AN OPEN LETTER TO ANDREW STANTON
John Carter
***1/2
Review by Mark Tucci
Dear Andrew Stanton,
It amazes me how much pre-release hoopla has been made over your new movie JOHN CARTER, and not in a good way. For all the negative articles that littered the internet, I would have thought you had waltzed into Disney studios with heavy firearms and held key studio executives for ransom.
Why else would so much negative ink be spilled regarding your passion-project had you not somehow duped one of the largest movie studios in Hollywood into giving you $250 million dollars to make a movie that’s been languishing in development hell for the better half of 75 years, and then failed to deliver the typical, bombastic, over-the-top, plot-devoid, idiotic, 2-hour toy commercial / happy-meal tie-in for a safe, familiar product?
Was it too much for these reviewers and audiences not to be treated to the typical popcorn movie fare they’ve come to expect lately? Have we fallen that far as a movie-going society that everything we see must fall into that same bucket of expectations, and when we’re suddenly treated to something different and out-of-the-ordinary, we rebel against it and secretly hope for it to fail? Is it job security? Do the risk-averse studios fear they might have to change their green-light policies if something not based on a known property is somehow successful? Ah well, better to pan it beforehand then, lest we’re proven wrong.
My condolences to you, Andrew, and the rest of the audience members like me, who long to see great throwback spectacles like JOHN CARTER. If the early returns are any indication, the negative press and botched marketing campaign may have condemned us to the realm of wishful thinking, should we hope to see something so wondrous and original ever again. Instead, we’ll be cursed to endure more lack-luster creations based on board games, children’s toys, bad teen novels and increasingly obscure comic heroes. Memorable characters will take a back seat to more explosions and wiz-bang effects, and any semblances of narrative will seem like it was spit out of a random story-generating computer.
That most reviewers complained of getting lost in the details of JOHN CARTER’S plot is testament to the fact that movie-going audiences are getting ever more stupid. Having read this complaint on many a review, I was prepared for a confusing mess. What I witnessed, however, was far from that. I saw a science fiction movie that was both rich in detail and layered with plot. Did I see the same film so many others said they couldn’t follow? Was I biased and/or better informed having read the books as a kid? I asked my wife, who also saw the film and had no familiarity with the 100-year-old source material. She followed the story just fine, and couldn’t understand where that negative thread had come from. It bothers me that this has become a frequent complaint with your movie, Andrew. I fear it will only further relegate movies toward the lowest, most simplistic form of story structure, or eschew it altogether in favor of a higher effects budget. Indeed, one need only look at some of the more recent big-budget summer movies to see this is already becoming a trend. Really, how hard was it to understand this film people? I know the trailers made it look like a mindless action flick, but it’s not. I’m sorry you couldn’t waltz in 10-minutes late with your face full of popcorn and your butter-stained fingers endlessly fumbling over your cell phone, and not be able to figure out what’s going on. It’s called attention. If you pay it, you’ll get it.
I know I used the word “original” up there earlier. I can already see the Steves and Kathys of the world pig-headishly objecting to that, falling all over themselves to scroll down to the comments section to voice their complaint. I’m sure they’ve skipped on down, not even bothering to read the rest of this, but I wanted to thank you, Andrew, for taking the time to realize something original on the big screen. Going to see JOHN CARTER is like seeing history. It’s original in that it allows moviegoers the chance to see the origins of just about everything they’ve come to love in pop culture over the past 100 years. Upon the dusty plains of Barsoom we get to see the birth of Superman. We understand the lineage to Flash Gordon, and we see the inspiration for “Star Wars”. That these characters and movies have all borrowed heavily upon your source material for decades shouldn’t deter anyone from seeing it. It doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, and it certainly doesn’t deserve the vitriol of uniformed bloggers and dismissive reviewers who fail to appreciate the historical value and connections your movie’s main character has to the very things they often hold it up against. JOHN CARTER is the true “Star Wars” prequel – by definition and by principle. Without him, there could be no “Star Wars” fanboys to endlessly argue JOHN CARTER’S derivative nature (do you see the irony there?) It’s also original in that this is a world we’re seeing for the very first time. Most of today’s movie-going audiences will not have read the books. They’ll have no idea or anticipation as to what the world of Barsoom holds. Everything must be created and built up from scratch. That’s both a tall and challenging order. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for you, Andrew, to convince Disney to move forward with a project that many viewers would undoubtedly not be familiar with. It has none of the built-in audience and pre-sold expectations most other films have these days. There are no toy tie-ins, no video-game tie-ins, no rabid teen fanbase, no former TV show ties, and no big name marquee movie stars, just a 100-year old series of pulp novels and a few lost comic books from the 1970s. The fact you were able to get it made at all, much less to the degree that you did, speaks volumes.
