My thought: thank god a big budget SF that isn't another marines in space fighting HR Giger monsters or yet another Blade Runner retread. This looks like its own, new animal. I loved The Fifth Element, for all its nonsense, because it didn't look like every other space film. Alien was 1979 and yet we still invoke its look in most space-based SF.
@CNHolmberg's comment points out what I fear the big problem this movie is going to have. ERB and Barsoom had such a major influence on the following century of fantastic literature that there's going to be a lot of "John Carter is ripping off X" comments when, in fact, the opposite is often true - Movie X took ideas from the Barsoom stories.
Since I'm an optimist, I choose to take such comments as an opportunity to direct the commenter to the original books and remind them they were written a century ago - before Star Wars, Foundation, 2001:ASO, The Martian Chronicles, etc.
I think this is the first movie I've looked forward to seeing in years. Usually I wait for DVD release, but big screen might be worth the cost for this one.
Wow, indeed. That looks pretty good!
ReplyDeleteIt's Gladiator meets Star Wars...
ReplyDeleteMy thought: thank god a big budget SF that isn't another marines in space fighting HR Giger monsters or yet another Blade Runner retread. This looks like its own, new animal. I loved The Fifth Element, for all its nonsense, because it didn't look like every other space film. Alien was 1979 and yet we still invoke its look in most space-based SF.
ReplyDelete@CNHolmberg's comment points out what I fear the big problem this movie is going to have. ERB and Barsoom had such a major influence on the following century of fantastic literature that there's going to be a lot of "John Carter is ripping off X" comments when, in fact, the opposite is often true - Movie X took ideas from the Barsoom stories.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm an optimist, I choose to take such comments as an opportunity to direct the commenter to the original books and remind them they were written a century ago - before Star Wars, Foundation, 2001:ASO, The Martian Chronicles, etc.
I thought the same when Avatar used the term Warlord.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first movie I've looked forward to seeing in years. Usually I wait for DVD release, but big screen might be worth the cost for this one.
ReplyDelete