Opinion: Where in the World is John Carter’s Hype?

What planet is John Carter trapped on? If you guessed Mars then you are probably one of the many who are familiar with the book A Princess of Mars by Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs. But the truth is that you are probably the many within a minority. Given the animosity surrounding Disney’s, and Hollywood’s long gestating adaptation of the story. A production history that has its roots with helmers Jon Favreau, Robert Rodriguez, Sky Captain director (and one time filmmaker) Kerry Conran and even has its roots back in the 1930’s. An entry in the imdb.com trivia page of the film suggests that the film may indeed hold the record for the longest period in ‘development hell’ (self-explanatory definition) at 79 years. Walt Disney supposedly considered making this into the feature length animated film that became Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, other attempts date back to the post-Star Wars craze of the mid-80s. When it seemed that everyone was making their own Legend, Dune, The Last Starfighter and Krull. Naturally we’re told that the technology of the time couldn’t match Burroughs’ ‘vision’, when in actuality it would have taken hundreds of man-hours of stop motion and a swath of motion controlled spaceships and matt paintings. The notion that technologically these things were impossible is obviously grounded in truth, but the statement has a smattering of revisionism to it. As if we’re looking back at cave paintings or stone arrowheads, with an iPad in one hand and a Wii-mote in the other.

Unfortunately John Carter 2012 will have the burden of being released with Cameron’s Avatar very fresh in the public mindset. Obviously the irony is that the adventures of Jake Sully are based heavily on John Carter’s Barsoomian (Barsoom being the story’s jargon for Mars) endeavours, not to mention other science fiction ‘boys own’ literature like Herbert’s Dune (Kwisats Haderach = Toruk Macto etc) and Poul Anderson’s Call Me Joe. But the sight of 15 foot CG Martians and hexapedal beasties won’t inspire convince audiences weaned on Neytiri and Co.

For a production with a reported price tag of $250 million dollars, the advertising seems very coy in explaining what exactly the film is about (unlike Avatar’s comprehensive, and crucially coherent 3 minute promo). The trailers mistaking ambiguity for intrigue. The first trailer hardly lit the fires of discussion, instead presenting a story which seemed muddled in its locale. We are never told and therefore don’t know which planet John Carter is on, he may as well be on Saturn. Who is the young Mr Burroughs we see? Is this the author himself and is he penning what he believes is a posthumous account of Uncle John?

The second trailer ditches the mystique and goes for the action. The Earthbound connection is phased out and we are promised armies of green multi-limbed warriors, giant white gorillas, spaceships and lots of boom, bang and bluster. Not to mention some (already heavily debated) unfavourable comparisons with Attack of the Clones. What precisely any of this symbolises is anyone’s guess. The green Martians (also known as Tharks, yet more jargon) seem to be interchangeable between allies and antagonists. The presence of humans such as Mark Strong and James Purefoy confuses matters more as we’re not introduced to anyone. We’re simply shown faces, most seem ambivalent and we don’t care who’s who. It’s not simply the barren red landscape that’s losing our interest, evidence of clarity in the visual storytelling is sparse. John Carter is fighting alongside the good green Martians, against the bad green Martians. Mark Strong (who looks like he’s wondered onto the set of the wrong Dune) looks pale and evil and has a plan to do, something. For all of the complaints of Avatar’s simplistic plot, we always knew what we were looking at. Even in the promos.

Certainly there is only so much conjecture that can be discerned from trailers to unreleased movies. But trailers are extremely important; it’s our first taste of the movie, obviously. The days of the ‘money shot’ are long gone; you can’t sell a movie on an exploding White House anymore. Audiences have become savvier and more fickle, they are urging for something new and exuberant whilst clamouring for familiarity. Avatar, love it or hate it delivered this in spades. John Carter’s biggest hurdle will be to convince anyone to go and see it. Its March release clearly timed to latch onto the frame that served Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans well. March is also a dumping ground, a free for all where unwanted or wildcard pictures struggle for audience attention.

What should have sold John Carter should have been a reason to become involved in the Martian world, who are these races and what are the landmarks? Then you introduce the threat and its nefarious ultimatum. What is crippling this picture is the cynicism behind the marketing, one that can’t be making seasoned Pixar vet (and director of this picture) Andrew Stanton very happy. There’s time of course to change the stakes, but they better be sure to do so before bloggers remember Delgo.

John Carter is released on March 9th in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D from Walt Disney Pictures.