“Big deal, the same thing can be said about “Avatar”,” Kathy says. To which I must point back to the fact that Edgar Rice Burroughs’ JOHN CARTER also heavily influenced “Avatar”. Again, without JOHN CARTER, there would be no “Avatar”. Show a little respect and appreciation for history. Like “Avatar” and “Star Wars”, JOHN CARTER brings to life many new creatures, characters and settings that simply weren’t technically possible to achieve even a few short years ago. Barsoom is a fully realized environment. And while JOHN CARTER might not have delved as deeply into the culture or the flora/fauna like “Avatar” did for Pandora, it’s still a wondrously imaginative place. Again, that comparison doesn’t make the experience of this movie any less enjoyable.
“Yeah, but so what? All this rhetoric doesn’t make it a good movie,” Steve says. “I read the reviews. Most of them said the movie sucked.” Well, I saw your movie, Andrew, and I disagree. Maybe I saw something different than everybody else, but I liked what I saw.
I liked that you took your time with the story and the characters. I liked that you spent time in 1800s New York and Arizona providing insight and background into the main character before getting us to Barsoom. I loved the Tharks and the incredible job you did pulling them off. George Lucas should take a serious lesson from you. You’ve managed to create some incredibly detailed and believable characters with the likes of Tars Tarkas, Sola and Woola. If Jar Jar Binks even dreamt of being half as realized and likeable as Woola was, he should wake up and delete himself.
I liked that you used real sets on real locations and didn’t shoot everyone in front of a giant green screen (another lesson George should learn from you). I loved how you were able to seamlessly integrate all those CGI characters into those real-world locations and make them look like they belonged there. Sure, we’ve seen it tried before, but I don’t think ever done this well. Yeah, “Avatar” did a great job, but in Pandora everything was CGI with the real-world elements composited in. You went the opposite way, which managed to make everything look that much more real.
I liked the fact that Dejah Thoris wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and wasn’t the typical whiny damsel you so often see in these movies. I really liked the music, too. Michael Giacchino’s score evokes the same wonder and excitement of the great swashbuckling Hollywood adventure films of yesteryear. The great white ape and Warhoon battle scenes were fantastic, but above all, I really liked the ending. For once we’re not treated to the typical Hollywood ending we all see coming a mile away. For once the ending of a movie actually works. For once we have a film that perfectly closes the loop on itself in a way that is both emotionally satisfying and credible, and not at all forced, obvious or overblown like so many other movies we see. It may not be the ending that everyone wants, but it works perfectly.
“You’re just biased because you’re a fan. We all know you loved the books and have been waiting for this movie for years,” Steve retorts. That’s true. Like you, Andrew, I’ve been waiting for this movie for a long time. And though you did an excellent job realizing this incredible world on the big screen, it wasn’t a perfect film. But who says it has to be perfect for you to enjoy it? What movie is ever perfect? Yeah, some of the dialogue and exposition is a little stilted, but come on; it’s way better than anything in “Phantom Menace” and that didn’t stop people from seeing it. Besides, I can’t displace the fact that it’s based on pulp fiction novels from the early 1900s. You can’t be true to that kind of source material that old and not come off sounding a little silly. That’s what gives this movie a lot of its charm. You know, I’ll often hear viewers scoff at critics who’ve given bad reviews to movies they want to see. “So what,” they say. “I don’t go to the movies to think or to be blown away by powerful acting and a well-written script, I go to be blown away by the spectacle of it. I go to be entertained.” Well, if only measured by those small standards, Andrew, your movie succeeds quite admirably. This is a highly entertaining film. Why then are so many people buying into this bad buzz and avoiding it? Could it be the marketing, perhaps?
