John Carter
Metascore
51 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 42 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 42
  3. Negative: 7 out of 42
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  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Mar 9, 2012
    25
    Interminably long, dull and incomprehensible, John Carter evokes pretty much every sci-fi classic from the past 50 years without having any real personality of its own.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    Mar 8, 2012
    25
    Even Strong's best efforts can't save John Carter from collapsing in on itself like a dead star.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    Mar 8, 2012
    25
    The opening to John Carter is a dud, a battle between airships made of woven bamboo, bursting into computer-generated flame over a sandy terrain. There's nothing to see, nothing to think about, nothing to care about, and nothing to feel, just emptiness. The emptiness is never filled over the course of 132 long, barren minutes.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    Mar 7, 2012
    25
    Nothing in John Carter really works, since everything in the movie has been done so many times before, and so much better.
  5. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Peter Bradshaw
    Mar 18, 2012
    20
    Dejah, with her seen-it-all-before smirk, is not a very sympathetic heroine, and Kitsch is stolid and dull. And as for the red planet, the answer to David Bowie's famous question is no. What a sadd'ning bore it is.
  6. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Mar 7, 2012
    16
    Most annoying is John Carter's scarcity of action. This much buck should buy more bang.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Jaime N. Christley
    Mar 6, 2012
    12
    As film theorist Siegfried Kracauer once wrote, to paraphrase, art often blooms in the most hostile soil. No such luck here.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 441 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 150 out of 195
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 195
  3. Negative: 21 out of 195
  1. MarcDoyle
    9
    Who would have thought that the highest professional critic score for a movie like John Carter would come from the Village Voice?? I thought I'd check this one out after reading about the massive loss that Disney would be taking on this film, wondering just how bad it could possibly be. I was shocked to find how much I enjoyed it. Other than the Dark Knight films and the first Matrix, I can't remember another superhero-style movie that kept me so interest during it's full length. It's immensely satisfying. The marketing campaign - from the billboards, to the trailers, to the TV spots - revealed nothing of the charm of this film - and it has it in excess. The John Carter character and the double-pronged story are interesting as hell. The "green" inhabitants of Mars feel completely real to me - unlike any of the beings in the Star Wars prequels. (If only Jar Jar Binks had been one of these suckers - or even the massive space dog - which I loved - The Phantom Menace wouldn't have been such a joke.) The romance between Carter and the princess is somewhat reminiscent of Han Solo and Princess Leia - if Leia kicked a ton of ass, that is. I'd MUCH rather see this movie again than The Green Lantern, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, or just about any of these Marvel/DC films which felt so hollow. An easy recommendation.… Full Review »
  2. DarthNader
    8
    This film has been receiving the most baffling bad reviews and after deciding not to see it because of them, I changed my mind and took a chance. Wow, am I glad that I did. I have no idea why some people have decided that big special effects automatically make a story bad. Whatever the reasons may be, I don't think I have disagreed more with critics on any movie so much, in recent memory, anyway. The story, the effects, even the acting save for a couple of scenes (and I didn't think Dominic West did a very good job either) were amazing. In my book, Andrew Stanton just hit it out of the park yet again. I'm definitely going to be paying to see this again, and that's including the ridiculous 3D IMAX price, too.… Full Review »
  3. ReviewCritic
    2
    A bad action movie that's visual candy is rarely short, but it's stupidity in story line and plot pacing are it's major weaknesses.
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