A very rare thing...

A science fiction film that my Wife and I both enjoyed.  We went to see John Carter, an IMAX screening at the 2nd largest screen in Europe.  It was my first IMAX experience, but more of that in a bit.

During the film, my Wife turned to me and said she was surprised a film as good as this hadn't had more fuss made about it.  At first I disagreed, but upon second thoughts I could see how she would think that.  I wondered at first if it was due to it being a Disney film, and at face value it isn't your average Disney.  Then when you think about it, all the usual elements are there, the love, the heartbreak, the hope, alongside your one man against many backdrop.  The only main differences being your live action elements and the Mars setting.
It's this strong story element, carried by some good acting performances that had my Wife overlooking the usual elements of a science fiction film that she would pick up on, such as a breathable atmosphere on Mars.
The plot moves away from that of the original book, but as a film I don't think it suffers at all because of this.  In fact I quite like the fact that they manage to write in Edgar Rice Burroughs as a result of the slight change to the plot.

John Carter is also a film I believe that has been made better due to it's showing in IMAX.  As a result it is the best 3D film I have seen to date.  I got a genuine sense of depth throughout, something I'm sure that benefitted from the large screen size (70 feet across!).  The sound was also fantastic.  The only disappointment was that the IMAX glasses were uncomfortable.  The bridge of my nose became sore, distracting me, and seeing me adjusting my glasses to try and ease the discomfort throughout the film.  Other than that, it would have been an immersive and sensational experience.

Not only was John Carter a good film, made great by it's presentation in IMAX, but it has also whetted my appetite for the upcoming summer blockbusters that will be hitting the IMAX screen.  2012 is shaping up to be a good year for cinema goers.