By: Chelsea Ratterman, Assistant Editor
Based on the century old “Barsoom” series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, “John Carter” is Disney’s first entry into the 2012 blockbuster season. The book series inspired the Star Wars films and James Cameron’s “Avatar,” and many others in the science fiction genre. The movie follows Capt. John Carter, who has been mining for gold in the Arizona mountains. After he is transported to Barsoom, which is the alien race’s name for Mars, he becomes embroiled in a centuries old war between the races of that planet. His first encounter is with the Tharks, a four-armed green-skinned race inhabiting the planet, a race reminiscent of Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars saga. He later encounters the race the Red Martians, who mistake him for a member of the White Martian race, the Therns, who were the messengers of their Goddess. The main antagonist of the movie, has been pursuing Dejah Thoris, a runaway princess. Sab Than has waged a war on the planet, and has agreed to spare Helium, if he is able to marry Dejah and unite their two cities. John Carter arrives in the midst of this war, and his superhuman abilities, such as increased strength and the ability to leap great distances, caused by the lesser gravity of Mars, makes him a valuable asset to the side he chooses. 
The movie was made on a budget exceeding $200 million, and with relative unknown Taylor Kitsch in the lead role, was a gamble for Disney in the already saturated space travel genre of movies. Although this movie inspired many of the past centuries greatest space movies, it is rather unremarkable in this time where we’ve already seen the other side of the universe, and superheroes with far greater abilities now walk the big screen. The movie follows the source material fairly closely, but again, this is hardly a new area in which to venture. Whereas John Carter of the books is immortal, the character’s time on the big screen may be fairly limited. It is already considered a flop, with a domestic opening weekend haul of barely $30 million, but has seen far more love in the foreign box office, and that may save the trilogy being planned by the creators of this film. It was a fairly premature entry for Disney, and would have maybe seen a bigger box office opening in the summer season.
Tag Archives: movies
Star Wars Blu Ray changes leaves fan feeling green
By: Dennis Gosnell, Assignment Editor
Illustration located in the Washington City Paper. Illustration by Brooke Hatfield of the Washington City Paper.
People who alter or destroy works of art and our cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians, and if the laws of the United States continue to condone this behavior, history will surely classify us as a barbaric society.
In the future it will become even easier for old negatives to become lost and be “replaced” by new altered negatives. This would be a great loss to our society. Our cultural history must not be allowed to be rewritten.
Attention should be paid to this question of our soul, and not simply to accounting procedures. Attention should be paid to the interest of those who are yet unborn, who should be able to see this generation as it saw itself, and the past generation as it saw itself.
– George Lucas’s 1988 speech to the U.S. Congress
On Sep. 16, 2011 George Lucas will be releasing the “Complete Star Wars Saga” onto Blu Ray. Lucas has already confirmed alterations, and leaked visuals have already appeared on YouTube.
Yoda, the diminutive Jedi Master, has certainly changed for his Blu Ray debut. In “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” Lucas removed the Yoda puppet used in the original version and replaced it with a CGI Yoda to make him more animated and life like.
Other confirmed alterations include adding an emotional outburst from Darth Vader, similar to his emotional outburst at the end of “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” Now in “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi,” when Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) zaps Luke Skywalker with force lightning, Vader looks left to Palpatine, and back down at Luke. Vader softly says “No,” then launches himself at the emperor, yelling “Noooo!”
Comic based on fan reactions to the changes made by George Lucas. Photo courtesy of http://www.oimag.com
If, as George Lucas passionately said before the U.S. Congress in 1988, that changes to original film material is barbaric and unwarranted, then why is he editing his own films without releasing the original? The only one that really knows the truth to that is Lucas himself.
Lucas’ speech to congress was in response to Hollywood’s attempt to color black and white films. Due to the invigorated and passionate outrage at such indiscretion of original pieces of art, the “National Film Registry” was established to protect original copies of historically significant films from being edited without preservation of the original.
Whether or not these changes make for better films, it will certainly be interesting to see Lucas continue to change the face of movies.
