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Reel World Reality A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2012.053  (2012), PG-13 [Very Lite R-13*] (122.4min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1300 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Production (US): Disney JOHN CARTER™ ERB Distribution (US): Buena Vista Home Entertainment Director(s): Andrew Stanton Producer(s): Jim Morris, Lindsey Collins, Colin Wilson Screenplay by: Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, Michael Chabon Based on: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs Cinematography/Camera: Dan Mindel Music: Michael Giacchino Film Editing: Eric Zumbrunnen Casting: Marcia Ross Production Design: Nathan Crowley Viewed on Buena Vista Home Entertainment DVD With a final score of 52 out of 100, John Carter earned a place near the top of the scoring range earned by R rated films (54 and below out of 100) in the comparative baseline database. The final score of 52 places the content of this film equivalent to a very lite R-13 but a R-13 nonetheless. This film is a measure darker than typical of the Disney label. It reminds me of Dune and in some ways Star Wars. Even the opening Disney World logo fanfare on the DVD has a darker and more subdued theme than we are used to seeing. Post Civil War confederate Captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) of Virginia, whom Colonel Powell (John Cranston) of the Union Army is trying to draft to help with the war against the Apaches, is bent on finding his social security in gold. He searches endlessly for a cave of gold. And he finds it. But the cave had been visited before by a race of immortal beings bent on watching -- and causing -- empires and planets to rise and fall. While Carter was examining his golden find one of the immortal creatures appeared. Startled to find anyone in the cave the creature tried to kill Carter who killed the creature instead. But in the creature's hand was a medallion with strange powers by which Carter is transported to Mars, which is Barsoom to those who live there. Carter found great difficult in simply walking on the planet with lesser gravity than Earth. Indeed, Carter found that he can leap great distances and has unusual strength due to the lesser gravity. Soon Carter meets one of the indigenous creatures, Tars Tarkas (Willem DaFoe) of the green-skinned, four armed Tharks. Carter finds Mars is not dead, that it is not airless. But it is dying. There is another civil war ... on Mars, er, Basoom. A war between Zodanga and Helium, the two major cities on Mars. Zodanga citizens, led by Sab Than (Dominic West) wear the black hats. The Helium citizens wear the white hats. Than is given an undefeatable weapon by Matai Shang (Mark Strong), leader of the immortal beings, that can lay waste to the entire planet. Circumstances lead to Than being willing to live in peace if the Mars Princess, Dejah Thoris, daughter of the Helium leader, Tardos Mors (Ciaran Hinds) would marry him. Dejah, close to discovering and harnessing the immense power of the Ninth Ray (the power in the weapon the immortal beings gave Than), wants Carter to join forces with her people to defeat the Zodangans in exchange for the secret to return to the Earth. The story is typical of the genius of the author, Edgar Rice Burroughs but I doubt the content is true to Burroughs' mores. Maybe the violence is true to Burroughs style but I doubt Burroughs had the characters showing much of the glutei and crotch flesh as was seen in this film. I would like to strongly suggest you, mom/dad, inspect closely the listings in the Findings/Scoring section before you decide on which age stratum, if any, for which this movie is fit. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report, the heart of the CAP Analysis Model, is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 The number of and diversity of content findings made by this investigation area is far too lengthy to even summarize here. So lengthy that it would be best that you closely inspect the listing itself. I will say that the violence content of this film lies largely with sci-fi battles, action violence, arena style fighting and killing. Prudence would be well served to mention here God's Word about the influence of violence. Though God speaks darkly of violence more than 50 times from the Old Testament to the New testament, Proverb 3:31 warns of embracing that which a violent person does and Roman. 12:18 advises us to get along with others but Proverb 16:29 puts the matter into easily understood perspective. In Proverb 16:29 God warns that violence can be enticing: that it can lead one into "the way that is not good." As if it would be fortifying for man to corroborate the Word of the One who created the universe and all life in it, four professional public health agencies have plagiarized God's Word about violence by publishing findings that reveal, among other things, that violence in and as entertainment can lead the viewer, especially the young, into real life violence and to believing violence is an effective means of settling conflict. Impudence/Hate (I) - 46 out of 100 There are nine uses of profanity in the 122.4 minutes of the show. While that is certainly much less use of profanity typical of PG-13s Colossians 3:8 and Ephesians 4:29 advise us that nine is still too many. One is "too many." In addition to the profanity, other matters of impudence and/or hatred in the film include treasonous sabotage, forced marriage, branding a character as punishment, slaps to the head and brutality toward lesser creatures. Sexual Immorality (S) - 59 out of 100 A flash of full male nudity is seen. Camera angles and/or character poses are used to force the viewer on to private parts a few times. But the most frequent and thus the most influential of the sexually immoral content is the frequent exposure of near-genital flesh and portions of glutei. In one case, Dejah wears thong-type clothing and squats down with knees apart as the camera flashes on her genital area ... from the front. I believe the intellectual as well as moral caliber of our readers is quite enough to know what filmmakers are doing by challenging wholesome dress standards with aberrations of them like these in and as entertainment. What other conclusion is possible when a woman's outfit rides above and inside of the leg/hip fold? Other matters of sexual nature include the one inappropriate touch, the open mouth kiss and the open urination. [1 Thess. 4:3, Gal. 5:19, Col. 3:5] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 89 out of 100 The content of the film is G-equivalent in this area with only a bar scene with booze and a forced ingestion of some liquid that made changes in the one who drank it. Offense to God (O) - 18 out of 100 Three times God's name is abused, one of them with the four letter expletive. God is specific about the sin of using His name in vain. The use of His name in vain being a sin is even one of the Ten Commandments. [Exod. 20:7, Deut. 5:11] Additional content applicable to this investigation area includes levitation, "magical" transport from one planet to another, worship of a goddess and shape-shifting. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 While there are many killings in this film none are murder in accordance with the investigation standards of the CAP Analysis Model which does not treat attempted murder or suicide and deaths by war, by police action or as a defensive action as murder but as violence/crime. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE --> Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume the acts of violence are acceptable behavior. --> Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs. --> Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behavior and a mistrust of others. --> Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.] As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)   Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 46 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 59 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 89 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 16 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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| For G rated Films with G equivalence: G PG equivalence: PG-G PG-13 equivalence: 13-G R equivalence: R-G< | For PG rated Films with G equivalence: G-PG PG equivalence: PG PG-13 equivalence: 13-PG R equivalence: R-PG | For PG-13 rated Films with G equivalence: G-13 PG equivalence: PG(13) PG-13 equivalence: PG-13 R equivalence: R-13 | For R rated Films with G equivalence: G-R PG equivalence: PG-R PG-13 equivalence: 13-R R equivalence: R | For NR rated Films with G equivalence: G-NR PG equivalence: PG-NR PG-13 equivalence: 13-NR R equivalence: R-NR |
