John Carter Quotes

Dejah Thoris: [to John, as Matai Shang disguised as Dejah is fleeing] I'm getting away!

[John and Dejah pursue the other Dejah]

John Carter: You got me. I surrender.

Tars Tarkas: [Fist on his chest] Jeddak.

John Carter: Jeddak?

Tars Tarkas: Jeddak. Tars Tarkas.

John Carter: Tars... Tarkas.

[Tars smiles]

John Carter: Captain John Carter. Virginia.

Tars Tarkas: Vor... ginya.

[Points at John]

Tars Tarkas: Vorginya!

John Carter: No. My name is John Carter, I'm from Virginia.

Tars Tarkas: [Continues to point at John] Virginia.

Tardos Mors: Dejah, ever since you were a little girl you've always met the expectations placed on you...

[Dejah gently places her hand on his]

Tardos Mors: It's Sab's terms.

Dejah Thoris: What are they?

Tardos Mors: He will spare Helium if you accept his hand in marriage.

[Places his hand upon hers but Dejah quickly takes it away]

Dejah Thoris: No. He is a monster! You must refuse him!

Tardos Mors: He's already on his way here.

Dejah Thoris: But all of my work... I just need a little more time.

Tardos Mors: Dejah.

Dejah Thoris: How can you... You can't just bow down to Zodanga!

Tardos Mors: A wedding will save the city!

Dejah Thoris: Perhaps but it could lose you Barsoom!

Tardos Mors: Dejah.

Dejah Thoris: With no one to stop Zodanga will be the beginning of the end! You are a Jeddak of Helium! You must find another way!

Tardos Mors: There is not another way!

Tars Tarkas: Zodanga, red flags. Helium, blue. Zodanga is winning the war. But I say let red men kill red men until only Tharks remain.

John Carter: That doesn't look like a fair fight.

Tars Tarkas: Zodanga never fights fair.

John Carter: Stand behind me, this might get dangerous.

[John fights the Zodangans. When he loses his sword, Dejah takes it and kills the remaining enemies]

John Carter: Or maybe I ought to get behind you...

Dejah Thoris: [Cleans the blood off the sword with John's clothes] You let me know when it gets dangerous.

Dejah Thoris: [to Tars Tarkas] Jeddak of the Tharks. I am Dejah Thoris, regent of the Royal Helium Academy of Science. My research...

Tars Tarkas: [Pushes her away to John] Your share of the spoils. Sola, tend to Virginia's property.

Sola: Yes, my Jeddak

[Holds Dejah's arms behind her back]

Dejah Thoris: [to Tars Tarkas] You know when Sab Than has conquered us, he will turn his weapon upon you!

Tars Tarkas: I know that Zodanga has found a way to defeat you. And now you seek a mighty weapon of your own. But Virginia fights for us! He will fight the Torquas in the south. The Warhoons in the north! And he will be called Dotar Sojat! "My right arms"!

John Carter: No. I don't fight for anyone.

Tars Tarkas: [to John] Virginia. You reject this honor, then I can't guarantee you the safety of your red girl.

John Carter: [Looks at Dejah being held captive by Sola] I am... Dotar Sojat.

John Carter: War's a shameful thing.

Dejah Thoris: Not when a noble cause is taken by those who can make a difference. You made a difference today, Virginia.

John Carter: Okay. See, my name is John Carter. Virginia is where I'm from.

Dejah Thoris: Where did you learn to jump that way?

John Carter: I don't know. How'd you learn to fly?

Dejah Thoris: Your ships cannot sail on light in Virginia?

John Carter: No, professor. See, our ships sail on the seas. Endless water everywhere.

Dejah Thoris: [Stares at him then begins to walk around him] Skeleton structure normal...

John Carter: What are you doing?

Dejah Thoris: [Continues to study him] It must be the density of your bones.

[Spanks him]

Dejah Thoris: Jump for me!

Sola: Enough! There will be time for playfulness later!

Dejah Thoris: I want no playfulness from him. I want his help. Explain to me how you do it. If it's a skill, teach it to Helium. Name your price.

John Carter: I'm not for hire. I've got a cave of gold of my own. Somewhere

[Begins to walk away]

Dejah Thoris: Only a madman would rave about the times of oceans!

