Our friends at SoundWorks have put together a wonderful 10 minute behind the scenes look at the sound and music of Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter. In the video, Supervising Sound Editor Jonathan Null and Composer Michael Giacchino share their experience bringing to life the planet of Barsoom. Watch it now embedded after the jump.
It’s the big weekend for Disney, and Pixar director Andrew Stanton, as Stanton’s live-action adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel A Princess of Mars finally hits theaters. John Carter is a film that has been many, many years in development, and finally sees life thanks to Stanton’s interest in the story. Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong and more make up the cast of the film, which follows a Civil War vet (Kitsch) who is transported to Mars, where he meets a smokin’ hot princess (Collins) and is drawn into an alien civil strife.
In our review of the film, Angie praised the loving care devoted to realizing the film’s world, even as she was less than impressed with the overall narrative structure and central character. But enough about our thoughts, and enough about Disney’s marketing of the movie, plans for sequels, or past versions that never came to be. Let’s talk about the John Carter that we have here and now — hit the jump to voice your thoughts on the film, and go into the discussion knowing that spoilers lie ahead. Read More »
Halloween 3D gets cut and Beverly Hills Ninja 2 gets sued, but on a happier note, Joss Whedon has some really good ideas for a theoretical The Avengers 2. After the jump:
Posted on Thursday, March 8th, 2012 by Angie Han
On a surface level, there’s much that Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter gets right — much more than you’d expect, given Disney’s exasperatingly incompetent marketing campaign. The visual effects are imaginative and seamless, the action is appropriately flashy, and the source material by Edgar Rice Burroughs seems rich enough in mythology to make even the most jaded sci-fi and fantasy geek drool. All of that, however, can’t make up for the fact that beyond its intricate trappings, John Carter feels oddly hollow. Somehow, the director who once brought us Finding Nemo and Wall-E fails to evoke emotion in his first live-action outing.
Posted on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 by Germain Lussier
As I walked into Andrew Stanton‘s temporary Arizona villa to speak with him about his new movie John Carter, I was probably the most nervous I’d been in a while. Stanton has only directed two films – Finding Nemo and Wall-E - but they’re two of my favorites, and he’s partially responsible for much of what makes Pixar films so successful. Suffice to say, his talent is intimidating.
For his new movie, which opens Friday, Stanton used that talent to go way out of his comfort zone as a director. He not only tackled live-action for the first time in his career, he brought to life a property he’s been a fan of since his teenage years. John Carter is more than just a big budget epic for Andrew Stanton, it’s a lifelong dream.
We spoke a bit about that as well as the expectations that come with success, his working relationship with star Taylor Kitsch, what the future holds for a director and much more. Check out the video interview after the jump. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 by Germain Lussier
Andrew Stanton‘s new film, John Carter, is bound to cause a lot of dissension among film fans. Some will love its epic action and incredible visuals, others might be put off by its dense, plot heavy structure. No matter which group you fall into, though, there’s no denying that Stanton has a true talent as a story teller. Case in point: Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Toy Story 1-3, Monsters Inc. and more.
Stanton put that reputation to the test recently, taking the stage at TED to give a talk about “The Clues to a Great Story.” Unlike his Pixar films, his talk does get into some NSFW language. Like the films, it’s enlightening and incredibly watchable. Read More »
Posted on Sunday, March 4th, 2012 by Russ Fischer
Disney’s John Carter opens this coming Friday, and in order to further the efforts in letting audiences get a handle on the story in Andrew Stanton‘s massive adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ early novel, the studio has released a ten-minute clip that helps set up the movie.
What you’ll see below is the film’s version of Burroughs arriving at a palatial estate, where he reads a book in which John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) narrates his experience. We see Carter in Arizona and the events that lead to his transport to Mars, where the Civil War vet is caught up in a new civil war.
The clip features a blend of action, comedy and early character setup, and suggests that the film has a lot of promise. I haven’t had a chance to see the final cut of John Carter at this point, so I can’t comment too much on how things pay off as the film moves forward, but this clip made me want to see where things go next. It also makes me want to see Stanton shoot a straight western. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 by Angie Han
With exactly ten days left until the opening of John Carter, Disney has released what I’m assuming is the final trailer for the film. And while I haven’t loved all of the previous marketing, it appears the team has learned from its mistakes because this is probably the best one they’ve released so far. The new trailer is heavier on menacing Mark Strong, eye-popping action, and plot, and lighter on Taylor Kitsch‘s stilted readings of generic dialogue. Watch the video after the jump.
