ANDREW Stanton, director of Finding Nemo and Wall E, makes his live action debut in the spectacular John Carter (3D), a film with lots of sword fighting, exotic locales, gigantic creatures and a cliffhanger ending, but at 132 minutes, somewhat overblown.
Virginian and former Confederate Captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is seen as a washed-up and possibly insane remnant of the Civil War to most, obsessed with finding his fabled cave of gold.
However, when a series of events lead to him once again finding his lost treasure, he is mysteriously transported from Earth to Mars, where he meets a curious assortment of green-skinned creatures, with four arms.
Befriending the alien Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), the local warrior, Carter soon learns that the planet, is suffering its own little war.
Aided by the powerful Matai Shang (Mark Strong), Warlord Sab Than (Dominic West), the Prince of Zodanga seeks to take the peaceful city of Helium and its Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) by marriage or by domination. Carter is drawn into the conflict and must choose to place the planet’s destiny before his own.