John Carter: Is that your expert's view? I'm mad?

Dejah Thoris: Or a liar.

Sola: She's a good match for you, Dotar Sojat.

John Carter: Don't call me that.

Dejah Thoris: There are no seas on the planet.

John Carter: You said planet...

Dejah Thoris: [Pointing with a stick at the solar system she drew on the ground] Sun. Then Rasoom.

John Carter: Mercury.

Dejah Thoris: [Points to the second planet] Then Cosoom.

John Carter: Venus.

[Points to the third planet]

John Carter: Then Earth. Us.

Dejah Thoris: That is Jasoom.

[Points to the next planet]

Dejah Thoris: You are on Barsoom, John Carter.

John Carter: Mars? I'm on Mars...

[Gets up, shocked]

John Carter: Good God, I'm on Mars.

Dejah Thoris: So your home is Jasoom? And you came on one of your sailing ships across millions of karads of empty space?

John Carter: No. Not like that.

Dejah Thoris: Go on. Shock me. How?

John Carter: [Points at the thern medallion kept by Tars Tarkas] That brought me here.

Dejah Thoris: Oh. Well, that explains everything then.

John Carter: It does?

Dejah Thoris: Yes. You are a thern. And you simply wish to return to your rightful place, isn't that it?

John Carter: Yes.

Dejah Thoris: [Begins to walk away] Then let's sort this out right now. Come along!

[John follows]

Sola: Where are you going?

Dejah Thoris: To your temple.

Sola: No! No, you cannot enter here! It is forbidden! You are not Thark!

[Dejah and John enter so she follows]

Sola: Dotar Sojat, it is forbidden. It is forbidden!

Dejah Thoris: Well, you speak for the goddess. What does she say?

John Carter: [Seeing the engraving on the temple's wall] You called me a thern. Is that what she is?

Sola: No! She is Issus. Therns are holy messengers of the goddess. In the time of oceans they walked among us, guiding us. We must not offend. Let us go!

John Carter: [Seeing the carvings in the temple of the Tharks] Can you read it?

Dejah Thoris: It's old scripture.

John Carter: What's it mean?

Dejah Thoris: Don't rush me. "To those who seek the solace of eternity, may journey down the river through the sacred Gates of Iss and find everlasting peace in the bosom of Issus".

John Carter: The Gates of Iss.

Dejah Thoris: What if I could take you there?

John Carter: What if I didn't trust you?

Dejah Thoris: Then we'd be even. I can take you to the gates, to the answers that you seek. A way back to Jasoom.

John Carter: Earth.

Dejah Thoris: Earth. So this I can to repay you from getting us out of here. Assuming that you can.

John Carter: Deal.

[Places his hand in front of her. Dejah looks confused]

John Carter: Go on. Shake it. It's a sign of trust.

[Dejah takes his thumb and gives his hand a light shake]

John Carter: Good enough.

Matai Shang: [during the battle between Helium and Zodanga, Sab Than's ship gets attacked by a mysterious blue light in the sky, Sab Than notices three figures floating towards him, one of the men, Matai Shang, gives Sab Than a blue arm band which is a special weapon, Sab Than immediately uses this to kill Matai Shang but Shang quickly deflects the attack] Being a fool is a great luxury, Sab Than. Get up.

Sab Than: [slowly gets up] What are you?

Matai Shang: We serve the Goddess, and she has chosen you to receive this weapon. Do as we command and you will rule all of Barsoom, with none to defy you and nothing to stand in your way.

Telegraph Clerk: [on Earth, Carter goes to a telegraph office and places a telegraph on the counter] Ten words a minimum. That's fifty cents, unless you want special delivery.

Telegraph Clerk: [Carter places a coin on the counter making the telegraph clerk look up and take the coin] Special delivery it is. Name of sender?

John Carter: Carter. John Carter.

Dalton: [after receiving Carter's telegraph, his nephew Edgar Rice Burroughs arrives at his estate to find out that Carter had died] His death came as a shock to all of us, he was a model of health and vigor. He just dropped dead in his study, not five minutes after sending word for me and the doctor. When I arrived he was already gone.

