When I used to watch the 1930’s Jonny Weismuller Tarzan movies when I was a child, and really enjoy them, I had no idea who Edgar Rice Burroughs was. Then I tried to read the original novel Tarzan as a teenager, and wished I had remained in blissful ignorance. So I have never really been that interested in the John Carter of Mars novels.
It ninety five years for anyone to adapt this source material to the silver screen. I was totally unaware of the existence of we film Princess of Mars, which was based on one of the novels, with some pretty major liberties taken with the story. This year is the centenary of the first appearance of John Carter, the Confederate Officer who finds a way to travel across millions of miles to Mars, or Barsoom as the natives call it. So Disney have gone full force and this year sees the release of a blockbuster called simply John Carter. As Burroughs wrote eleven novel chronicling life on Barsoom for John Carter and the dynasty he founded, no doubt the studio will be hoping this is a major success that will open a brand new franchise for them.
Although, whilst the bloke in the video is probably right about how much of the imagery of modern Science Fiction can be traced back to the Barsoom novels, the debt has been repayed by what I have seen of this movie. It is very reminicint of the Tattooine locations from the Star Wars films. The CGI that renders the crowds of twelve foot tall six limbed lizard men is only possible because of the techniques developed by ILM and Lucasfilms for The Phantom Menace.
Having said that, It does look good and is on my list of must see movies.
