For the better part of two years, we have been following the production of John Carter. Then it was known as John Carter From Mars. When the first trailer for the film was released last year, the reaction was luke warm. Reactions ranged from "It looks like Prince Of Persia on Mars." to "I don't get it." The fact of the matter is, early marketing really let this film down. Then last August, we were fortunate enough to attend the Walt Disney Studio's presentation at Disney's D23 Expo. It was then, we saw the first scenes from the film that we suspected that Disney's marketing department was doing this film a major injustice.
Not like this was a new trend. With the exception of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Disney's film marketing has had an abysmal time of promoting their films lately. Princess And The Frog, Prince Of Persia, Sorcerers Apprentice, and to some extent both Cars 2 and TRON Legacy were effected by poor marketing that couldn't adequately build any real buzz or excitement for the films. While it may be said that some these projects were just bad films, that is not true about all of them.
John Carter seemed poised to be yet another victim of this poor marketing strategy, until in January Disney became extremely aggressive in their promotion of the film. Although it was probably part of the plan all along, much more footage for John Carter began to be put out to audiences so that they could see what kind of Sci-Fi epic it was going to be. Although most of the new footage contained in trailers and clips was exciting and quite engaging, It never truly communicated the awesomeness that is contained in the film.
In fact, it was only in the last couple weeks that we began to see footage that contained more of the exotic ships, cities and creatures that populate this fantastic and oddly beautiful version of Mars. If John Carter fails at the box office it will be due to poor marketing, not to poor or unimaginative film making.
Make no mistake, John Carter is the first glorious step into an amazing new world. If the film can garner the necessary success to justify a sequel, we may be witnessing the birth of the next great feature film saga. Which is fitting, because as I watched John Carter, I was very much taken with how much it reminded me of the great adventure films of my youth, like Raiders of The Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back, and even to some extent Back To The Future. Director Andrew Stanton had no intention of making a flash modern action flick, he was going for epic entertainment and he achieved it, in monumental fashion.
Star's Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins absolutely shine as John Carter and Dejah Thoris respectively. Their chemistry on screen undeniable and both provide a solid emotional connection to the audience that never feels fake. While these are fantastic characters in fantastic situations both characters feel absolutely true and genuine. The films special effects are dazzling, not that they are overdone or cartoonish, the world of Barsoom, always feels real, never artificial or manufactured, which is why the visual effects are so effective.
John Carter also features outstanding performances by actors Bryan Cranston, Mark Strong and Willem Defoe. Bryan Cranston's portrayal of Colonel Powell may go completely unnoticed by some, but it is actually quite a pivotal role that helps the audience to better understand John Carter and his motives. Willem Defoe's performance as Tars Tarkas is mesmerizing. And I say performance because Defoe was actually on set, on stilts and in a green suit during filming. Defoe's performance will lend further proof to the argument that motion capture actors, like Andy Serkis(Lord Of The Rings, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes)deserve awards consideration from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The film's marketing did not get off to a good start. But due to some aggressive Super Bowl marketing and the enthusiasm of the films stars and director, John Carter finally has some buzz. Unfortunately there are still those who dont know what this film is all about. No matter what you might think John Carter is... do me a favor and give this film the benefit of the doubt. If you have ever loved big adventure, see this movie. If you have ever loved smoking hot heroines, see this movie. If you have ever loved a movie hero and embraced his journey, then John Carter is a man you will want to get behind.
In fact, it was only in the last couple weeks that we began to see footage that contained more of the exotic ships, cities and creatures that populate this fantastic and oddly beautiful version of Mars. If John Carter fails at the box office it will be due to poor marketing, not to poor or unimaginative film making.
Make no mistake, John Carter is the first glorious step into an amazing new world. If the film can garner the necessary success to justify a sequel, we may be witnessing the birth of the next great feature film saga. Which is fitting, because as I watched John Carter, I was very much taken with how much it reminded me of the great adventure films of my youth, like Raiders of The Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back, and even to some extent Back To The Future. Director Andrew Stanton had no intention of making a flash modern action flick, he was going for epic entertainment and he achieved it, in monumental fashion.Star's Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins absolutely shine as John Carter and Dejah Thoris respectively. Their chemistry on screen undeniable and both provide a solid emotional connection to the audience that never feels fake. While these are fantastic characters in fantastic situations both characters feel absolutely true and genuine. The films special effects are dazzling, not that they are overdone or cartoonish, the world of Barsoom, always feels real, never artificial or manufactured, which is why the visual effects are so effective.
John Carter also features outstanding performances by actors Bryan Cranston, Mark Strong and Willem Defoe. Bryan Cranston's portrayal of Colonel Powell may go completely unnoticed by some, but it is actually quite a pivotal role that helps the audience to better understand John Carter and his motives. Willem Defoe's performance as Tars Tarkas is mesmerizing. And I say performance because Defoe was actually on set, on stilts and in a green suit during filming. Defoe's performance will lend further proof to the argument that motion capture actors, like Andy Serkis(Lord Of The Rings, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes)deserve awards consideration from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The film's marketing did not get off to a good start. But due to some aggressive Super Bowl marketing and the enthusiasm of the films stars and director, John Carter finally has some buzz. Unfortunately there are still those who dont know what this film is all about. No matter what you might think John Carter is... do me a favor and give this film the benefit of the doubt. If you have ever loved big adventure, see this movie. If you have ever loved smoking hot heroines, see this movie. If you have ever loved a movie hero and embraced his journey, then John Carter is a man you will want to get behind.
No comments:
Post a Comment