Last night I went and saw John Carter with the family. I wasn't totally sold on it through the first hour of the film, but there's reason for that. As the film progressed I really started to enjoy it and get into it. The only reason I say I wasn't sold on it at first is because it's set up as the first story. It tries to explain all of Barsoom and the Tharks, etc. in a long set up. This isn't necessarily bad, and looking back at it, I really regret thinking it was too slow. I've just gotten accustomed to having film A.D.D, and being thrown into a film with the visual/narrative style of 'here it is, now you watch this and go with it' (Think Transformers).
The film does have a decent set up of humor, and the action is really just pure fun. Watching John Carter try to walk on Barsoom was entertaining, and the fight scene in the arena was really awesome (albeit felt like I was back to Star Wars Ep. 2). Overall it's a really fun film that kids will like. Even the kid behind me got into it to the point where it was a serious scene after a fight, and John Carter's laying there underneath dead bodies, and the entire audience is quiet. This kid behind me unknowingly said in a loud tone "IS HE DEAD DAD?!" Had my entire family laughing at how adorable it was that his innocent mind was so wrapped up in the film. I think if a film does that for the kid, then they've done a good job.
Which brings me to a different point. The other night I was working on my lego room, and listening to Disney music on Pandora. I was getting in the mindset of being eight years old again, and I couldn't help but think about how amazing it was to be a kid. Hardly any responsibilities and all you had to worry about was if you got caught with the cooties or if your friend didn't like you. Otherwise you played with your toys and watched cartoons. I think I've struggled with that lately because I've been growing up more and more. Its obviously a part of life, but it's hard when you have such an affinity for the child-like nature of things. I wish I could maintain innocence more than the world allows. But I think the way to still maintain a lot of that is to try to maintain it for the kids younger than me. That's why I have a lego room and Nerf guns at my place. When my cousins and family friend's kids come over, I want them to be able to have toys that will let their minds escape to places like Barsoom, or the Jungles of Africa, or the midwest with cowboys, downtown with cops and robbers, etc. The imagination is something that I think is missing more than ever with kids today, simply because the stories they're being told are on tablets and games that limit the creativity to add to the stories. As a kid, I never wanted to get the movie video game. I always wanted the lego sets or construction sets to make my own stories from movies and characters. I really wish there was more of that today.
The film does have a decent set up of humor, and the action is really just pure fun. Watching John Carter try to walk on Barsoom was entertaining, and the fight scene in the arena was really awesome (albeit felt like I was back to Star Wars Ep. 2). Overall it's a really fun film that kids will like. Even the kid behind me got into it to the point where it was a serious scene after a fight, and John Carter's laying there underneath dead bodies, and the entire audience is quiet. This kid behind me unknowingly said in a loud tone "IS HE DEAD DAD?!" Had my entire family laughing at how adorable it was that his innocent mind was so wrapped up in the film. I think if a film does that for the kid, then they've done a good job.
Which brings me to a different point. The other night I was working on my lego room, and listening to Disney music on Pandora. I was getting in the mindset of being eight years old again, and I couldn't help but think about how amazing it was to be a kid. Hardly any responsibilities and all you had to worry about was if you got caught with the cooties or if your friend didn't like you. Otherwise you played with your toys and watched cartoons. I think I've struggled with that lately because I've been growing up more and more. Its obviously a part of life, but it's hard when you have such an affinity for the child-like nature of things. I wish I could maintain innocence more than the world allows. But I think the way to still maintain a lot of that is to try to maintain it for the kids younger than me. That's why I have a lego room and Nerf guns at my place. When my cousins and family friend's kids come over, I want them to be able to have toys that will let their minds escape to places like Barsoom, or the Jungles of Africa, or the midwest with cowboys, downtown with cops and robbers, etc. The imagination is something that I think is missing more than ever with kids today, simply because the stories they're being told are on tablets and games that limit the creativity to add to the stories. As a kid, I never wanted to get the movie video game. I always wanted the lego sets or construction sets to make my own stories from movies and characters. I really wish there was more of that today.
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1 comment:
Great post, man. Really hits home for me. Keep up the good work.
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