DESCRIPTION

“John Carter” begins by telling us we really don’t know Mars. Perhaps defensively, the filmmakers are inviting us to open our minds about the red planet, the film’s setting. Throw out everything you know about Mars and it will be okay, at least for the most part.

For starters, Mars is called Barsoom and is populated by warring inhabitants, deadly creatures, and manipulative spiritual leaders. This is the atmosphere that the earthling John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) has come to face.

Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic, “A Princess of Mars,” the first novel in his Barsoom series, “John Carter” is a big-budget extravaganza ($250 million and counting) that is intriguingly entertaining and wantonly captivating.