John Carter

A young adventurer is thrust into a vast conflict on a planet far, far away and finds himself drawn to a warrior princess fighting to save her tribe. Our hero is aided by a loveably ugly squat sidekick and a taller one prone to flamboyant language and gestures … Well, you get the point. The long-awaited adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ proto-fantasy swashbuckler A Princess of Mars has the uphill battle of telling a story within the restrictions of contemporary genre tropes. Debuting in 1917, the franchise served as ground zero for everything from Superman to Star Wars, and everything fantasy in between. What was blazingly original in the early days of the 20th century has since been cherry-picked to the point where there’s not much fruit left on its limbs to dazzle a 21st-century audience. Nonetheless, John Carter still manages to be an entertaining piece of work in its own right. Director Andrew Stanton (WALL-E and Finding Nemo) has found the heart, imbuing the proceedings with a whimsical touch that makes it more endearing than most space operas while also delivering on the epic sweep of the space opera. Cinemark 14, Feather River Cinemas and Paradise Cinema 7. Rated PG-13