Video: The John Carter DVD/Blu-Ray Ad

Michael Sellers Other Stuff

I finally was watching the right channel when one of the DVD ads came on, so I did a quick cell phone video of it so we can discuss it here.  Overall, although the short format (15 seconds) of DVD ads doesn’t allow for too much, it’s an improvement over the theatrical campaign.  There are a couple of peculiar points about it, but neither are horribly negative, just a little strange.

The two things that are a little strange — first, was this shot actually in the movie? I don’t recall it. If it was, I’m surprised they never used it in any trailer or TV spot before:

And then this shot at the end —
When I captured a still frame of it, it looks like the flier is indeed a Barsoomian flier, but when I watch it in real time it doesn’t seem so and I don’t’ recognize it from the movie at all. It flies more like a standard space-ship zooming up and into orbit — not a Barsoomian flyer.

Those aren’t really complaints. I’m happy there are no white apes; the “Classic Sci-Fi” angle is what does seem to be emerging as the lasting heritage of the movie; and overall it feels fairly balanced.

Also, “I’m on Mars” as the starter is an interesting choice, and seems sort of an implicit acknowledgment that maybe dropping “of Mars” from the title wasn’t such a great idea after all. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.

Also, the overall look of this — it’s gotten rid of the overwhelming barren landscape look, there’s only a very quick cut of the Warhoon attack and the shot at the end of John Carter with cracked earth under him to give that vibe — the rest of it feels richer and more inviting. I think that’s a good choice, overall — of course made easier by the fact that it’s just a 15 second spot.

One other curiosity — the cheated dialogue at the end where Matai Shang says “Nothing must stand in our way” and John Carter responds “I can”….

And finally …. they still seem so intent on shying away from the love story, which is so central the appeal.

9 comments

  • That flier is the big helium ship that shoots the warhoons and saves john Carter. that shot is just slightly altered and taken from the shot when it flies away taking John carter to Zodanga.

  • I saw one—couldn’t describe it—during the third part of The Hatfields and McCoys last night.

  • There is more than one version of this commercial. This isn’t the one I saw on ESPN last night. The one I saw had the world “Spectacular” in it and was kind of a sizzle reel. It also ended with the swooping-away air ship.

  • Replacing “A Visual Marvel” by “A Love Story” would have been great, gor the same cost! But yeah, it’s kind of an improvement.

  • It’s a nice pic of Lynn Collins but who knows where that blue swirling makes it look like Heimdall just turned on the Bifrost Bridge Otherwise it looked OK for what it is-a brief ad to sell a Blu-ray. At least there was no shape shifting or an appearance by Mrs. Useless P. Carter.

  • The trailers had them entering with swords drawn and an orangish type fabric or curtain in the background, which I never saw after seeing the movie over a dozen times. This blue CG effect was added probably later in production which I did see every time. I want to say the ship leaving may be a longer shot of the royal ship leaving after they pickup Dejah and JC after the Warhoons battle.

  • I think I saw the 30 sec spot on Monday. I like that they referenced that the story is a “Sci-Fi Classic Story” . . . that’s more than they did previously, but I still think reference to EGB and that this story started it all seems appropriate. And what about the love story? It just seems that their heart is not in it. Where are the marketing geniuses? Don’t they get a feeling what the fans are looking for, or don’t they care?
    Ken

  • Yea the first shot was in the movie when they went to go in that place, and Dejah Thoris found out that there are 9 rays and Therns are real.

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