During the initial part of the 2020s, there were several overlooked science fiction and fantasy films that were released. Examples of these include “Reminiscence” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”. The 2010s followed a similar pattern, with movies like “Pacific Rim”, “Upgrade”, “Edge of Tomorrow”, “Pete’s Dragon”, and even Disney’s “John Carter”. “John Carter” was based on the novel “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan. Essentially, it was Disney’s attempt to replicate the success of “Pirates of the Caribbean”, a strategy they tried again. First, they attempted this with “The Lone Ranger” the following year, which had equally disappointing results. Then, nearly a decade later, they tried again with “Jungle Cruise”, but with slightly better outcomes.
John Carter faced several significant obstacles on his path to success. Firstly, in 2012, very few people were familiar with the source material. Secondly, while Taylor Kitsch was a rising star from Friday Night Lights, he was still an unproven lead for this film. Lastly, the budget escalated so much that it reached over $300 million, not considering tax cuts, and after accounting for its extensive marketing campaign, it needed to earn $650 million globally just to cover its costs. Unfortunately, it failed to do so. However, the movie deserves a second opportunity.
What Is John Carter About?
As a movie enthusiast, I’d say I’m captivated by the extraordinary journey of John Carter, the protagonist from director Andrew Stanton’s film, who finds himself unexpectedly whisked away to Mars, or as it’s known in this world, Barsoom. There, he discovers that the laws of gravity are different, offering him unique abilities due to his military background as a Civil War Captain. This newfound freedom allows him to become an instrumental figure in the epic struggle between the cities of Helium and Zodanga.
King Sab Than of Zodanga possesses a mysterious artifact bestowed upon him by the enigmatic Matai Shang, which he claims can bring an end to the ongoing conflict. Beyond personal affection, Than intends to wed Princess Dejah Thoris from Helium, primarily as a means to bolster his territorial ambitions.
As a film enthusiast, I’d say that while many of the storylines in “John Carter” may seem familiar from other films, it’s crucial to remember that these plot points were essentially laid out by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ original material. For those who have binged all the “Star Wars” movies and shows on Disney+, watching “John Carter” is the natural next step in your cinematic journey.
What Happened?
To clarify, the break-even point for John Carter was approximately $600 million. However, when it comes to major motion pictures like these, known as “tentpole projects,” studios don’t aim for them merely to recoup their costs (although this is particularly crucial for high-investment tentpoles). Instead, they strive for these movies to be financially successful beyond just breaking even; they want them to flourish.
To clarify how enormous the budget of $300 million for John Carter (adjusted to $263.7 million post-tax credits) was, let me provide some perspective. The film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End from 2007 had an identical price tag, making it the most expensive movie ever produced when it premiered. However, unlike John Carter, Pirates had already proven to be a money-maker, while John Carter was far from it. This was evident in the studio’s struggle to choose a title that would effectively promote the film. The movie initially went by John Carter of Mars, but executives and director Stanton began to feel that “of Mars” might limit its potential audience, particularly after the poor performance of Mars Needs Moms the previous year.
Despite using a concise title, John Carter’s anonymity was an issue. If viewers aren’t familiar with this plainly named character, why would they spend ten dollars or more on a movie called John Carter? When it premiered, the film was beaten by the first week’s release of The Lorax, reinforcing the belief that the film would flop. However, even though it’s highly improbable the film will ever reach its break-even point, streaming on Disney+ offers an excellent opportunity to expand the film’s viewership.
The movie “John Carter” is quite enjoyable as well. Compared to “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” it’s not as strong, but it surpasses the last two films in the Pirates franchise when Disney was milking the IP for all it was worth despite lacking a compelling story. Kitsch delivers a good performance in the leading role, and much of the blame for this film’s (and “Battleship” from the same year) less-than-stellar reception was unfairly placed on him. Fortunately, he has since excelled in smaller but notable projects like “Lone Survivor,” “The Grand Seduction,” “American Assassin,” “Only the Brave,” and “21 Bridges,” where Chadwick Boseman played a lead role in 2019.
John Carter is streaming on Disney+.
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2025-02-02 07:40