John Carter [3D] (2012)
Brief review: The director of "WALL-E" and "Finding Nemo", Andrew Stanton, makes his live-action debut with "John Carter" - an uneven, yet fairly effective sci-fi adventure that has as many flaws as virtues. While the first half of the film is too dragged out and full of boring moments, the second half is brisker and more entertaining to watch, and the cleverly-executed ending also makes up for the film's earlier shortcomings. The script isn't great, but it has nice touches of wit that compensate for the many pacing issues. Aside from the unnecessary 3D post conversion, that adds nothing to the visuals, "John Carter" is technically masterful on every other level. Set on Mars, but actually shot in Utah, the movie impresses mostly with its expansive scenery that consists of red rocky barren wilderness and dusty pink sky, flawless and flashy special effects, and glorious sets that make it a pure feast for the eyes. In terms of action though, "John Carter" is hardly spectacular. For a two-hour movie that consider itself epic, it doesn't offer enough action to deliver on its promise, and the action scenes themselves, while exciting and well-shot, are way too short. Taylor Kitsch turns in a memorable performance as the title character, Lynn Collins is gorgeous and convincing enough as Dejah, and the supporting cast does a pretty good job, with Mark Strong being the best of the bunch as the enigmatic villain Matai Shang.
