When I last left you all, we were left pondering over the cautionary tale of never signing over one’s serialization rights.
I’ve already come across a couple comments across the web: One complained that this movie was a rip-off of James Cameron’s Avatar, and another claimed that this new movie adaptation would probably not be as good as the books themselves. To the defender of the film Avatar, which came almost a century after A Princess of Mars, I say SHUT. UP. AND. READ. MORE. BOOKS. Doofus.
From the point of view of one who has obviously overread these books to the point of idiocy, I would have to observe that the differences between the books and the movies will be minor. Yes, it’s been reworked to appeal to 21st century audiences, and the heart-pounding, magnificent re-score of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir on the movie trailer just set me on fire. It almost seems to have been written for this very story. Add to that a new song by Peter Gabriel (“My Body is a Cage”) and you have a remake that I predict Generation X is going to love.
The Plot
John Carter, a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War, goes prospecting in Arizona immediately after the war’s end. Having struck a rich vein of gold, he runs afoul of the Apaches and his partner Powell is killed. While attempting to evade pursuit by hiding in a sacred cave, he is mysteriously transported to Mars, called “Barsoom” by its inhabitants. Carter finds that he has great strength and superhuman agility in this new environment as a result of its lesser gravity. He soon falls in with the Tharks, a nomadic tribe of Green Martians, as the planet’s warlike, six-limbed, green-skinned inhabitants are known. Thanks to his strength and combat abilities, Carter rises to a high position in the tribe and earns the respect and eventually the friendship of Tars Tarkas, one of the Thark chiefs.
The Tharks subsequently capture Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, a member of the humanoid red Martian race. The red Martians inhabit a loose network of city-states and control the desert planet’s canals, along which its agriculture is concentrated. Carter has to stage a daring rescue of Dejah Thoris from the green men in a bid to return her to her people.
I’m not going to reveal the rest of the plot, because if you haven’t read the books, why should I ruin the movie for you? And even if you know the story as well as I do, I very much look forward to being transported back to Mars. It’s been a long time, and I have missed it.
On to the characters, who all have that special something, some undefinable enduring quality, that has made them beloved favorites now for a century and more.
The Characters (These photos are review and promotional releases from Disney Studios and as such are property and copyright of Disney.)
John Carter: An Earthman from Virginia with a mysterious background, Captain John Carter fought in the American Civil War on the Confederate side. At the war’s end, dispirited and unable to settle into civilian life as a fighting man, he goes prospecting for gold in Arizona. After various adventures, including an attack by Apaches, he is miraculously transported to Mars. During his nine years on that planet he effectively disappears from Earth and is believed dead, but he re-emerges in New York in 1876, settling in a house overlooking the Hudson River. He apparently dies again in 1886, leaving instructions for a fictionalized Burroughs, who refers to Carter as his Uncle Jack, to entomb him in a crypt. He also leaves Burroughs with the manuscript of A Princess of Mars, with instructions not to publish it for another 21 years. John Carter states that he has no memory before the age of 30 and has always appeared the same, without aging. He is adept at strategy, horsemanship, and all weapons, including firearms and swords. He is 6’2″ tall and clean-shaven, with close-cropped black hair and steel gray eyes. He is honorable, courageous, and eternally optimistic, even in the face of certain death. From the Green Martians he received the name “Dotar Sojat,” after the first two green warriors whom he slew after his advent on Barsoom. He sometimes uses this name as an alias in later books of the Martian series.
Dejah Thoris: A red Martian princess of Helium, she is courageous, resolute, and frequently in mortal danger or under threat of dishonor by the lustful designs of a succession of villains (From the looks of the previews it appears the 21st century version of Dejah Thoris is a more liberated princess who has fighting skills to rival John Carter’s). She is the daughter of Mors Kajak, Jed (chieftain) of Lesser Helium, and the granddaughter of Tardos Mors, Jeddak (overlord or high king) of Helium. As such she is highly aristocratic and fiercely proud of her heritage. Introduced early in the novel, she immediately becomes the love interest of John Carter. As a central character in the first three Barsoom novels, her frequent capture by various enemies, and subsequent pursuit by John Carter, is a constant motivating element in their plots.
Another interesting change to note is the tattoos. On this Barsoom, the Red Martians are denoted by the red tattoo patterns they have, and not the color of their skin as in the original books. This was a Hollywood makeup decision, no doubt, since the film was made in the Utah desert. I expect fans to collect Martian tattoos as the story gains popularity. Not like kids these days aren’t getting tattoos anyway. 
Tars Tarkas: A fierce Green Martian warrior from the tribe of Thark, he is unusual among his race for his ability to experience tender emotions such as friendship and love. Tars Tarkas is voiced by Willem Dafoe.
His emotional development stems from a forbidden love affair in his youth, when he secretly began a partnership with a Green Martian woman named Gozava. He befriends John Carter and later fights at his side. Carter helps him become Jeddak of Thark and negotiates an alliance between the Green Martians and the city-state of Helium, which results in the destruction of Helium’s enemy, Zodanga. Tars Tarkas more than once displays an ironic sense of humor; he mocks John Carter’s perception of himself as “a cruel green warrior” while fighting beside him, and in The Gods of Mars he comments on the disappointment of Barsoomian hopes for the afterlife.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these past two articles. When the adaptation of this enduring classic hits the big screen in March 2012, I’ll be there with my popcorn. And I bet you’ve learned two big lessons from these articles! Never sign over your serialization rights, kiddies. Keep working, keep dreaming, keep writing, and you might be the next Edgar Rice Burroughs. And keep reading. In this 21st Century digital age, don’t neglect classic fiction. Just because it’s 100 years old doesn’t mean it’s not any good.
Resources: Disney Studios, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Princess_of_Mars
Also see http://www.examiner.com/comic-books-in-louisville/who-is-john-carter-of-mars-part-two