Actually, the biggest complaint I have about your movie is its marketing (big surprise, huh?) I could lament about the campaign for pages on end, but I won’t. Anyone who sets their expectations based on those trailers has no idea what they’re in for. Summarily, those bloggers and reporters out there whose reviews were written based on those expectations missed the finer points of this movie as well. The film has some real heart to it. There are some wonderful moments of humor and also of loss. There’s excitement, but also sadness. There are fantastic battles but also great romance. That the marketers saw fit to excise any hint of the romantic nature of this film bewilders me, especially coming from Disney. For dog’s sake, this movie fits Disney’s MO perfectly: there’s a beautiful princess who has a father but no mother. She’s strong willed and opinionated. She refuses to wed the man her father promised her to. She runs away and falls in love with a scrappy newcomer / commoner. And it’s all based on a novel called “A Princess of Mars”. I can’t see how or why they overlooked that, and they’ve managed to do your film a disservice by only targeting it toward 17 year-old boys. With all those comparisons being done to “Star Wars”, I’m surprised no-one’s made the connection to “Aladdin”.
Regardless, what you managed to pull off though is about the best I could ever have hoped to expect. There were a million different ways this could have been done wrong, but you somehow managed to make it work. Even for a live-action film released under the Disney brand (something I’m always wary of) it managed to satisfy me. It doesn’t feel like a 2012 movie. Sure it’s got all the bells and whistles of one: plenty of CGI special effects and it’s in 3D and all, but watching this movie made me feel like I was back watching some of the more memorable movies of my youth. JOHN CARTER is a great throwback to films like Planet of the Apes (the original 1968 version) and Spartacus (the 1962 film). Indeed, it certainly evokes the feel of both those films, with a little bit of “Lawrence of Arabia”, a pinch of “Flash Gordon” and even “Clash of the Titans” (again, the original 1981 version) thrown in as well. You just don’t see films like that getting made very often anymore.
I must say that I am disappointed by the reception and the general reviews your movie is getting, Andrew. I think it deserves better. I was only a few years younger than you were when I first discovered the Martian tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Like you, I have fond memories of these books as a kid, and sat up many nights reading about the adventures of John Carter and the incredible beasts of Barsoom. I’ve followed the lengthy saga this movie has taken to the big screen, and I’m hopeful we’ll get to return to Barsoom again in future films. But it seems like everyone out there is hoping this movie will fail. My wife warned me not to get my hopes up too high because she didn’t want me to be disappointed if it wasn’t successful. But after reading a number of interviews with you, Andrew, I came to the realization that it didn’t matter to me if the movie was a hit or not. It didn’t matter if it would spawn additional sequels or spur new generations of readers into becoming fans. It didn’t matter if there weren’t Thark action figures or video games or countless other merchandise intrusions into popular culture. What ultimately mattered to me was after 30 years of waiting, someone like you got this movie made, and I finally got to see it. There may not be another, but I enjoyed this one. It lived up to my expectations as a fan and as a moviegoer. While the lightsaber fetishists might disagree, I think it was better than any of the Star Wars prequels, and certainly better than most of the similar slam-bang action extravaganzas I’ve seen recently. If that’s not true for anyone else, then I guess I must ultimately thank you, Andrew Stanton, for making this movie just for me. I think it was money well spent.
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Release Date: March 9, 2010
Run Time: 132 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: PG-13
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
OFFICIAL TRAILER
“Hurray!” for a review that finally seems to GET it! Great review…..