Dalton: [Burroughs looks around at Carter's office in awe as he sees all the strange and exotic findings from all over the world] The man never stopped digging. All over the world. No sooner he started digging one hole then he was off to Jaava or the Orkney Islands digging another. He said it was pure research, but it always seemed to me like he was looking for something. Well, God granting, he's found it now.

Dalton: [Burroughs picks up a photo of Carter and looks at it] Every inch a Cavalry man, to the very end.

Edgar Rice Burroughs: My mother always said that Jack never really came back from the war. That it was only his body that went West. He used to tell me the most wondrous stories.

[he turns to Dalton]

Dalton: I'd like to pay my respects.

Dalton: [Dalton and Burroughs stand outside Carter's tomb] You won't find a keyhole, thing only opens from the inside. He insisted, no embalming, no open coffin, no funeral. Well, you don't acquire the kind of wealth your uncle commanded by being like the rest of us, huh? Come, let's go inside.

[Dalton turns and leave, but Burroughs hesitates, walks towards the tomb and places his hand on the door]

Dalton: [back at Carter's estate, Dalton reads from Carter's will] And lastly, I hereby direct, that my estate shall be held in trust for twenty five years. The income to benefit my beloved nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs. At the end of which term, the principal will revert to him, in full.

Edgar Rice Burroughs: [Burroughs looks shocked] Of course, I always adored him, but it's been so long. Why me?

Dalton: He never offered an explanation, I never asked him for one.

[Dalton passes an old looking journal to Burroughs]

Dalton: It was his private journal. He was most explicit that you, and only you, would read its contents. You might possibly find some kind of explanation in here. I'll leave you now.

[Dalton stands and offers his hand to Burroughs]

Dalton: Again, my condolences.

[Dalton turns and leaves]

Tars Tarkas: [on Barsoom, Carter discovers due to his different bone density and planet's low gravity, he's able to jump high, after which he runs into the Tharks and their leader, Tars Tarkas]

[subtitled]

Tars Tarkas: Hello! Don't run. Don't run away.

John Carter: [Carter hides behind some rocks not understanding anything Tarkas is saying]

Tars Tarkas: [subtitled] Hello. Don't run. Don't run away.

John Carter: [Tarkas slowly walks towards Carter and Carter comes out from behind the rocks] Alright. You've got me. I surrender.

Tars Tarkas: [Tarkas points to himself] Jeddak.

John Carter: Jeddak?

Tars Tarkas: Jeddak. Tars Tarkas

John Carter: [Carter salutes as he introduces himself] Captain John Carter, Virginia.

Tars Tarkas: Vir... ginia. Virginia!

John Carter: No. My name is John Carter. I'm from Virginia.

Tars Tarkas: [subtitled] Virginia. Jump as you did before.

John Carter: [not understanding what Tarkas is saying Carter repeats the word for jump] Sak?

Tars Tarkas: [subtitled] Jump, yes?

[Tarkas mimes the motion of jumping with his hands]

Tars Tarkas: Sak.

John Carter: Sak! Yes, sir.

[Carter salutes and jumps and as he lands he grabs the weapon that Tarkas had thrown to the ground]

Tars Tarkas: [shouting to his men as Carter points the weapon at Tarkas]

[subtitled]

Tars Tarkas: Don't shoot it! Don't shoot it! Don't shoot it!

[as Tarkas lunges himself onto Carter, one of his soldiers shoots Carter in the butt, after which Tarkas takes him prisoner, straps him to one of their alien horse creatures, along with some Thark hatchlings]

John Carter: [shouting] What is this place? Where am I?

Tars Tarkas: [subtitled] Virginia. It's okay, just relax.

John Carter: Where's my damn gold?

Young Thark Warrior: [one of Tarkas' soldiers walks up to him to inform him about the eggs]

[subtitled]

Young Thark Warrior: Eighteen have not yet hatched, Jeddak.

Tars Tarkas: [subtitled] Then they are not our kind. Leave nothing for the white apes.

John Carter: [Carter watches as Tarkas' soldiers shoot the unhatched eggs] Where on earth am I?

Tardos Mors: Dejah, ever since you were a little girl, you've always met the expectations placed on you. It's Sab's terms.

Dejah Thoris: What are they?

Tardos Mors: He will spare Helium, if you accept his hand in marriage.

Dejah Thoris: No! He is a monster! You must refuse him!

