And now for a completely new and different John Carter trailer from Disney?

Michael Sellers Other Stuff

Jeff Doten at Barsoomia.org (a great place to visit) came up with this one and it’s pretty interesting. First, just to refresh everyone’s memory, here is the basic DVD/Blu-ray trailer that Disney put out in the run-up to the home entertainment release of John Carter on June 5.

Now — this is mostly same old, same old — but it does a few things like starting with “Good God, I’m on Mars”, which at least clears that up. But all the other clips are basically a cut-down of pre-existing trailers; it’s got the old dusty barren mars look throughout; the sound track has been heard repeatedly — it’ not new.

Now, on Disney Go, there is a new trailer that has a somewhat different feel to it and seems to be a re-boot of sorts. The graphics are different–electric blue, more sci-fi in vibe. It consciously avoids the constant repetition of the dusty barren planet imagery…..the shot choices are much more atmospheric — it opens with striking a match in the cave and shows how he gets to Mars…..and many/most of the mars shots are at night, and the exterior shots are all filled with images in the foreground that diminish the impression of dusty barren Utah/Mars. It uses the key shots of Zodanga wedding pageantry — and there is no white ape and no leap into the oncoming Warhoons.

Click here to see the new trailer (can’t embed it)

UPDATE:  MCR to the rescue.  He’s figured out how to get it on Youtube so here it is, embedded.

10 comments

  • Thanks MCR! 🙂 And I SOOOO much prefer that second video, of course! Immensely better! Reminds me I’m overdue for another watch of John Carter. I miss Barsoom! 🙂

  • Yea ….
    What if the release date of JC had coincided with the landing of the
    Curiosity rover instead of march?

    Scenario

    Clitus Hillscoggin is sittin’ in his double wide watching a rerun of his favorite tv
    show, “Dukes of Hazard” when suddenly it is interupted by an annoucement.

    A NASA representitive proudly proclaims that the Curiosity rover landing is a
    success and that it’s mission is to look for possible signs that Mars might
    have once supported life.

    Clitus yells at his wife and second cousin, (same person of course),
    “They landed a robot on Mars, sugerplum, to look for life.
    Grab me a Milwaukee’s Best”.

    Betty Joe yells back, “Thar ain’t no life on Mars. Grab your own beer”.

    The scene on the tv switches to show the first camara images from the
    Curiosity rover. – Instead of grainy black and white stills it’s high-def
    rolling camara.

    At first it looks like what you would expect, a desert terrain filled with red rocks.

    Curiosity rover tops a small rise and revealed beyond is a massive yellow moss
    covered plain and a dead martian city.

    Clitus Hill-scoggin gasps with slack jawed disbelief. Luke warm beer spews
    out of his mouth. He screams at Betty Joe, “You gots to see this”.

    A six limbed green alien mounted on a “thoat” moves into the camara view of the “Curiosity rover”. More green men move into view. With bloodcurdling
    screams, (Who knew that the rover would have audio?) the green men
    charge into another group of green men in the distance and a
    thark/warhoon battle royal unfolds.

    Suddenly a JC Logo with a movie release date splashes across the screen
    and Clitus realizes he has been “snookered”.

    (Homage to the 1938 radio airing of “War of the Worlds”).

    Clitus yells at Betty Jo, “Grab the ice chest. We are going to the big city
    to see a movie!”

  • Even with dismembered red men chunks sliding down their blood soaked ravenous maws Disney/Stanton calots still manage to look adorable! -They are so cuddly and cute!) 🙄

  • If Disney had been thinking creatively (yeah, I know) they could have had an advertising push to feed off the positive coverage of the Curiosity rover’s exploration of Mars. But that would have entailed telling people that John Carter takes place on, you know, Mars.

  • The new trailer makes better use of the blue light effect, but there’s no super leap or super strength shots like the old trailer has. Overall format and result seems the same to me between the two.

    Wondering if/when JC might run on basic cable or broadcast TV. That may drive some different ads and give the movie a second chance to catch on with audiences.

  • Much better! Also, I love what they did to the Disney logo at the beginning with the Thern Ninth Ray effect and Mars being revealed behind the Magic Castle.

  • Matai Shang: “Nothing must stand in our way!”
    John Carter: “I can.”

    Why is it not in the movie? Love it! 🙂

  • Who said that??? To whomever said that: Let him/her be crushed like unhatched eggs!!

    Better trailer, no doubt. Too short obviously to focus on the romance, but very colorful and dynamic. I like the rendition of the John Carter theme, at least it uses Giacchino’s score!

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