[Jean Thibodeau]

[Roger Hooper]

I saw the movie yesterday. Overall, I didn't care for it - the plot just didn't hold together well. I did like the visuals, and could enjoy some of the moment to moment things. I really liked the boat ride down the River Iss, aka Lake Powell in Utah - I want to do that someday, maybe rent a houseboat.

The movie Dejah Thoris is a typical modern cinema fighting action babe, very different from the book character, who was a standard early 20th century passive damsel in distress..

The Therns don't show up until the second book, and while villians, are not the omniscient beings from the movie.

Since the movie isn't doing that well financially in its opening week, there probably won't be a sequal.

[Lou Weaver]

Kaor to all the thans and panthans keeping the dream alive. I apreciate the responses from everyone and their viewpoints.Hollywierd will not ruin my boyhood memories and idealism nor my love for Burroughs literrary works wich it seems gets no recognition from the elites today even on its centenary of Tarzan of the apes and a princess of mars. Ridley Scott's prophets of science fiction prefers to pay homage to the usual writers and other Hollywierd moguls.I have yet to see any reference to Burroughs on local or national television news. That said, the wife and I are going to meet relatives at the Kabuki steak house where i will forget these sorrows with a few Saporos.In the future I would like to discuss how the standard Barsoomian warrior would wear his weapons and other items in realistic fashion.

[Patrick Kelly]

It wasn't as disappointing as I'd feared. Then again this was only because after seeing some initial stills and the trailer, I assumed it would suck the oxygen from the room. The Barsoom novels got me hooked on sci-fi and fantasy as a young boy. I was in highschool when I finished them and I must admit they became a bit tired as I grew older. I do have a soft spot for them although The Moon Men/Red Hawk was my favorite Burroughs effort.

This movie hit the topic in the very broad strokes with changes made to accommodate the sensibilities of a 21st century audience. Dejah Thoris is a kick-a$$ babe and more intelligent than JC in many ways, rather than the beautiful plot device in distress she was in the books. Being the progenitor of so many genre stereotypes, it's difficult for the material not to seem cliche. Modern audiences are also more sophisticated and require a bit more exposition to suspend their disbelief than the original material provides.

I didn't like the brooding, breathy delivery of the male lead and I didn't think he captured John Carter very well. The female lead, while exceedingly nice to look at, delivered a performance a bit overwrought for my taste. The CGI was good and it nailed the various creatures pretty well spot on. I would have liked to see a bit more steampunkishness in the technology though. The swords were the most dreadful thing in the entire effort.

I was mildly entertained for a couple of hours and it made me want to read the books again. That's the best I can say for it.