10 Notorious Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Pretty Good
8. John Carter (2012)
Budget: $267.3m Box Office: $284.1m RT: 51%
One of the costliest box office bombs in history, John Carter's disappointing commercial performance saw Disney post a writedown of over $120m thanks to the massive production and marketing costs, which wasn't exactly what the Mouse House was looking for from its latest big-budget potential franchise-starter.
The big screen adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' eternally-popular novel had spent decades spent in development hell, with Andrew Stanton the man to finally bring the project to fruition, making his live-action directing debut in the process. Stanton's love for the material is evident in almost every frame, as John Carter presents plenty of richly detailed world-building, as well as an old-fashioned sense of adventure.
As is the case with many studio blockbusters these days, the main problems came from the narrative. Forgettable performances, thinly-sketched characters and an increasingly dense plot bog down the story, with many critics labeling it as derivative despite the fact the source material had inspired everything from Star Wars to Avatar. That being said, John Carter still provides perfect Saturday afternoon viewing; an ideal way to switch off your brain for a couple of hours and enjoy the unique blend of 21st Century visuals and retro escapism.