Let me get something out of the way. I wanted to like this movie. When the trailers started coming out and people were expressing skepticism, I assured them that John Carter was going to be awesome. And, when the stories about the film's enormous budget started leaking out of the studio, I kept saying "Don't worry...they said the same thing about Titanic." No matter how weird or unfamiliar it all seemed, John Carter was a sure thing in my mind.
I can explain my previous naivete in two words: Andrew Stanton.
This guy is one of the most successful and brilliant minds in the movie business. He's one of the main writers and directors at Pixar, meaning that, at least at one point, he had a pact with Satan that ensured every thing he touched was creative and commercial gold. He was a writer on the Toy Story movies and the last two movies he directed were Finding Nemo and Wall-E, two immortal classics. Yet, when Disney gave him the reins on a live action would-be blockbuster, he choked.
