Disney’s “John Carter” hit theaters this weekend. Full of action and romance, it’s the original sci-fi, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter of Mars,” which was first published in parts in All-Story magazine in 1912.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you see the film:
- If it looks like “John Carter” stole from “Star Wars” and “Avatar,” think again. George Lucas and James Cameron have both noted that Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars story influenced their own creations. As “John Carter” director Andrew Stanton noted, “It was difficult to go back into this book and not look like you were being derivative of everything else, because it’s been an inspiration for things for 100 years.”
- “John Carter” is Stanton’s first live-action film. His previous work includes “Wall-E” and “Finding Nemo.” But “John Carter” is a story Stanton has always wanted to tell – he’s been a fan of the books since he was a kid.
- The giant green aliens in the film, the Tharks, are played by actors on stilts in gray jumpsuits. “Avatar” used the same process.
- The typography in the sacred temples of “Barsoom” – the planet Mars – was designed based off of actual markings found on the surface of Mars.
- Hollywood has been trying to adapt the film since the 1930s, and attempts have included Tom Cruise and Robert Rodriguez in the list of potential cast and crew.
“John Carter” is currently rocking an audience score of 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though some critics have panned it, the story’s history and Willem Dafoe’s performance as the green alien Tars Tarkas make it worth a trip to the theater.