I have not had the chance to see the movie yet but, I have seen quite a few trailers. From what I have seen so far has given me insight of what is to come and I am so looking forward to seeing the film.
It looks great and I wish to congratulate everyone from crew, to producers to directors and the actors for giving us enjoyment of which we all desperately need, especially now in the times we are living in.
Good luck to you all
With best regards
Pierina
Excellent, thoughtful, and true! Fantastic review! Cheering this movie on. Hoping for it taking number 1 this coming weekend. Keep spreading the word!
Despite occasional moments of silliness, the old-fashioned sense of adventure and brilliantly rendered aliens elevate this above other derivative big-budget sci-fi fare. I still wished that Kitsch did a lot better in this lead role but he was only there for eye-candy really. Good review.
Bravo! My sentiments exactly!
At last, someone GETS it! My sentiments exactly. And after seeing it twice, I find I enjoy it all the more. Stanton has captured the spirit of Burroughs’ Mars. Doesn’t get any better than that.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep evangelizing for the film to those in my area. Word of mouth starts movements.
Spot on! Great review. Have been reading the books for the first time and have seen the film twice now, and I’ve loved both! Reminded me of the old swashbuckling Sinbad/pirate films of old. All good!
I have to agree with you in every single word you’ve written. I felt the same way when I saw it at the beginning of this week. I liked it a lot and it totally reminded me those movies of yesterday such as Flash Gordon and Clash of Titans.
Oh yeah, bub? Well I say he made the film for ME! Because I’ve been waiting 40 years for it!
In all seriousness, this “open letter” echoes almost exactly what I felt upon seeing this wonderful movie. So much so that I sent off a fan letter c/o Pixar to Stanton which sounded much like this review (the likelihood he gets a chance to read it may be nil, but I felt it was something I needed to do). The movie made a jaded, grumpy 50 year old nerd care enough to do that. I doubt films like “Transformers” have that sort of effect.
Excellent article!
Just saw the film tonight and it exceeded all my expectations. I liked the books and I was hoping the movie would correct a lot of the flaws in the literature. It did! Stanton took a great slice of SF history and turned it into something truly spectacular, giving John Carter a back story, giving heart and empathy to the main character perfectly played by Kitsch. The movie also had a great plot (whereas the books had strings of action scenes and no discernible plot). Am I the only one who found the film hilarious, making fun of itself and all the camp qualities of classic scifi? I laughed my head off, loving every minute.
Why they made such crappy trailers for this film, I’ll never understand… *weeps*
I also don’t understand the slew of criticism and negativity directed at this film, but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said movie goers expect popcorn fluff and certain types of stories and then scream foul when they’re delivered something truly original and different that they just don’t understand.
Maybe you have to be a geek to get the awesomeness of the film. If you didn’t, too bad, you’ve missed out on one of the most amazing scifi films ever made. I’ll definitely be seeing the film again, and again and then some more… and am holding thumbs for the sequels.
I agree as well, although as a fan of the Barsoom series I had issue with a couple of the plot devices, which I won’t reveal for those who haven’t seen the movie.
I was most worried how four-armed green Martians would come across, but the CGI is done so well that you tend to forget it actually is CGI.
Keeping my fingers (on all four hands) crossed for a return to Barsoom.
Thank You. Thank You for a review that says everything I was thinking and saying about this movie. Most of the crap coming out of Hollywood today loses my attention within 15 minutes, and I actually don’t go to the movies very often for this reason. But I knew somehow that this movie would be different because Stanton was a fan of the material and made sure that others on his crew were also fans. I cannot for the life of me, understand why this movie was dragged through the mud by the media and critics. To what purpose was there in trashing a movie that no one had even seen at the time the trash talking began? And to top it off, the movie was much better than 90% of what is released nowadays. Has the movie-going public become so obsessed with cookie cuter stories and plots that something truly original is that offensive to them. I’m really hoping that John Carter somehow, if even only as an act of defiance against the naysayers, gets a sequel, and hopefully more. I can’t say enough good things about this movie that haven’t already been said.
