The Disney version of John Carter of Mars has finally released its first major trailer, and it looks good. I appreciate the decision to keep it in its original time (it was written in 1912 after all, some of the logic and assumptions do not match up with the world a hundred years later). While I completely enjoyed the 2009 direct to video Princess of Mars, basically this same story with Traci Lords as Dejah Thoris, I am really looking forward to this version.
Studio Ghibli is releasing their version of the children’s classic The Borrowers under the title Arrietty, the name of the 14 year old protagonist. That’s the DVD release, the movie was on the big screen last year in Japan, and this past January for the rest of Asia. They are actually releasing it in three versions, the original Japanese with subtitles, a US English dub being released here on February 17th, 2012, and a UK English dub coming out on the 29th (yes, later this month). The trailer is from the UK dub, thanks to io9 for the heads up.
We finally get to see how it ends in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and I fully expect this to crush the competition for the week, probably the month, and possibly the summer. It is not the only film worth checking out this week, for in limited release we have the period piece Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, while opening everywhere is the latest incarnation of the Dizneyized Winnie The Pooh. Three guesses which one I will be seeing.
The film choice this time is a toss up between two movies. On the one hand we have an an animation: Rango, starring Johnny Depp, a comedy about a lizard in the wild west. On the other hand, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a live action story full of heart and its own fair share of humor. There was also supposed to be a Sci-Fi Noir film staring Antonio Banderas called Terranova coming out this week, but I haven’t found any solid information on it.
The western TV selection of the week is Robot Chicken Star Wars: Episode III. I still can’t believe they got George Lucas to do his own voiceover for these.
In Anime, Naruto: Shippuden (DVD box 7) brings us the next season in that series with more Ninja action and drama. The DVD release schedule is around a hundred episodes behind what you can watch online with the latest seasons simulcast. Finally, >Allison & Lillia DVD Generation 2 turns a simple vacation into a fight against all the people trying to kill them, complete with a liberal dose of aerial combat.
Every Michael Bey movie ever made in 60 seconds…
Again with the Nerdcore music; this time, it’s Computer Friends [Stack the Memory] by the Sniper Twins, the ultimate old-school gamer classic It Is Pitch Dark from M.C. Frontalot, and I Kissed a Nerd from the Damsels of Dorkington.