John Carter vs. The Avengers SMACKDOWN
With the impending release of JOHN CARTER on DVD, and THE AVENGERS breaking records at the box office, it is past time to compare and contrast these two latest Disney/Buena Vista movies.
Commentary | |||
---|---|---|---|
Evil Nemesis | (Mark Strong) | (Tom Hiddleston) | Loki already had his butt kicked once, why bring him back as a villain when the Marvel world has so many other villains to play with? They both have cool toys/weapons and a unpredictable ability to travel between worlds. Hiddleston was in Warhorse; Mark Strong was Sinestro in Green Lantern, if that counts. |
Cute Animal Sidekick | Seriously, who would want to be licked by the Hulk? | ||
Femme Fatale | (Lynn Collins) | (Scarlett Johansson) | Dejah has a sword and is a scientist. Natasha has two pistols and an awesome roundhouse. Both ladies are welcomed to come to our house to compare and contrast these movies in a purely intellectual setting (heh). |
It ain't easy being Green | (Willem Dafoe) | (Mark Ruffalo) | Tars is taller, has more arms and tusks. Hulk is Hulk. Green is the new Black. |
Prequel Movies | Zero (Tarzan doesn't count) For background on Barsoom and John Carter, see my John Carter Primer on You Tube | Four - Iron Man - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America (the two crappy Hulk movies don't count) | John Carter is the first in the series. The Avengers was setup by Iron Man (1 and 2), Thor and Captain America, and it survived the first two Hulk movies (though Ed Norton was not bad, Ruffalo OWNED the HULK). |
Director's Previous Movies | WALL-E, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2 and 3 (Andrew Stanton) | Thor, Serenity (Josh Whedon) | Interestingly, Whedon and Stanton were both writers on Toy Story 1. Knew there was a connection somewhere. |
Enabler | (Daryl Sabara) | (Samuel L. Jackson) | Spy Kids vs. Pulp Fiction. Would like to have seen more ERB, enjoyed Sabara's characterization of him. Will see LOTS more of Fury, Samuel L. has signed on to play him forever, even on coffee mugs. |
Viewer Age Demographic | 50-100 | 0-50 | With The Princess of Mars debuting 100 years ago, and its two sequels just after, the John Carter story and its supporters have been around the block a time or two. The Avengers come out in monthly fashion, either in their own comic books or together, and some cartoon replays, catering to a much younger generation. |
Current Box Office (as of June 1, 2012) | $282 million Worldwide $72 million Domestic (26%) $210 million Overseas (74%) | $1,312 million Worldwide $530 million Domestic (40%) $782 million Overseas (60%) | With a ratio of six Avengers heroes to one John Cater, this revenue mix seems about right. |
Probability of Sequel | Currently sacrificing chickens to ensure a sequel | 100% |
For the Loki issue, there is a reason: Loki was so well played that he is now loved by the crowd!