John Carter of Mars

[Cheesebeef]

my best friend's father brokered the deal on behalf of the Burroughs estate so I'm going to a special screening at Disney tomorrow night and will tell y'all what what's. personally, i thought the trailers were horrible, but it starting to actually get some decent buzz in the geek community.

 

[Shane]

my best friend's father brokered the deal on behalf of the Burroughs estate so I'm going to a special screening at Disney tomorrow night and will tell y'all what what's. personally, i thought the trailers were horrible, but it starting to actually get some decent buzz in the geek community.

Well you would know then

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

okay, so cheese and i went to the special screening at disney. it was actually a special screening for the ERB fan club. we didn't know that going in. when we got to the hotel from which the 5 buses were leaving we were amazed to find that we were likely in the youngest 3% of attendees . . . by maybe 20 years (i'm 43).

i had read the books as a kid and loved them. i devoured them. that would have been around the early 80s. i didn't know until the screening that the books were first written close to 100 years ago. that makes them all the more impressive due to how well they still hold up today (to a certain extent). but it was interesting to see all these 60+ year olds that have been attending the ERB convention for upwards of 30 years all geeked up to see the movie.

anyway, neat experience going to disney, getting the free popcorn and sodas, getting to see some sneak peeks at the filming and hearing stories before finally viewing the film.

the film itself was entertaining. visually it was pretty cool. unfortunately i don't think it was an earth shattering film. and with the amount of cash that was dumped into it, i think it needed to be earth shattering. i doubt we'll see any franchise. oh, and no need for the 3D imo. i think this movie has the misfortune of being released with something like avatar still fresh enough in enough minds that it just can't equal up.

wouldn't dissuade anyone from seeing it, but i'd recommend tempering enthusiasms. it received a polite round of applause when it was done. from the devotion of the 60+ year olds, if it was great, i would've expected standing ovations and raucous applaus. it was absent.

 

[AzStevenCal]

okay, so cheese and i went to the special screening at disney. it was actually a special screening for the ERB fan club. we didn't know that going in. when we got to the hotel from which the 5 buses were leaving we were amazed to find that we were likely in the youngest 3% of attendees . . . by maybe 20 years (i'm 43).

i had read the books as a kid and loved them. i devoured them. that would have been around the early 80s. i didn't know until the screening that the books were first written close to 100 years ago. that makes them all the more impressive due to how well they still hold up today (to a certain extent). but it was interesting to see all these 60+ year olds that have been attending the ERB convention for upwards of 30 years all geeked up to see the movie.

anyway, neat experience going to disney, getting the free popcorn and sodas, getting to see some sneak peeks at the filming and hearing stories before finally viewing the film.

the film itself was entertaining. visually it was pretty cool. unfortunately i don't think it was an earth shattering film. and with the amount of cash that was dumped into it, i think it needed to be earth shattering. i doubt we'll see any franchise. oh, and no need for the 3D imo. i think this movie has the misfortune of being released with something like avatar still fresh enough in enough minds that it just can't equal up.

wouldn't dissuade anyone from seeing it, but i'd recommend tempering enthusiasms. it received a polite round of applause when it was done. from the devotion of the 60+ year olds, if it was great, i would've expected standing ovations and raucous applaus. it was absent.

It's hard to get up quickly at that age. First, you have to reach down under your seat to grab your walker, then you have to unfold it and then you have to massage some warmth into your knees for a few minutes before you're ready to leap into action. Also, most of us in the senior citizen group grew up with ERB and from the reviews I've read of this movie I'd suspect a lot of the crowd was stunned (and probably appalled) by the deviations. I think it's probably difficult to get a true reading from that mix of viewers.

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

i thought it was a solid B... but really missed out on being a pretty great Sci Fi flick. All of the stuff pre-Mars was really solid, and the initial "step into the new world" sequence was fun but it got a little muddy in the middle with two really great sequences (a cross cutting sequence between Mars and Carter's life back on Earth was really impressive and the showdown in the arena was great also) and I liked the ending as well... and the effects were flat out dynamite, but it could have been so much more.

I was most surprised by Taylor Kitch's ability to play the lead. Have never been a big fan of his and thought he'd sink the movie but he played a likable rogue and had the physicality to play the role.

franchise tho? probably not.

 

[Covert Rain]

This is probably a rental for me. I want to see it but my son who is a huge sci-fi fan is not interested. First thing he said is it looks cheesy. So, if he is not interested there is not much incentive for me to go see it.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

Saw it at midnight last night. I give it a 4 out 5 mars!!!!

Will take the rest of the family to see it probably Sunday...

 

[Brian in Mesa]

John Carter

Release Date: March 9, 2012 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D)
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Andrew Stanton
Screenwriter: Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, Michael Chabon
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action)
Website: Disney.com/JohnCarter

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Hayden Church, Willem Dafoe

Plot Summary: From Academy Award winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes "John Carter" - a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). "John Carter" is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

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[PortlandCardFan]

If you are a scifi nut I think you should go see this movie. ERB was one of the founding scifi writers and while the movie takes elements from the first three books you can easily see where a lot of writers got their inspiration from in this movie.

