Prometheus was great, but it was too subtle for most casual viewers to “get” it. Also, they did a poor job editing it, cutting out scenes that would have helped to make sense of other parts they left in.
Also, John Carter was a good flick. Nothing mind-blowing, but it was solid enough that I’m actually disappointed they won’t be making a sequel. The article is right about the title, though. “John Carter” sounds like a boring historical biopic or something. “John Carter of Mars”, or “A Princess of Mars” would have gotten much more interest.
I read that they left out "mars" intentionally since the last two "Mars" films failed so miserably.