John Carter 3D (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

( Max score: 100 )

86

Film Synopsis:

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton John Carter is a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). John Carter is a war-weary, former military captain who's inexplicably transported to Mars and reluctantly becomes embroiled in an epic conflict. It's a world on the brink of collapse, and Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

My Take:

Based on the classic novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Carter is a warrior lost on Earth, who is magically transported to Mars, where the fate of the planet and its people ultimately rest in his hands. With surprising new powers, and epic battles, he rises to become the man he is meant to be and the hero he truly is.

I suppose that I should be a little embarrassed to admit that prior to the release of this film I had never really heard of John Carter or his adventures on Mars. The classic series of books are world renown and have an incredible fan base that spans generations. Director Andrew Stanton is clearly among those that love Edgar Rice Burroughs work and making this film was truly a labor of love for him. Thematically speaking John Carter is a sort of swashbuckling sci-fi romance that contains standard character archetypes that by today's standards may seem elementary. For those that appreciate the timeless nature of such stories/character archetypes film's such as these can prove rewarding.

I didn't see John Carter during its theatrical run. I didn't hear anything about it that made it worthy of a trip to the theater but figured I would catch it when it came to Blu-ray. I went in this review with reserved expectations hoping that there would be enough to keep me interested. John Carter isn't as bad as what I anticipated and in fact other than a few problems is reasonably entertaining. Probably the biggest problem is that there really isn't enough storyline to sustain the film's two hour and twelve minute runtime which adversely effects the pacing. Secondly, and to a lesser degree, there are aspects of the narrative that isn't fully developed which creates the feeling of fragmentation. This splashes over onto some of the secondary characters but again I didn't see it as detrimental. This is a straight forward action-adventure that has epic aspirations that never come to fruition mostly for the reasons stated above.

Having said that there is plenty to like in the cache of primary characters headed by Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), Tars Tarkas (Willem Defoe), Sola (Samantha Morton), and bad guys Matai Shang (Mark Strong) and Sab Than (Dominic West). Honorable mention goes out to the CGI creature/dog (name?) that provided a few of the film's best moments. I didn't find Taylor Kitsch's portrayal of John Carter to have enough charisma/grit to be wholly convincing (he wasn't terrible) which is my final complaint. I liked the action and high end production which at times proved pretty slick and there is enough heart and levity to provide a tangible connection to key elements. In the end I found John Carter to be mildly entertaining but not up to the level of the better action/adventure/fantasies fans of the genre are accustomed to seeing.

Parental Guide:

The rating is for intense sequences of violence and action.

Audio: 92

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3D Presentation: 80

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John Carter 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.5 Mbps.

This film wasn't shot natively in 3D but was converted in post-production. The film was largely shot against green screens and the reproduction of the digital effects and wide angle background elements translates positively here. Depth is appreciable as evidenced by separation of objects and/or people layered in the foreground/background which creates a visual sense of virtual space. High definition dimensionality and apparent resolution is rarely questionable in close ups and brightly lit exterior sequences but it varies some in the limited lighting. Comparing white/black levels, color and skin tone reproduction to the 2D presentation I found them to essentially be identical. There is a distinct lack of 3D effects that transcend the boundaries of the screen which makes for a somewhat less involving experience especially during the action based segments. I will say that I didn't find that this detracted from my enjoyment of the overall presentation which like the 2D version looks terrific on Blu-ray. I didn't notice any distracting instances of crosstalk or other video related anomalies. The end result is a satisfying but unremarkable 3D video presentation.

This 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is fairly aggressive and features an active surround mix that has extended dynamic range that positively renders the bombastic nature of the elements in the recording. The action based sequences transform the listening area into a three dimensional sound field filled via immersive surround activity that mates perfectly with the events unfolding onscreen. Low frequency effects produce bass that rumbles with tactile authority that occasionally pressurizes the room. While there are moments where punctuated deep bass can be felt it never entered the realm of the pant flapping extension that bass heads love to talk about. This shouldn't be seen as a shortcoming as overall balance within the mix is appropriate and satisfying. Dialogue is reproduced with lucid expression and exacting clarity that produced just the slightest hint of sibilance in the upper registers. This is an involving and dynamically enriched sound design that features high level sonic detail, excellent directional correlation and rhythmically charged bass. My advice is to crank this one up, sit back and enjoy.

2D Video Quality:

Video: 94

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John Carter comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 24 Mpbs.

This is a high quality video presentation that looks spectacular on Blu-ray. Images can be visually arresting and have a rich dynamic quality that highlights a near flawless rendering of detail. The video has excellent dimension and enriching clarity that rarely left me wanting. The stylized visual design features varied aesthetics that mate perfectly with subject matter. The majority of the film boasts deep shades of gray, blue, red, green, white and black. The chromatic range is vividly reproduced and fully appreciable as colors are deeply saturated with lustrous vibrancy that leaps off of the screen. Contrast is strong and blacks are deep without compromise to delineation. Shadowy areas exhibit excellent depth of field and visible gradational stages. Flesh tones are not overtly complex in tone but appear diverse in subtle structure and complexional makeup. High production value expertly blends real imagery with CGI with the end result being a distinguished video presentation that is perfect for showing off your high definition display.

Bonus Features:

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  Disc 1:

  
  
• 3D Blu-ray - John Carter
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  Disc 2:

  
  
• 2D Blu-ray - John Carter (plus the following bonus features):
  
• Explore John Carter's Journel with Disney's Second Screen
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• (HD) 100 years in the making - 10 minute documentary
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• (HD) 10 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Andrew Stanton (Also includes an introduction by Andrew Stanton)
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• (HD) 360 degrees of John Carter - 34 minute look at a day on the set
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• (HD) Barsoom bloopers - 2 minutes
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• Audio commentary by Andrew Stanton and producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins
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  Disc 3:

  
  
• Bonus DVD - John Carter
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  Disc 4:

  
  
• Digital Copy Bonus Disc - John Carter

Final Thoughts:

Based on the classic novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Carter is an ambitious big screen adaptation that is clearly a labor of love for director Andrew Stanton. While its heart is in the right place it suffers from a problematic script and bloated runtime. The good news is that the production is first rate and problems aside the screenplay contains enough action, likeable characters and heart to make for a mildly entertaining action/adventure. It comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney in this four disc 3D package that offers a satisfying but unremarkable 3D viewing experience that draws from the terrific elements found in its excellent 2D high definition audio/video presentation. The bonus material includes Disney's worthwhile Second Screen in-world experience (via the downloadable app), and several interesting features highlighted by an in depth look behind the scenes during a busy production day on the set. John Carter isn't the best nor is it the worst action/adventure film out there. Personally I enjoyed it enough to add this four disc 3D Blu-ray release to my collection. If you're curious drop it in your rental queue and take it for a spin.