In preparation for its release in March, cast and crew members of the forthcoming Disney sci-fi extravaganza John Carter were in the capital this week to promote the film. I, along with seemingly every other film blogger and journalist not at the London Critic’s Circle Awards was in attendance at the Apollo cinema to see a selection of preview clips and partake in a Q&A with the film’s star, Taylor Kitsch, animation whiz Eamonn Butler visual effects wizard Sue Rowe. Producer Kevin Kurtz was on hand to introduce the film and its concept and director Andrew Stanton introduced the clips in pre-recorded videos.

John Carter (formerly known by the less vague denominator, John Carter of Mars) is based on the books of Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs. Carter is an American Civil War veteran that is mysteriously teleported to Mars, where he finds warring races, scary alien...