John Carter Blu-ray review

John Carter may not have been the box office bonanza Disney was expecting, but the film (based on the stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs) was one of my favorite films of the first-half of 2012.

The film stars Taylor Kitsch as a reluctant Civil War hero turned prospector who found himself miraculously transported to Mars and caught up in a war between the martian cities of Helium and Zodanga.

Over the course of the film John Carter will be captured and made a part of the the tribe of Martian Tharks, fall in love with a Martian princess (Lynn Collins), and uncover the secret that the mysterious group known as Therns want so desperately to be kept hidden. For more on the movie check out my original review.

The film works as well for me on Blu-ray as it did in the theaters, perhaps even better without the 3D which I felt blurred some of the more intricate shots of the CGI-heavy motion picture. The introduction is still a little clunky, but once John Carter's journey begins the film keeps a nice pace filled with some great action and terrific special effects.

Fantasy and sci-fi fans, especially those who didn't give the film a chance in the theater, will want to check it out on home video. The movie looks terrific on Blu-ray, includes some nice special features, and is an easy recommendation to add to your collection.

Extras include John Carter's Journal App (which can be downloaded and used while watching the film), deleted scenes including the original opening to the film (with commentary and introduction by director Andrew Stanton), bloopers, and a half-hour behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film.

Also included are an unusual audio track which appears to be nothing more than a descriptive reading the screenplay, a featurette on the history of Burrough's novel and the long struggle to see it made into a film (including interviews from those directors and producers), and commentary by Stanton and producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins. The four-disc version also includes the film in 3D and a digital copy of the movie.