I read these books when I was 13 and loved them. Dammit, John Carter deserves better than the reviews it’s getting. That movie rocked and I’m gonna go see it again this weekend. I totally bought the CGI characters where I couldn’t in Avatar (otherwise known as the “Call Me Joe” by Poul Anderson ripoff). You’re right – Dejah Thoris should be another Disney Princess! I’m so glad they updated her character from the novels and added depth and strength to her. Spot on review.
Not only did I grow up reading and loving Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories, I spent twelve yearw writing the Tarzan Sunday newspaper strip, drawn by my late freind Gray Morrow. So, I know Burroughs work quite well, so well that it’s fair to say that he invented the space opera genre. Without Burroughs George Lucas & James Cameron might be in some other line of business today, rather than being successdul film makers.
JOHN CARTER presents a dilemma that may take a long time to dissect. We live in a mean spirited, cynical age that is greatly at odds with the ideals of nobility of character and chivalry that Burroughs cherished. We are the poorer for it. JOHN CARTER may not be perfect by any means, but it deserves a great deal more respect than it has received.
Well said, and good job and a great movie!
However, i stand ready to sacrifice by torch a dozen Coontz/Danielle Steele pablum books in exchange for a fierce Woola plushie to defend my office desk!
On a more serious note, I think Stanton was torpedoed. The universally similar complaints about Stanton’s ego , the bullshit pre-packaged statements such as: “Wall Street analysts expect the company to take a $165-million loss…” ((LA-TIMES)) And the switching of PR firms mid stream (A PROFOUNDLY BAD IDEA) lead me to feel that Stanton wanted to tell the story a certain way, and the money people and/or their sycophants wanted another. But all were obligated to finish the film, and Stanton wouldn’t back down. My gut instinct? Witness the poison pen folks…
The more I’ve thought about the film since last week, the more I want to see it again. The fan support for this continues to warm my ERB reading heart. Well done!
Absolutely agree, Mark! This movie was made for us, the boys (and girls!) that read this series as children/young adults and were transported to the realm of the fantastic by the Burroughs’ visions of what could be. John Carter has always been my hero. Andrew Stanton has captured the wonder and the spectacle, and shown all of the derivative sci-fi of the last hundred years to be exactly what it is… plagiarism and a lack of self-generated creativity. Lucas is revealed to be the unimaginative, but gifted creature maker, that he is. Star Wars, and every other sci-fi film ever made, owes its heart and soul to John Carter. Thank you, Andrew, for making my boyhood dreams a widescreen reality!
Very well said article. I saw John Carter with my 30 year old son last night. I will be dragging the wife to the theaters this weekend to see it again. It is one of the best works of historic fantasy to be seen in film. It was nothing short of fantastic. I have to go back to the Lord of the Rings, Return of the King to find a movie I enjoyed as much. The many critics that panned this movie are collectively a pile of worthless dung in my book. I hope Disney makes back every dime and a good profit as well. A sequel would be fantastic, and there is plenty of additional ERB material to base it on.
Best regards,
Hallelujah!!!!
Someone finally brought John Carter to the big screen! And they did it RIGHT! This critic and his critique are right on and all the comments are heart warming. To know that I’m not the only one on Jasoom to see Barsoom come to life! While I enjoy going to the movies, this one left me excited to see it again and again.
I sincerely hope it exceeds all expectations of the producers.
The actors and actresses of this movie were superb. I know Taylor Kitsch was getting tired of all those “face plants” getting familiar with his new planet, but that’s real science in action! Lynn Collins has become my favorite because she really brought Dejah Thoris alive. Beautiful, talented and just the right person to be the “Princess of Mars!”
I saw an interview with the cast and the labor intensive scenes they did. It really paid off! I know it hurt while filming but the results far outweigh the cost. And too all those folks who said Kitsch and Collins didn’t have the acting chops….”Shut UP!”
