“John Carter” of Mars or why I’m never happy with Edgar Rice Burroughs translations
<warning spoilers ahead>All I can say is thank you!
Reading the various reviews from reputed ERB fans, I thought I was going mad. From people saying it followed the book to a great adaptation. Comments criticising ERB being JC's nephew really made me wonder where people were coming from.
Way back in the late 1940's a young lad bought A Princess of Mars from a 2nd hand book shop because he enjoyed the Tarzan books by ERB. 30 odd years later he introduced it to his son and we had discussed over the years how great this could be as a film, especially as the effects advanced to a point that made characters like the green men possible. Move on another 30 years and JC is finally released.
Leading up to the film I kept flipping from excited expectation (felt like a 10 year old again) to nervous trepadation. The night before I saw a film review program and they slammed it (often a good sign) and Andrew Stanton said in his interview that he had been a fan of the books since childhood, so I went along expecting to see a film that would do credit to the book. I even hoped that it would exceed what Greystoke did for Tarzan.
My son and I sat down in the cinema and the film opened with Zodanga, a mobile city, being blamed for Barsoom turning into a dying planet. My heart sank. OK, I'd spotted Matai Shang in the trailers, but thought it was just going to be a liberty to establish them for the next film, WRONG! Instead of being a Barsoomian race, they are now extra terrestrials controlling events on Mars and Earth. If nothing else, the way they have been set-up really leads the question of how Stanton is intending to have JC defeat them in Gods and finally have Matai Shang die falling from a flyer, given that they can fly now! When he handed the laser glove thing to Sab Than I was really starting to twitch.
This settled down for a bit, ERB as JC's nephew the crypt with an open coffin that could only be opened from inside. Then Powell turns up to draft JC to the US army, was Powell recruited before or after fighting alongside JC in the Confederate army? Finally we get to Mars and meet Tars Tarkas leading a horde of green men (all 5 of them) to the incubator. Here we find out that Tars is Jeddak and Tal Hajus a mere subordinate. Oh, but this is great Tal defeats Tars to become Jeddak so JC can beat him and become Jeddak himself (titles constantly refused by him in the books). So rather than their friendship being the driving force behind the Tharks following JC, it's rule of a leader.
Now we get to the Red Men of Helium, Mors Kajak and Than Kosis, missing? Kantos Kan promoted to admiral (not even Jedwar)? Talking of Kantos, what happened to the Barsoomian law where a man cannot wed the widow or betrothed of a man he's killed?
Then finally there was all the trite about Matai Shang transporting him back to Earth and his search for a device to return him to Mars, culminating in the scene by the crypt.
There is just so much more that's wrong about the film and so many things left hanging. An example, why did the Tharks call JC Dotar Sojat?
My honest opinion is that if Stanton had followed the book, even allowed for the PC brigade (a little, I'd tell them where to swing), it would have been a far better film for fans and new people to JC.
The JC I read about in the books is an honourable man who would stand and fight for what is right, not a self interested depressive who needs to escape the memory of his dead wife and child (yes! Stanton even allowed this), before taking arms other than to defend himself.
Did you notice how Woola only had 6 legs?
The the honourable thing would have been for Stanton to acknowledge the film as a reworking, just as Tim Burton did with Planet of the Apes. It was only the day after seeing it that I found out there was a book of the film (based on a book), "John Carter: The Movie Novelization". Simple question, if it's not a rework, why the need for the book by Stuart Moore? BTW this ALSO includes the original novel. Anyone else spot something wrong with all this?
Chatting to my mother, she thinks 1/2 my problem was too much emotional involvement, I had promised my father I would take him but due to delays I could never fulfil this promise. So on that level, yes I'm sure she's right. However, I think you summed it up with your "all my brain kept telling me is, “this is wrong, this is wrong!”" line.
As a John Carter (by ERB) fan, I would recommend no-one go see it and let it fall on it's ass. At least that way they won't ruin Gods.
Like you, I would recommend no ERB fan go see this as they will be disappointed if they expect a loyal translation to film.
As a sci-fi fan, I'm still not sure I would rate this film too high either, it just didn't give anything new with the exception of some of ERB's more fantastic creatures.
