them? They'd have to be even more powerful. As to marketing, I agree with you fully. Whoever was put in charge of that should be paid good money to stay home and never work again.

[@TheThejayman32]

+Aaron Nicewonger How is making the hero a whiny jerk by giving a backstory ripped off directly from Outlaw Josey Wales "giving him depth"? The book gives him enough character development to suffice: He's a former Captain in a defeated army who's lost everything and has to prospect for gold to try to earn a living. Once Apaches kill his friend and try to kill him for invading their territory to prospect for gold, he hits rock bottom but gets a chance to overcome all the problems laid in his path on a planet perfectly fit for his lifestyle and personality. You really need nothing more than that to tell a good syory.

[@orinanime]

Milton Jackson Soldier loses war. Is broke. Friend dies. I enjoyed Burroughs stories, but the movie character has a more developed background. He has the elements of the book background plus the added family element. Plus = more. Also starting him as a broken man and having him undergo change is more than the fairly flat adventure character we get in the book. It gives him an arc. And therefore more depth. Wether you like it or not, it is more depth. Wether you think it's good or bad, it is more depth. Undeniably. And the ONLY similarly between Carter and Wales is that his family died post-civil war. The hows and whys and the presentation of the two stories and how they affect the hero are all different.

[@TheThejayman32]

We're going to have to disagree on this. Adding a superficial story does not increase depth, nor is the character in the book flat. He changes from a defeated former soldier to the catalyst for great change on Barsoom. Because John Carter decides to adopt Mars as his home rather than bitch about wanting some cave of gold, he causes the Tharks to become the mightiest tribe of green men on Barsoom. Because Carter learns to love for the first time and develops a profound attachment to Dejah Thoris (rather in contrast to the "I don't trust you; now I love you for no reason" approach used in the movie), he comes to love also her home country and helps Helium become the dominant power on Barsoom instead of the precariously balanced regional power it is in the first novel. In the movie, Carter is whiny and unlikable. (I lost someone horribly just before the movie came out. I never became a bitchy thug like John Carter in the movie.) He's not a particularly good fighter since Dejah Thoris outshines him and Sab Than defeats him in a fight. He spends most of the film's runtime engaged in emo moping before engaging in cathartic mass slaughter and deciding to fight--ineptly--for Dejah Thoris and Helium even though evidence indicates she can handle things better than he can. No matter how you want to justify it, that's not depth. It's Lifetime: Television for Women cliches tacked on to make the film appear more profound than it is. The book handles the character much better. I will admit I like the fact that the film plays up Dejah Thoris' scientific inclination--which Burroughs largely drops from the narrative after mentioning it--but overall the film and its superficial characterization are substandard compared to the novel. That Stanton apparently watched a marathon of Outlaw Josey Wales, Flash Gordon, Independence Day, and Asylum' Princess of Mars before ripping off ideas from each to put into his film in no way means John Carter, either the movie or the film character, is in any way deep or well developed.

[@DaveLennonCopeland]

When I first saw this movie, it reminded me of; The City of the Beast, Lord Of The Spiders and Masters Of The Pit, all by Michael Moorcock (author) and part of the Eternal Champion series featuring Michael Kane. These stories would make for an absolutely brilliant movie trilogy.