Film Clip: John Carter

A Civil War veteran and gold prospector in 1880s Arizona Territory (Taylor Kitsch) is miraculously transported to the planet Mars, where his superior strength and agility make him a mighty warrior, while his valor, honor and good looks win the heart of a beautiful Martian princess (Lynn Collins). Edgar Rice Burroughs’ seminal 1912 pulp-fiction adventure, after influencing fantasy and science fiction for 100 years, comes to the screen courtesy of Disney, Pixar and writers Mark Andrews, Michael Chabon and Andrew Stanton (who also directed). The result is great fun, true to the spirit of the original and, with some tweaks and adjustments, reasonably faithful to the letter as well. Burroughs fans everywhere (he still has millions) can rest easy, and hope that Stanton and company can keep the series going. J.L.