# Why do films about Mars flop so badly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378 "2015-07-28T10:21:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/21 "2015-07-28T14:24:22Z")
> [@johnspartan](#): > > John Carter was a weird and special case because ultimately the movie just had a lot of elements that had already been seen in Star Wars, Avatar, and a host of other hugely successful films… but the book it was based on, John Carter of Mars, predated and influenced all those films. > > Which makes the movie… what, I’d say perhaps worthy of respect for its source material but not necessarily entertaining? That argument has been made before, but it doesn’t convince me very much. I could argue the same way about westerns – they all have the same elements, some of which were originally introduced by others. Why the hell should anyone make a new Western? It’s all been done before. But they keep coming out. John Carter suffered from criminal neglect in not being promoted and advertised sufficiently or well. Not because action-adventure Sf has been done before ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/22 "2015-07-28T14:30:14Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Because we’d rather see movies about things coming from Mars, not us going there. What are the chances of anything coming from Mars? Must be [a million-to-one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_sVo_7Zmo0) … ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/23 "2015-07-28T15:07:22Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Why do you think it’s called the Red Planet? because it’s Angry. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/24 "2015-07-28T15:08:10Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What are the chances of anything coming from Mars? Must be [a million-to-one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_sVo_7Zmo0) … Well that’s what they say. But still … ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/25 "2015-07-28T15:13:19Z")
When DC releases its J’onn J’onzz: Manhunter from Mars movie, it will make a billion dollars if done right. Full discloser. When I was a kid in the 1950s I spent hours trying to figure out how to pronounce J’onn J’onzz. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/26 "2015-07-28T15:19:34Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > When DC releases its J’onn J’onzz: Manhunter from Mars movie, it will make a billion dollars if done right. > > Full discloser. When I was a kid in the 1950s I spent hours trying to figure out how to pronounce J’onn J’onzz. I spent hours trying to figure out his attraction. I never “got” The Martian Manhunter. He seemed like a pointless, duplicate Superman, only bakld and green, with that ridiculous weakness to fire. As they drew him in JLA he looked like just an ordinary, well-built guy (though green and bald), unlike his feature stories, wher he had that huge supraorbital brow. He had a few weird powers, like being able to see around corners, but they never added up to anything worthwhile ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/27 "2015-07-28T15:38:06Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > What are the chances of anything coming from Mars? Must be [a million-to-one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_sVo_7Zmo0) … But still they come. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/28 "2015-07-28T16:40:26Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I spent hours trying to figure out his attraction. I never “got” The Martian Manhunter. He seemed like a pointless, duplicate Superman, only bakld and green, with that ridiculous weakness to fire. As they drew him in JLA he looked like just an ordinary, well-built guy (though green and bald), unlike his feature stories, wher he had that huge supraorbital brow. > > He had a few weird powers, like being able to see around corners, but they never added up to anything worthwhile He was to Superman was The Green Arrow was to Batman, a steal from themselves before one of the other companies did. Not that many other companies even bothered to try with superheroes mostly dead at the time. One of the many reasons I dumped DC for Marvel as soon as I hit my teens, though Stan Lee made that timing fortuitous. The modern version has lots of fascination, a far better backstory and no idiot earthman disguise. He’s as powerful as anyone in the JLA and in some ways more feared than Superman since he can mess with your brain. It’s that movie I’m thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/29 "2015-07-28T17:05:52Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Heck, I saw plenty of plastic toy Giant Insects from _Starship Troopers_, and kids weren’t even supposed to be able to get into that film. Remember the action figure of [Alien](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKSv85mJEmY)? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/30 "2015-07-28T17:19:48Z")
The same reason restaurants on the moon fail: a complete lack of atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/31 "2015-07-28T17:38:24Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Remember the action figure of [Alien](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKSv85mJEmY)? It’s Gigeriffic! ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/32 "2015-07-28T17:38:41Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > And it ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. It has a good university, though. Otis Sistrunk went there. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/33 "2015-07-28T17:42:15Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > In fact it’s cold as hell. And there’s no one there to raise them if you did. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/34 "2015-07-28T18:41:32Z")
I have high hopes that _The Martian_ will be about tech and problem-solving, with Maatt Damon allowed to play Watney as sardonic instead of heroic, not just more CGI wankery. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/35 "2015-07-28T18:49:41Z")
We listened to the audio book on a recent road trip, and I really enjoyed it. But, there’s no way that the book could be translated into a mass-market movie, without significant re-writing. I was constantly aware at how much of the book is arithmetic - calories required per day, liters of Oxygen, Watts of energy. If you made the movie as the book was written, most of the audience would be bored to tears, and the rest would be looking for math errors. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/36 "2015-07-28T18:50:27Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > When DC releases its J’onn J’onzz: Manhunter from Mars movie, it will make a billion dollars if done right. It won’t be. ☹ It will be dark, grim, and gritty, with lots of incomprehensible over the top fights. DC no longer knows how to make fun films. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/37 "2015-07-28T19:26:57Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > If you made the movie as the book was written, most of the audience would be bored to tears, and the rest would be looking for math errors. I really didn’t think it was a math book, but about Watney’s ingenuity and persistence, and his ability to shut out the fear of death with humor and sardonicism and simple denial. The math just wasn’t all that big a part of it. There’s a lot of ways to make a movie suck anyway; you’re right. Making a movie all about spaceship design or overindulging the CGI crew are a couple of them. Making it about characters, well-written characters, helps avoid that, and this book has the potential to be a good film. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/38 "2015-07-28T19:53:46Z")
Would make a good movie-it was written in 1958, and had the martians living underground. That made sense. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/39 "2015-07-28T19:59:13Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Why do you think it’s called the Red Planet? > [@G0sp3l](#): > > because it’s Angry. No, because it’s embarrassed. So puny it can’t even hold an atmosphere or manage a decent magnetic field. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/40 "2015-07-28T20:19:33Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Because Mars is a really boring place. It needs women. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378.md?page=3)