Did you see this article? http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/21/john-carter-disney-s-quarter-billion-dollar-movie-fiasco.html My personal take as a writer is that if the movie fails to connect it's because audiences will find it difficult to get into a story set on Mars when we all know Mars is an empty and lifeless planet. Wheres in Avatar "Pandora" was only limited by Cameron's imagination and the audience had no preconceived ideas about the alien world he created. I understand that a story should stand on it's own but the actual marketing of a movie to the public is a major factor for success too.

Yes, marketing is a huge factor for its success. The trailers so far have been underwhelming. Have you seen this fan made trailer? It's better than the official trailers as it explains the story better. And we all know that is crucial to bring in an audience.

Wow. That fan made trailer is excellent. Thanks for sharing it.

The more I see of this, the more I want to stay as far away from a theater as I can get when it is released.