Disney just released the trailer for John Carter, a tale directed by Andrew Stanton and based on a classic novel by [amazon_link id=”B001P3PQBY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Edgar Rice Burroughs[/amazon_link]. It hits U.S. theaters on March 9, 2012.
At first glance, this movie makes me think of every other “epic” movie with guys in loin cloths and lots of special effects and CGI creatures. I barely got through Immortals. I just get tired of all the non-stop action, though I’m not averse to action if it’s done right. Can’t wait for the new Mission Impossible movie.
John Carter follows the story of a former military captain (Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights), who’s transported to Barsoom (the planet we know as Mars), where he becomes involved in a conflict between warring factions. But maybe it won’t be like all those other movies. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why:
It’s directed by Andrew Stanton. He directed and/or produced WALL-E, the Toy Story movies, Finding Nemo, Up and Monsters, Inc., among others. Those movies are all really fun.
The cast is pretty awesome. In addition to Kitsch, we’ve got Bryan Cranston, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, Willem Dafoe, Daryl Sabara, Thomas Haden Church and Samantha Morton, among others.
Walt Disney Pictures is producing and distributing. Proven track record. Affiliated with Pixar (which has only done animated films up to this point). Should be interesting, and probably rated PG-13.
The creatures look more like Star Wars than Immortals. That bodes well.
The movie has been in development for 79 years. Yes, you read that right. It went into development in 1931, when Robert Clampett (director of Looney Tunes) approached Burroughs to make an animated feature out of the first book in the series. It finally moved past that stage when filming started in January of 2010.
Take a look at the trailer and let me know what you think in the comments below. Are you a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs? I’m trying to think if I’ve ever read one of his books, which probably makes you wonder about my creds as a family entertainment writer.
