John Carter
A Civil War veteran is swept from nineteenth-century America into a spectacular Martian struggle involving alien kingdoms, impossible leaps, and a determined princess.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- swashbuckling
- earnest
- whimsical
- weekend blockbuster night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an entertaining but overburdened pulp adventure whose visual effects and source-material spirit were weakened by a derivative, uneven presentation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Carter is transported to Mars, where alien societies, princesses, political unrest, and swordplay drive the adventure.
The Martian airships and production design evoke a technologically imaginative version of pulp-era science fiction.
Civil War veteran John Carter is transported from nineteenth-century America to Mars and must navigate its alien cultures and conflict.
The mysterious medallion triggers Carter's movement from a cave on Earth to Mars.
Films like John Carter, and why
Avatar
shared planetary romance, swashbuckling adventure, alien civilizations, and grand visual spectacle
The Chronicles of Riddick
shared pulp science fiction, interplanetary conflict, romance, and elaborate world-building
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
shared heroic adventure, fantastical worlds, political unrest, and effects-driven action
The Mummy
shared retro-futurist spectacle, alien races, romance, and serialized space adventure
Movie Details
- Director
- Andrew Stanton
- Release Date
- 2012-03-07
- Runtime
- 132 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (6307)
Cast
- Taylor Kitsch
- Lynn Collins
- Samantha Morton
- Mark Strong
- Ciarán Hinds
- Dominic West
- James Purefoy
- Bryan Cranston
- Polly Walker
- Daryl Sabara
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Disney Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is John Carter about?
- A Civil War veteran is swept from nineteenth-century America into a spectacular Martian struggle involving alien kingdoms, impossible leaps, and a determined princess.
- What is John Carter like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of John Carter as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is John Carter violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in John Carter as moderate.
- What did critics think of John Carter?
- Critics broadly found the film an entertaining but overburdened pulp adventure whose visual effects and source-material spirit were weakened by a derivative, uneven presentation.
- Which films are like John Carter?
- Films with a similar feel include Avatar, The Chronicles of Riddick, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and The Mummy.
- How long is John Carter?
- John Carter runs 132 minutes.
- Where can I watch John Carter?
- In United States, John Carter streams on Disney Plus.
