JOHN CARTER (Rated PG-13)

The centennial anniversary of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic character John Carter is honored in a grand fashion by the Walt Disney Studios extravagant delivery of a blockbuster adventure film.

As envisioned by Burroughs’ classic novel, “A Princess of Mars,” the notion of the heroic John Carter had a very modern sensibility, for this space hero was the evident precursor of contemporary action adventurers.

It would probably be fair to say that films like “Star Wars” and “Dune” owe much to the vision of Burroughs, rather than to claim that “John Carter” is inspired by so many science-fiction films that preceded it.

“John Carter” may assume that the film audience is well aware of Burroughs’ fictional work, where a world known as “Barsoom” is the author’s name for the planet Mars.

Indeed, as directed by Andrew Stanton (best known for his animated films), “John Carter” bothers very little with any meaningful exposition, relying on viewers to catch on quickly to the premise of the bizarre alien world.

The initial action takes place in the immediate post-Civil War period, where the titular character (Taylor Kitsch) is a war veteran and officer of the Confederate Army in Virginia.

Searching for gold in the caves of the Arizona Territory, Carter resists the efforts of the U.S. Cavalry to enlist his services in the fight against Indian tribes.

Though not a pacifist, Carter bears too many scars from the Civil War to sign up to fight for any cause, no matter how just.

Flashbacks inform that Carter was deeply wounded by his inability to save his wife during the war.

Meanwhile, Barsoom is a dying planet, devastated by conflicts that have raged for thousands of years. The Zodangans, lead by Sab Than (Dominic West), battle the Heliumites, whose beautiful Princess Dejah (Lynn Collins) strives to find a peaceful solution.

When war-weary Carter is unexpectedly transported to the red planet, the balance of power is tipped. The low gravity of Mars gives Carter extraordinary abilities.

Amusingly, Carter discovers that he is able to leap, figuratively, over tall buildings. This super power will prove unsettling to the warring tribes.

On the barren planet’s surface, Carter is initially found and enslaved by the Tharks, but he wins the respect of their leader, Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe), who eventually helps him escape the fearsome tribe.

The Tharks are an interesting breed of a green-skinned alien creature, standing nine feet tall with four arms and huge tusks. More problematic is their bad attitude.

The heroic Carter manages to rescue Princess Dejah from the evil clutches of the Zodangans. For her part, the princess is tough, smart and beautiful, and far sexier than Princess Leia. Though the Zodangans and Heliumites are inhabitants of Mars, they look like humans.

Trouble is brewing because Sab Than has convinced Dejah’s father, the King of Helium (Ciaran Hands), to agree to arranged marriage of convenience between himself and the princess in order to unite the warring entities.

Greater danger lurks in the subterfuge of Sab’s allegiance to the all-powerful Matai Shang (Mark Strong), villainous leader of the shape-shifting Therns.

Keeping track of the palace intrigues is hardly necessary to enjoy “John Carter” for what it is. The action and the special effects are stunning.

There’s a unique visual appeal to “John Carter,” from floating cities and shifting platforms to the large warrior spaceships that resemble dragonflies.

The primary characters are also intriguing. The muscular, but lean John Carter runs around in a loincloth and breastplate, looking oddly enough very much like Tarzan (a nod to Edgar Rice Burroughs, no doubt).

Even more fascinating is the lovely Princess Dejah, a captivating presence who is likely to become the new pin-up girl for science-fiction fanboys.

“John Carter” is refreshingly exciting and thoroughly enjoyable, even if the 3D effects are minimal. It’s also worth noting the comic relief that comes from Woola, a weirdly huge lizard-like dog that is Carter’s faithful companion.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

I have just learned that Facebook is good for something other than posting photos of your drunken revelry at a Vegas bachelor party.

Apparently, polls were conducted on Facebook for fans of various TV series to select their favorite episodes, allowing the winning episodes to be released in DVD collections.

The result of this enterprise is the release of treasured episodes of seven great TV series in a DVD collection entitled “Fan Favorites: The Best Of.”

For vintage TV lovers, “Fan Favorites: The Best of The Honeymooners” and “Fan Favorites: The Best of Hogan’s Heroes” will offer classic laughs.

Fans who want to take a trip down memory lane with celebrated sitcoms from the 1970s and 1980s will enjoy the DVD collection for “Happy Days,” “Cheers” and “The Odd Couple.”

Not to be overlooked are the episodes bundled for “MacGyver” and one of the best spinoff series ever, which would be “Frasier.”

Personally, I don’t think TV gets much better than “The Odd Couple,” where Tony Randall’s neat freak Felix Unger is a thorn in the side of Jack Klugman’s ultra-slob Oscar Madison.

The “Fan Favorites: The Best Of” collection offers great fun for a wide range of interests.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.