[cripplecreek]

Should be a craggy, get-things-done kid of actor.

Agreed. In the book, Carter was a civil war vet and shouldn't look like it. Even Brad Pitt could have pulled that off and if I recall, John Carter had light hair.

[dr_lew]

In the foreword, which is part of the fiction, Burroughs describes him as a “tall, dark, athletic man” with black hair. When he sees him for the first time since he had gone off to war he says, “I was much surprised to note he had not aged apparently a moment.”

So you guys are all wet. I felt the casting was right on. The movie drew a lot from the book, and followed it in outline. The biggest deviation they made was the Thune business, but they made this work pretty well.

Overall the movie was pretty good. Everything looked good, and the opening airship scene drew me into it. There were a few draggy parts, but the plot moved well and had some twists. Its biggest problem is that the whole conception is so familiar to the public in so many other treatments, notably Star Wars, of course. I think this greatly reduces its pull and the action and dialogue are in the same familiar mold. I guess they weren’t going to commit $250 million to some kind of retro treatment.

[allmendream]

Not at all. John Carter had very dark hair, this later became an important plot point as the ancient Maritans had blond hair - and the bald ‘Holy’ Therns wore blond wigs - which John Carter would occasionally use to disguise himself.

**************From “A Warlord of Mars”****************

Instead, I did the one thing of all others that might rouse his
anger and increase his hatred of me; for I knew that if I died
Dejah Thoris, too, would find a way to die before they could
heap further tortures or indignities upon her.
Of all the holy of holies which the thern venerates and worships none
is more revered than the yellow wig which covers his bald pate,
and next thereto comes the circlet of gold and the great diadem,
whose scintillant rays mark the attainment of the Tenth Cycle.
And, knowing this, I removed the wig and circlet from my head,
tossing them carelessly upon the flagging of the court. Then I
wiped my feet upon the yellow tresses; and as a groan of rage arose
from the balcony I spat full upon the holy diadem.
Matai Shang went livid with anger, but upon the lips of Thurid
I could see a grim smile of amusement, for to him these things were
not holy; so, lest he should derive too much amusement from my act,
I cried: “And thus did I with the holies of Issus, Goddess of Life
Eternal, ere I threw Issus herself to the mob that once had
worshiped her, to be torn to pieces in her own temple.”
That put an end to Thurid’s grinning, for he had been high in
the favor of Issus.
“Let us have an end to this blaspheming!” he cried, turning to
the Father of Therns.