Tardos Mors: He's already on his way here.

Dejah Thoris: But all of my work! I just need a little more time!

Tardos Mors: Dejah.

Dejah Thoris: How can you...? You can't just bow down to Zodanga!

Tardos Mors: A wedding will save the city!

Dejah Thoris: Perhaps! But it could lose you Barsoom!

Tardos Mors: Dejah!

Dejah Thoris: With no one to stop Zodanga it will be the beginning of the end!

Tardos Mors: We do not... we do not have the luxury.

Dejah Thoris: [shouting] You are the Jeddak of Helium! You must find another way!

Tardos Mors: [shouting] There is no other way!

[Dejah looks away from Tardos]

Tardos Mors: If there were, I would risk anything to cease it. This is the chance we have been given. Perhaps it is the will of the Goddess.

Dejah Thoris: No. It is your will. When I was little and we would look up at the stars, and you would tell me of the heroes whose glory was written in the sky. How there was a star up there for me. Is this what you imagined would be written on it?

Tardos Mors: [before Tardos answers her Kantos enters with his men]

Kantos Kan: My Jeddak, Sab Than's Corsair approaches the city. They signal for permission to land.

Tardos Mors: Grant it.

[Dejah turns away from Tardos in disappointment and sadness]

Tardos Mors: And let us prepare ourselves for a wedding.

John Carter: [as the trio arrive the Gates of Iss which looks like a giant umbrella-like rock formation] Professor.

Dejah Thoris: Impossible! I've never seen this kind of structure before.

John Carter: I wanna get a better look.

[suddenly Carter grabs Dejah and leaps to the top of the rock formation]

Dejah Thoris: Carter, your feet!

[the medallion Carter carries lights up blue and as they look down they notice the center of the rock begins to lower and a set of stairs emerges, the stairs lead into a cave where the walls form blue webbed material]

Dejah Thoris: This is not the work of Gods. These are machines. Your medallion.

John Carter: [Carter gives her the medallion and Dejah places it on the glowing spider carving on the cave ground] The spider.

Dejah Thoris: [nine blue glowing rays suddenly appear out of the spider symbol] Nine. Nine rays. Nine! The Ninth Ray is real! It can be harnessed, do you see? This entire structure runs on Ninth Ray isolates. The Iss is such power, and somehow Zodanga has it. The Therns, they must be real. And you, you are John Carter of Earth?

John Carter: Yes, ma'am.

Dejah Thoris: And the ships that sail on the sea, you've seen them?

[Carter nods his head]

Dejah Thoris: That must be a beautiful sight.

John Carter: It truly is.

[as Carter steps on the blue ray light suddenly the set of symbols connects and the solar system appears on the ground]

Dejah Thoris: It's our solar system!

John Carter: [Carter steps on the symbol of Earth and a set of symbols connects the planet to Barsoom] What's it saying?

Dejah Thoris: I'm not sure.

John Carter: Okay. What do you think it says?

Dejah Thoris: It appears to be... a kind of technical diagram. Here is Barsoom, there is Jasoom. This bit here, it's like our symbol for a transcription. A copy, sent along these lines here, between the worlds. Like...

John Carter: A telegram. You're saying I was telegraphed here. I'm a copy of myself.

Dejah Thoris: Possibly. Making these words here, the command for travel.

Dejah Thoris: [referring to the symbols they've just discovered] I don't like guessing. I need more information, I need charts, codices.

[Carter looks at Dejah with suspicion]

John Carter: Right. And where might we find those?

Dejah Thoris: In the Hall of Science.

John Carter: And where's that?

Dejah Thoris: [chuckles, while smiling with her head down] Helium.

John Carter: [Carter becomes angry, thinking that Dejah is still trying to convince him to go to Helium] Then quick! Let's just head on turn on back to Helium.

[Carter grabs Dejah's arm in anger]

John Carter: What do you take me for?

Dejah Thoris: I take you for a man who's lost!

John Carter: I won't be lost if you just tell me how to work this thing!

Dejah Thoris: I will! But everything I need to understand the medallion is in Helium. I'm trying to get you back to your cave of gold. Isn't that what you want?

John Carter: Yes.

John Carter: I won't be lost if you just tell me how to work this thing!

