Out in cinemas this week: Tarzan of Mars, only without Tarzan's compelling storyline; plus Eddie Murphy finds himself in a supernatural bind, and two sisters cope with wandering the postapocalyptic wastes by reading The Wizard of Oz.
John Carter has all the hallmarks of a movie that exists more to look at than to involve yourself in dramatically, which mystifies me. The studios keep pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into making films visually gorgeous -- John Carter is supposed to have cost a quarter of a billion dollars -- and that money doesn't seem to go into developing scripts that entertain and intrigue. Because of the shape and costuming of the hero and the contests he finds himself in, John Carter may bear a passing resemblance to last year's Conan the Barbarian, but it could end up resonating just as strongly with something like Immortals (out this week on video): so sumptuous you can watch it with the sound off -- and your best viewing experience is probably doing just that, and supplying your own dialog. Still, there is a place for spectacle, and sometimes you do want the movie experience of floating in a pool: but then Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo) should know how to weld spectacle and story. One extra bummer: despite all that money it's 3D converted, so despite all the leaping about and monolithic monster fights, 3D connoisseurs may be disappointed.
The story: Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Samantha Morton, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy.
Directed by: Andrew Stanton.
I'd say something like "Wow, Eddie Murphy is still making movies?", only Tower Heist actually didn't suck. So I guess my line here is "Wow, Eddie Murphy is still making dumb family comedies?"
The story: After stretching the truth on a deal with a spiritual guru, literary agent Jack McCall finds a Bodhi tree on his property. Its appearance holds a valuable lesson on the consequences of every word we speak.
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Clark Duke, Kerry Washington, Cliff Curtis, Allison Janney, Clark Duke.
Directed by: Brian Robbins.
At the extreme opposite end of the funding scale from John Carter, this "micro-budget" film is described as being inspired by Frank L. Baum's novel The Wizard of Oz, which is ... unusual... for a sci-fi rifle-fest set in a postapocalyptic dystopia -- but then, Mad Max was really looking for the Emerald City all that time, wasn't he? Actually it turns out that the book, read by one sister to the other as they traverse the post-meltdown wasteland, provides a current of counterimagery to what the girls are experiencing in real life.
The story: After a financial apocalypse a young girl must protect her older sister as they wander a desert searching for a new home.
Starring: Chad Brummett, Cyd Schulte, Craig Myers, Kelsey Hutton.
Directed by:Paul S. Myers (Southern Belles).
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John Carter (2012)
John Carter has all the hallmarks of a movie that exists more to look at than to involve yourself in dramatically, which mystifies me. The studios keep pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into making films visually gorgeous -- John Carter is supposed to have cost a quarter of a billion dollars -- and that money doesn't seem to go into developing scripts that entertain and intrigue. Because of the shape and costuming of the hero and the contests he finds himself in, John Carter may bear a passing resemblance to last year's Conan the Barbarian, but it could end up resonating just as strongly with something like Immortals (out this week on video): so sumptuous you can watch it with the sound off -- and your best viewing experience is probably doing just that, and supplying your own dialog. Still, there is a place for spectacle, and sometimes you do want the movie experience of floating in a pool: but then Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo) should know how to weld spectacle and story. One extra bummer: despite all that money it's 3D converted, so despite all the leaping about and monolithic monster fights, 3D connoisseurs may be disappointed.
The story: Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a savior.
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Samantha Morton, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy.
Directed by: Andrew Stanton.
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A Thousand Words (2012)
I'd say something like "Wow, Eddie Murphy is still making movies?", only Tower Heist actually didn't suck. So I guess my line here is "Wow, Eddie Murphy is still making dumb family comedies?"
The story: After stretching the truth on a deal with a spiritual guru, literary agent Jack McCall finds a Bodhi tree on his property. Its appearance holds a valuable lesson on the consequences of every word we speak.
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Clark Duke, Kerry Washington, Cliff Curtis, Allison Janney, Clark Duke.
Directed by: Brian Robbins.
- Trailer.
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5 Shells (2012)
At the extreme opposite end of the funding scale from John Carter, this "micro-budget" film is described as being inspired by Frank L. Baum's novel The Wizard of Oz, which is ... unusual... for a sci-fi rifle-fest set in a postapocalyptic dystopia -- but then, Mad Max was really looking for the Emerald City all that time, wasn't he? Actually it turns out that the book, read by one sister to the other as they traverse the post-meltdown wasteland, provides a current of counterimagery to what the girls are experiencing in real life.
The story: After a financial apocalypse a young girl must protect her older sister as they wander a desert searching for a new home.
Starring: Chad Brummett, Cyd Schulte, Craig Myers, Kelsey Hutton.
Directed by:Paul S. Myers (Southern Belles).