Dinner and a Movie: 'John Carter' a Sci-Fi Bonanza

Taylor Kitsch (from "Friday Night Lights") plays a Civil War veteran who finds himself on Mars caught up in all sorts of interplanetary fighting in "John Carter."

The original story was penned by Edgar Rice Burroughs 100 years ago. Now it's a 3D epic, from the folks who brought us "WALL-E," and is bigger than life. John Carter is a small man compared to the 12-foot-tall, four-armed creatures around him, but he does have his own superpowers while on the Martian planet.

If you haven't read the book, there is a lot to keep track of here. Carter wants to go home, an alien species wants him to marry their queen. Another alien is smitten with him. Another group wants him to save their people. Toss in some shape shifters and, well, it's kind of confusing.

I'm a big fan of science fiction, and the CGI monsters are pretty remarkable for the most part. The real issue I had was that there is so much going on, so many conflicts, so many different aliens and monsters, you almost have to keep a scorecard to see who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.

So with that the flick-o-meter gives John Carter a three out of five.

There are some funny lines and some real thrilling moments, but the 3D is really non-existent, the storyline is somewhat silly and the leads, though they are pretty, aren't exactly household names or A-list actors.

Showtimes:

John Carter is playing at the UA Laguna Village 12 at 12:20 p.m., 3:45 p.m.,  7:05 p.m. and 10:25 p.m. For the full IMAX 3-D experience, head to the Esquire IMAX Theatre in Sacramento, where it's playing at 9:30 a.m., 1:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Dinner:

Looking for some extraterrestrial food to go with your alien flick? We don't know about you, but we think fried pickles are pretty otherworldly—green, weird, and not available at your average restaurant. Try them at Smashburger, one of Elk Grove's newest fast-food joints, 7701 Laguna Blvd.

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