Stefan Mileschin

John Carter opens to a bizarre war between some ships that look like a scene cut from Avatar except rendered on a barren planet. This is the first faux pas. The audience has no idea what it is seeing. There is no context or explanation leaving the audience to wonder if they have missed the first few minutes of the film. The action isn't even staged dynamically, almost directed liked a documentary. When we jump into the backstory after a few minutes, it's revealed that John Carter is a former cavalry officer of the confederate army. In the best sequence of the film, Carter proves himself to be a formidable enemy of the state, but also of the Apache Indians. After an escape from both, Carter finds a cave of gold, but when a stranger materializes next to him, he is mysteriously transported to the planet Barsoom (which we know to be Mars). On Barsoom, Carter is significantly stronger and dangerous than the inhabitants. Quickly he is thrust into the war which ravages their planet.

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