Friday night I was fortunate to be invited to the Kanab, Utah, premier of John Carter, the newest Disney offering. WOW. That is one word that kept running through my mind while watching what I hope is only the first of a series of John Carter movies.
It is a true testament to Disney that while I live where it was mostly filmed, and other than one or two scenes on Lake Powell, the story and the characters were not eclipsed in my mind by trying to figure out which rock that was…. or isn’t that the butte right behind my house?? or oh.. wait… i know that canyon!
The scenery was spectacular, and oh so well filmed, but did not take away from the story of John Carter.
Local Scenery by Big Water, UT which we call “The Moon”
Taylor Kitsch does an excellent job portraying John Cater, a displaced civil war vet, who mysteriously ends up on Mars also known as Barsoom. Lynn Collins is a believable Dejah Thoris, and had me rooting for her victory right from the start.
Special effects were the order of the day and as with the scenery did not distract from the story line but rather added to it. John Carters jumping and flying scenes were fun to watch and had me holding on to the arm rest to make sure he was gong to land where he was supposed to. The Ape Arena was one heck of a put together project. Filmed just a few hundred yards behind my house it is simply amazing to see what they did with it in the movie.
The night scenes I did watch rather intently as they were also filmed right behind my house. I took a few shots from my porch one night with the lights going up the canyon. It was an odd experience, in our usually quiet desert, to have this kind of activity going on!
Night Scene Filmed in Big Water, UT
So all in all, a Civil War vet ends up on Mars with 12 foot creatures and a beautiful princess makes for a great movie!
More Information
John Carter of Mars – Filming at Lake Powell
Movies and The Lake Powell Connection
I thought it was a fantastic movie. Although I may have only thought that because I love seeing movies filmed in Utah. Too bad it did not perform very well in the box office and they lost a lot of money.
still trying After All these years trying to get community support for a new Page Harkin’s movie theater! with stadium seating 3-D and D box technology! need help locating the article in the flagstaff’s daily sun about interviewing the Page youth wanting a new state of the Art movie theater!! It’s about time we do something for Page residences!!