I can’t thank you enough for bringing this project to us. And the sequel is considered, I hope they select you to lead it. I will see it also….several times!
Now….everyone go buy a ticket and enjoy a really great movie!
Mark, a very well written article. I am truly great to Andrew Stanton for bringing this story to life, I have sympathy for those who wrote the bad reviews, for they lack imagination and true love for a great story, their minds are more attuned to spasms of effects rather than a great story. There are a select few like Stanton, Nolan and Cameron, who actually spend alot of time writting a great story, where we can connect with the characters, before implementing a visual feast. I want to keep spreading the word about how great this movie is, not so that it can become a “boxoffice” smash, but to open the minds of today’s people to adventure and wonder, and be amazed rather than entertained.
Bravo—I agree wholeheartedly with this review. It expresses everything I wish I could express. had the talent to This work of art should be embraced for the rousing adventure, the complexity of plot ans character and its rich history. That hollywood drones like Lucas and Speilberg don’t acknowledge its place speaks volumes. Where would they be without the worlds and mind of Burroughs?
I went to see John Carter TWICE this week. The first time I watched it was with my girlfriend. Both of us was really blown away by the story and the acting plus the details. I just could not believe that this great movie was being hammered badly by reviewers. This movie deserved the respects due to the fact that John Carter was the original among all the great sci-fi flick we ever watched. In terms of Taylor Kitsch’s acting, I have no problem with it. I think he nailed it. His version of John Carter was dark and brooding. Somehow he managed to gave some hint of sadness through his eyes and his overall performances. Its only logic for John Carter to be that way as he lost his family in the war. Lynn Collins was amazing as well as Dejah Thoris. Her version of Dejah Thoris was inspirational as she guided John Carter back into life and away from the sadness towards the end. My favourite scene would be the moment when John Carter and Woola took on the Thark. I cried when I saw the flash backs and at the same time John Carter was slashing and hacking the advancing Tharks. I love John Carter, so please, please, please at least make a trilogy for this Movie! “ɑkh ɑhɪm ɑkte wiz bɑrsoom~”
I got a last minute call that a friend was going to see John Carter so I jumped in my car and joined him. I had no idea what I was getting into. Would Johnny Cash and June Carter have anything to do with it? I consider myself knowledgeable- why hadn’t I heard of John Carter?
Did the movie start or was that a preview? The way the movie jumps about through different periods of time is confusing and made me wonder if I had missed a previous episode. Covering as much time and location as this movie does, it does a good job of making it seem real and possible that in actuallity life could be this miraculous.
The leading lady was absolutely stunning when she first appeared on the screen. Unfortuneately she then just became an actress in the movie- a fighter, a professor, a queen- but the cameras didn’t work on helping her maintain her beauty image. (Lois Lane in that hazy scene in Superman powerfully established her beauty, etc).
The extraterrestrials were all high imagination powered and I enjoyed them. Sometimes couldn’t tell which was male or female but that’s probably what marshion life would be like.
I wonder what people who read the book thought about the movie. It seems like it really would have helped to do so.
I’m glad I saw this movie on the big screen. ***!/2
For me it’s as simple as this: with great reservation I entered the theater, something I didn’t do for last Conan or Avatar and certainly not for the greater number SF and Fantasy films released over the last decade. The reasons for my trepidation are also simple- there’s little magic left in the movie theaters and the adaptations of previous pulp material have made me depressed over any prospects. I’m getting older too and have seen a LOT. I was really intrigued by the first trailer with the Peter Gabriel. It was slow but earthy and majestic in it’s sweep of this potential epic. It also didn’t feel exactly like the John Carter I knew. Still, it gave me chills, small hopeful ones. Then the big action driven trailers arrived and I got a depressed, those previous chills a distant memory. By mid February I was resigned to save my money and give it a miss. Oh well, a bullet dodged is always a good thing right?