This movie was released on the 100 yr anniversery of 'John Carter: a Princess of Mars'...

 

[Renz]

Franchise tho? probably not.

Yeah, not gonna happen.

Disney says 'John Carter' to lose $200 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "John Carter" is now officially a flop of galactic proportions.

The Walt Disney Co. said Monday that it expects to book a loss of $200 million on the movie in the quarter through March.

"In light of the theatrical performance of John Carter ($184 million global box office), we expect the film to generate an operating loss of approximately $200 million during our second fiscal quarter ending March 31.

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=712102

 

[PortlandCardFan]

Totally sucks! I don't think another movie needs to be made but the movie was better than the $45 mil it made over the last two weekends! IMO

 

[Covert Rain]

I hated the CGI style. IMO it suffered from the same problems as SW:TPM. When CGI pulls you out of Live Action and makes you feel like your watching a cartoon...it's never good.

Even my 11 year old asked me why the CGI sucks.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

I hated the CGI style. IMO it suffered from the same problems as SW:TPM. When CGI pulls you out of Live Action and makes you feel like your watching a cartoon...it's never good.

Even my 11 year old asked me why the CGI sucks.

Never thought I was watching a cartoon. At times I did think the CGI was a little soft or hazy with the white ape and at times the Tharks.

Loved the flying ships and scenery though!

 

[BigRedRage]

losing 200 million is crazy, dont spend so damn much on your movies.

 

[oaken1]

Bought this dvd today to watch tonight.....never has looked that good from the beginning but as an avid fan and one who had read all of these books back in the seventies I felt it was my duty to buy the dvd.....it would be so nice to finally see someone get this series right...so much possibility and promise.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

I think they missed the mark but still enjoyed the movie. Everyone once in a while you could see the southern gentleman of John Carter pop through but not enough in my book. Expect a lot of changes in the story line. It is kind of the first three books all meld into one...

 

[Shaggy]

i thought it was a solid B... but really missed out on being a pretty great Sci Fi flick. All of the stuff pre-Mars was really solid, and the initial "step into the new world" sequence was fun but it got a little muddy in the middle with two really great sequences (a cross cutting sequence between Mars and Carter's life back on Earth was really impressive and the showdown in the arena was great also) and I liked the ending as well... and the effects were flat out dynamite, but it could have been so much more.

I was most surprised by Taylor Kitch's ability to play the lead. Have never been a big fan of his and thought he'd sink the movie but he played a likable rogue and had the physicality to play the role.

franchise tho? probably not.

What do you think it was missing?

I liked it when I saw it when it came out. It's now on Netflix and I decided to watch it again and still like it. Visually cool, the story was cool and was hoping for a squeal(which we will probably never see). I just don't know why it supposedly tanked.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

What do you think it was missing?

I liked it when I saw it when it came out. It's now on Netflix and I decided to watch it again and still like it. Visually cool, the story was cool and was hoping for a squeal(which we will probably never see). I just don't know why it supposedly tanked.

I know this is common, but man did it pale in comparison to the books. They were an incredible read.

 

[Shaggy]

I know this is common, but man did it pale in comparison to the books. They were an incredible read.

Were they? How many are there?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Were they? How many are there?

I believe there were 11 altogether. Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Dude who wrote The Land That Time Forgot and Tarzan books. I believe the first of the John carter books was Princess of Mars. It was the Barsoom takes (Barsoom was the martians name for Mars). I believe the first was written or published in like 1912. Amazing how well they held up bc I believe I first read them around 12-14 years old, around 1982 or so. I couldn’t get enough of them. Loved Andre Norton and Michael Moorcock as authors too.

 

[Stout]

I know this is common, but man did it pale in comparison to the books. They were an incredible read.

The books, in this case, are like 1,000 times better than the movie. I saw it for free and wanted my money back.

 

[puckhead]

... Loved Andre Norton and Michael Moorcock as authors too.

Oh, Michael had a super fun childhood with that name.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Oh, Michael had a super fun childhood with that name.

Hmm he was quite a bit older. I don’t know if his generation (a) focused on “****” as anything other than a rooster; and (b) were as crass.

 

[puckhead]

Hmm he was quite a bit older. I don’t know if his generation (a) focused on “****” as anything other than a rooster; and (b) were as crass.

Born in '39, formative years in the 50's and 60's. Yeah, he likely heard about it once or twice. He had the last laugh by making "Moormoney" as a famous author.

 

[Stout]

Born in '39, formative years in the 50's and 60's. Yeah, he likely heard about it once or twice. He had the last laugh by making "Moormoney" as a famous author.

Yeah, no. It's definitely a generational thing. Formative years in the 80's and 90's? 2000's? Definitely.