Dejah Thoris: No, I don't believe you. We may have been born worlds apart, but I know you, John Carter. From the moment you caught me in the sky, I knew. I felt the heart of a man willing to lay down his life for others. A man willing to fight for a cause, here, on Barsoom.

[Suddenly Carter kisses Dejah, but he has a flashback of his wife and daughter and pulls away from Dejah]

Dejah Thoris: Don't you see? Carter, I fled to find another way. You are the other way.

[suddenly they hear Sola calling out to Carter, as they leave the cave they see a tribe of Tharks, led by Matai Shang, shooting at Sola]

Sola: [as they follow Dejah who is supposed to be taking them to the river Iss] Dotar Sojat. Carter! I do not think she leads us to the Iss.

John Carter: Alright then, Sola. Just play along.

John Carter: [Carter rides his lizard-horse creature closer to Dejah and suddenly grabs her rains] What do you think I'd do once I saw your city and not some river?

Dejah Thoris: What do you mean?

Sola: Cloras Anthorea, they should be at our backs by now. You lead us toward Helium!

Dejah Thoris: Once we reach there, you would see for yourself the virtue of our cause.

Dejah Thoris: Everyone thinks their cause is virtuous, professor.

[suddenly he grabs her stuff and throws her off her lizard-horse creature and he and Sola take off leaving her behind]

Dejah Thoris: What are you doing? No! John Carter! You can't!

Sola: [as they pretend to leave her] I like this plan better.

John Carter: Just wait. She'll come around.

Dejah Thoris: You mad fool! You're not from Earth! There are no Gates of Iss! I only told you what you wanted to hear so you'd get us out! Stop! I can't! I cannot marry him!

John Carter: Can't marry who?

Dejah Thoris: The Zodanga Jeddak you fought. Sab Than. He offered a truce to my father in exchange for my hand.

John Carter: Your father?

Dejah Thoris: Tardos Mors.

Sola: The Jeddak of Helium. She is a princess.

John Carter: A princess of Mars. How about that? A princess who didn't wanna get married, so she ran away.

Dejah Thoris: No.

John Carter: Is that all there is to this story?

Dejah Thoris: No! I didn't run away! I escaped!

John Carter: From what? His breath? So marry the guy and save your people.

Dejah Thoris: A life of oppression, that's not living!

[as she runs to follow them Dejah falls, Carter suddenly turns back and offers to help her up]

Dejah Thoris: If you had the means to save others, would you not take any action possible to make it so?

John Carter: No good will come out of me fightin' your war.

Dejah Thoris: I would lay down my life for Helium. Yes, I ran away. I was... afraid, weak. Maybe I should have married, but I so feared that it would somehow be the end of Barsoom. I tell you truly, John Carter of Earth, there are no Gates of Iss. They are not real.

John Carter: I'm sorry, princess. But this...

John Carter: [he shows her the medallion that brought him to Barsoom]

John Carter: This is real. And so is my cave of gold.

[he offers his hand to Dejah to help her up which she reluctantly takes]

John Carter: [as they are pursued by the Thark tribe, Carter touches Dejah's hand and has flashback to coming home after the war to find his home burned with his wife and his daughter inside]

Sola: Dotar Sojat!

Dejah Thoris: What are you doing?

John Carter: [he jumps off the lizard-horse creature] Sola, get her out of here.

Dejah Thoris: No! Carter!

John Carter: I was too late once. I won't be again.

Dejah Thoris: No! No! No! No!

[Carter tries to force Woola to flee with the women, but Woola remains, as the Thark tribe reach him, Carter leaps in the air and onto the warriors, with each slash of his sword he flashbacks to burying his wife and daughter and placing his wife's wedding ring on his hand, then the Tharks begin to overwhelm him and Carter disappears under a pile of Thark warriors]

Tardos Mors: [In Zodanga the wedding procession is taking place, Dejah walks towards her father] I know that this is not the fate you'd have chosen for yourself, or for Helium. But choice is a luxury, even for a Jeddak of Barsoom. Even if in your heart...

Dejah Thoris: The heart is a luxury.

[Tardos starts walking Dejah down the isle towards Sab Than]

Tardos Mors: Steady.

Matai Shang: [Matai Shang is next to Sab Than as they watch Dejah and her father walk towards them] Remember, she is not the prize. The prize is Barsoom.