Then I decided to see what the sneak peak audiences were saying. It was more than positive, it was encouraging, which was at odds with what most of the critics were saying.
So, as sat in my seat the Tuesday after it’s premier I was all set to be disappointed but what’s $7?
As I sat there cringing just a little bit because I missed a couple of minutes in the opening sequence I settled in and watched. Little by little it happened. Slowly at first I noticed my cynicism taking a back seat. Before long I caught myself smiling. By the half way point I was rooted.
This film had won me over.
No it’s not THE John Carter but it sure was the closest thing I thought Hollywood was even marginally capable of delivering and it’s a wonderful mix of contemporary action and drama with just the right amount of tall tale telling, action and adventure that should have blown through at least most of it’s detractors.
I know my cynicism was starting to rise as I discussed it with a close friend and fellow Burroughs enthusiast, but after that phone call I realized something; all those die hard Burroughs experts have forgotten the fun those books were. Somehow they wanted something it could not be and ignored all the great things it was. One of them said it could have had the drama of Gladiator, and it dawned on me that that was impossible given that one was a historical drama set to a real time period with events that were reflective of that time period. There is NO Barsoom as portrayed, but… and here’s the rub, this film made me think that there was a Barsoom. That IS part of the drama, an important part.
Is a GREAT film? Really, who cares seeing as the definition has had it’s eye blackened so many times it’s rendered useless for any contextual argument. The real question is did it satisfy?
For me it most certainly DID!
I thank anyone who was patient enough to read my take on this.
Thank you for a wonderful review of John Carter! John Carter was a exceptional and delightful film that died at the box office due to poor marketing and advertising. I have seen the film on many occasions with both family and friends who absolutely loved the film! It was a beautiful story and had an incomparable cast! The characters were all fantastic. It was just an extremely well made and directed film. A story that you want to go back to time and time again. There is a huge fan base all over the world for John Carter. If Disney had marketed the film properly, if people had actually known what John Carter was about, if there had actually been proper advertising of this film, John Carter would have definitely exceeded box office performance!! DISNEY: TAKE US BACK TO BARSOOM!! Get the DVD and you too will want to join the fans at Back To Barsoom!
You really nailed this one — great work!
Thank you Mr. Tucci for putting into words my exact feelings about John Carter. It is beyond my understanding how this film became labelled a “flop”. I’ve been a fan of Burroughs and his 11 book Barsoom series for over 50 years and I was elated to hear that John Carter was finally going to make it to the Big Screen. Andrew Stanton exceeded all of my expectations. He brought John Carter to life and I’m sure Mr. Burroughs himself would have been pleased. I have my fingers crossed for sequel(s).
I loved the film! Saw it three times and now I went and bought the Blu-ray! They don’t make movies like this anymore, which is just sad! This film really does deserve a sequel if ever there be a film worthy of one! Andrew Stanton has done an awesome job on brining in elements from the ERB John Carter novels. People are now able to see the film in the comfort of their own homes and my bet is that they will now experience it and love it for the classic film it is!
I believe this movie was wrongly treated by most critics. It is a pretty good movie, though a little slow in starting. But in general, it’s an impressive fantasy story.
Mark,
I could not agree with you more. I’ll never forget being invited to a screening of JC and taking my 11 year-old. He acted the way I felt when I first saw “Star Wars”. We both loved it. Unfortunately, a good friend and sci-fi author came to me after the screening and stated, “It’s a shame. For every person that will love this movie, ten want to see it fail”. The reason, “jealousy”. Someone had finally done the story justice after so many others failed miserably.
After it’s Blu-ray release I went out and purchased it and screened it for my dad and our cousin. Both absolutely loved it and wanted to know why neither had ever heard of it being in the theaters. Since then, everyone i show it to ends up enjoying it.
From the rotten title to the marketing department that acted as the iceberg that sliced through the Titanic. “John Carter” never stood a chance at the box office. Thankfully, there are people like ourselves that appreciate good old fashioned entertainment.
Really Amazing!!!
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