John Carter is a futuristic thriller

Who's in it? Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Dominic West, Thomas Haden Church The plot Based on a magazine serial written exactly 100 years ago (that's 1912 for the arithmetically challenged among us) by the man who also wrote Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs, this fantasy tale has heart and depth. Yes, it's a story of two worlds colliding and of a man saving a damsel in distress, but the difference between this and most contemporary films of its kind is that the characters are strong (the aforementioned damsel isn't pathetic and weak, she's a warrior) and the underlying story has heart. John Carter (Kitsch - brilliant) is a Civil War veteran who, when attacked by a group of Apaches, retreats to a cave. And, lo and behold, he comes into contact with an alien life force while in hiding and is soon transported to another world called Barsoom (which us earthlings call Mars). He soon meets a beautiful princess (Collins, who may just be the best fantasy starlet since Carrie Fisher) and becomes involved in a battle between the planet's humans and its 12ft tall, six-limbed race called the Tharks. The process of turning this classic story into a movie has involved talks for a record 79 years, with many directors and producers having hoped to get their teeth sunk into it, and we're glad it's finally here, courtesy of WALL-E director and Pixar king, Andrew Stanton, who took the helm. The action scenes are nothing short of epic. Recommended.