John Carter: I claim the right of challenge!

Tal Hajus: You have no right to challenge! You are not Thark!

Tars Tarkas: He is Thark! He is Dotar Sojat!

Sola: Dotar Sojat! Dotar Sojat! Dotar Sojat!

[the crowd of Tharks start to chanting Dotar Sojat, Tal Hajus leaps towards Carter and as Carter leaps up he kills Tal Hajus in mid-air with his sword]

Dejah Thoris: Homesick for the Thark nursery?

John Carter: I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep. I had that feeling you get suddenly that... you left a light burning or a door open.

John Carter: Go back to bed. I won't be long.

[she kisses his hand and returns to their room and Carter takes Woola for a walk]

John Carter: John Carter of Earth.

[he tosses the medallion over the balcony]

John Carter: Yep. John Carter of Mars sounds much better.

[Carter turns to go back to Dejah, but a guard stops to him to thank him]

Humble Guard: Sire, I must express the deepest of gratitude for saving Helium. Please, the honor is mine.

[suddenly the guard morphs into Matai Shang]

Matai Shang: Fair enough, Earthman. Now it's your move.

[Matai Shang touches Carter, repeats the command phrase and sends Carter back to earth]

Edgar Rice Burroughs: I am the key. I am the key! I, Edgar.

[he looks for clues on the mausoleum door]

Edgar Rice Burroughs: Ed! E... D!

[he presses the letters E-D in 'Inter Mundos' engraved on the mausoleum door, but nothing happens, frustrated Burroughs takes out the telegraph Carter had sent him and reads]

Edgar Rice Burroughs: 'Dear, Ned'. He never called me Edgar. He called me Ned!

[he presses the letters N-E-D in the 'Inter Mundos' engraved on the mausoleum door and the door opens, Ned is shocked to discover his uncle's body is missing, Matai Shang appears behind him, about to kill him, but Carter appears and shoots him]

John Carter: Hello, Ned.

Matai Shang: Increased strength and agility. Simple matter of gravitation and anatomy, one we ought to have foreseen.

John Carter: We?

Matai Shang: No apparent increase in intelligence. Still this will not do at all.

[he holds up the medallion that brought Carter to Mars]

Matai Shang: Your kind of Earthmen projecting themselves over here, leaping about, causing all manner of disruption.

John Carter: You're a Thern.

Matai Shang: Therns are a myth.

John Carter: Toxin, derived from a puffer fish, simulates death.

[Carter finds the medallion on Matai Shang's body]

Edgar Rice Burroughs: You never found the medallion?

John Carter: No. That's why I'm so grateful to you for bringing me one.

Edgar Rice Burroughs: I... I was just bait?

John Carter: No. You're far more than that. I really do need a protector. That is, if you're willing.

[Ned agrees and hugs Carter]

John Carter: Goodbye, Ned.

John Carter: [Carter turns to go into the mausoleum] Oh, and Ned. Take up a cause, fall in love, write a book.

John Carter: [about to close the mausoleum] It's time I went home.

John Carter: [he shuts the door, lays down on the body slab, and says the phrase that will return him to Barsoom] Ak Ohum Oktay Weez...

John Carter: [he sees Dejah saying 'Barsoom' and smiles before repeating the word] Barsoom.

Tars Tarkas: [subtitled] Watch. Everyone, step back. Show them, Virginia. Jump. Jump!

John Carter: [spits]

Tars Tarkas: By Issus, you will jump tomorrow, Virginia.

Kantos Kan: My name is Kantos Kan. I serve Princess Dejah.

John Carter: Dejah?

Kantos Kan: Uh-huh. From what she tells me, you can get us over... there.

[he points to Sab Than's palace]

John Carter: She said I could make that?

Kantos Kan: We could always surrender. Is that what you do on Jarsoom?

[John grabs a hold of Kantos and leaps into the air far enough to grab the palace's stone ledge and tumble into Dejah's bridal suite]

Matai Shang: Ah. American.

John Carter: Who are you, sir?

Matai Shang: "Sir." Definitely from the South. The Carolinas? Virginia? It's Virginia, isn't it? Lovely place.

John Carter: Do you know it?

Matai Shang: Not as well as I should. But I will.