Catching up from the weekend, where I saw quite a few TV spots for “John Carter,” the film adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels (and subsequent comic books). The story is probably THE adaptation I’ve wanted to see since probably ‘Kick-Ass.’ But I’m a little concerned about its prospects.If you aren’t familiar with John Carter, a quick overview: Carter (played by Taylor Kitsch), a former Confederate officer, appears to die on Earth and is transported to Mars. There he finds himself in the middle of warring factions. Carter takes it upon himself to help save the people of the planet. It’s one part action, two parts character introspection. It’s a movie that most people SHOULD love, provided it’s made properly.The film was scheduled to be released this summer, but Disney moved it up to March 9th. Not a good sign that the Mouse doesn’t think it will do well at the box office. Then again, look at the competition–it’s a roster full of powerhouses: May (The Avengers, Battleship, Men in Black III), June (Snow White and the Huntsman, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), July (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises), August (The Bourne Legacy, Total Recall, Expendables 2).So maybe a move on the docket was warranted. But March? That’s like putting a televsion show on Friday nights. And with the $200 million plus reported budget, it might be tough to hit the black on this film.The other thing that troubles me are the tv spots. Sure, they’ve received very positive reviews across the internet, but I can’t help but see a lot of ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ in the spots. And that, folks, isn’t a good thing. I don’t want Kitsch to morph into Jake Gyllenhaal and the film to, well, suck. The story of John Carter deserves more.Am I overreacting? Worrying too much? Check out two of the TV spots below and let me know what you think.
