Ghosts of Mars

Name: Ghosts of Mars
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Horror
Released: August 24, 2001
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 35
Cast: Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Pam Grier

2001

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 26 Critics

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Mixed or average reviews based on 61 Ratings

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GHOSTS OF MARS

Movie Details & Credits

Screen Gems | Release Date: August 24, 2001

Starring: Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Pam Grier

Summary: A harrowing tale of rescue and escape from a colonized Mars 175 years into the future. (Columbia Tristar)

Director: John Carpenter

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 98 min

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Awards & Rankings

50	#50 Most Discussed Movie of 2001

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

L.A. Weekly - Paul Malcolm

It's cheap thrills all the way, served up with the kind of situational purity that only Carpenter seems to care for these days. It's that simple and that much fun. Read full review

Chicago Tribune - Michael Wilmington

Carpenter writes his own scripts -- here with past collaborator Larry Sulkis -- and their "Ghosts" screenplay lacks the density, character and humor of a Hollywood genre classic. Read full review

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - William Arnold

A redundancy, and a bore. The characters are harrowingly unsympathetic, the action sequences are by-the-numbers, and Carpenter's usual saving grace -- his sense of humor -- is nowhere in evidence. Read full review

The New York Times - A.O. Scott

Like a zombie picture directed by one of the undead. Read full review

Miami Herald - Rene Rodriguez

A horror/sci-fi/action mishmash that aims to be the kind of brainless timekiller once used to round out the bottom of a double bill at the drive-in. Read full review

New York Post - Jonathan Foreman

A deep disappointment to fans of sci-fi and the once great John Carpenter. Read full review

Mr. Showbiz - Cody Clark

So wretched that it practically defies description.

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User Reviews

TheEPICOne

Jan 8, 2013

epic

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

TheQuietGamer

Oct 7, 2018

A group of elite cops are sent to a remote Mars mining facility in order to secure the transfer of the planet's most dangerous criminal. Upon arrival they discover that all of the miners have been transformed into a bunch of deranged lunatics out to kill anything that moves. With a premiseA group of elite cops are sent to a remote Mars mining facility in order to secure the transfer of the planet's most dangerous criminal. Upon arrival they discover that all of the miners have been transformed into a bunch of deranged lunatics out to kill anything that moves. With a premise like that this could have been Assault on Precinct 13 in space, but John Carpenter spends too much time having the characters converse with bad dialog and worse acting.

There's no atmosphere and everything looks really cheap. Yet I still kind of like it visually. Almost every inch of the desolate locale is drenched in red in a way that is oh so very Mars. I just wish it wasn't so brightly lit. Some shadows would have gone a long way to add some tension, but at least the environments feel distinctly sci-fi.

The plot does show some promise. It actually tries to explain what's going on and it's lead character played by Natasha Henstridge has some interesting traits that could have made her a complex protagonist had they actually been explored. Ultimately though it's kind of dull on this front. The movie is at it's best when it ignores the narrative and dives headfirst into campy action.

I think DOOM did the whole gung-ho, shoot 'em up in space thing so much better, but Ghosts of Mars is still good for some cheap thrills. There's a little bit of gore and Carpenter throws a lot of people onscreen at once making for a chaotic action-horror. All of it is pretty campy, but if you want to see a bunch of macho dudes and ladies shooting and blowing up a bunch of possessed psychopaths on Mars then you can take comfort in knowing the movie at least delivers on that front.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MattBrady99

Aug 9, 2018

Too many flashbacks and fade wipes, as simple editing tricks would've done the job. The entire movie is totally ridiculous, yet a guilty pleasure of mine. There's a lot of thrilling sequences that kept me interested and also some memorable deaths scenes which stuck with me for years.

ButToo many flashbacks and fade wipes, as simple editing tricks would've done the job. The entire movie is totally ridiculous, yet a guilty pleasure of mine. There's a lot of thrilling sequences that kept me interested and also some memorable deaths scenes which stuck with me for years.

But still, I can't believe John Carpenter made this, until I saw 'The Ward'.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

juliankennedy23

Aug 3, 2014

Ghosts of Mars: 3 out of 10: All right how is this for a premise. In the future, on a Mars ruled by lesbians (so far so good), head cop Pam Grier (a little old but always a pleasure), her ecstasy addicted assistant Natasha Henstridge (yeah baby), and a kick ass Jason Statham (alwaysGhosts of Mars: 3 out of 10: All right how is this for a premise. In the future, on a Mars ruled by lesbians (so far so good), head cop Pam Grier (a little old but always a pleasure), her ecstasy addicted assistant Natasha Henstridge (yeah baby), and a kick ass Jason Statham (always watchable) take on an army of zombies in a western mining town. How could you possibly screw this up?

Well John Carpenter does. First of all there is no nudity, none, zippo, zilch. Since this is an R rated space opera, with lesbians, with Pam Grier, and for the love of god with Natasha Henstridge (I almost didn't recognize her with her clothes on. I mean did she even have a shirt in Species?)

This is a shock. Now I hardly demand nudity from films but I haven't been this surprised since I rented that Shannon Tweed action film Face the Evil (Where a uniquely clothed Shannon Tweed pretends to be Bruce Willis and we all learn a lesson about the acting ability of former Playboy Centerfolds.)

Well at least it has zombies right? Well sort of. Apparently the miners were possessed by those ghosts from that Final Fantasy movie and the have all gone off and pierced themselves, raided the post apocalyptic fashion closet and become cannibals. They look ridiculous and are about as threatening as a suburban junior high school dance. Their leader looks like a third rate heavy metal drummer joined his school's body piercing club.

Speaking of strange fetishes the movie seems to have one for flashbacks. None of the film is told in real time. Instead we have a flashback within a flashback within a flashback. This destroys any semblance of tension. In fact it such a bizarre choice one feels Carpenter choose it to hide the serious plot holes. It didn't work.

With zero tension, no nudity, lame villains, horrible dialog and special effects that bring only one word to mind (Lionel), Ghosts of Mars is simply a mess. I'm still waiting for my futuristic lesbian zombie film. Maybe Wes Craven will give it a try.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

raciocinio

Oct 21, 2015

WHAT A Boring action,horror movie...............................................................................................................................

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JonS

Dec 30, 2008

Worst movie I've ever seen.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

KyleM

Dec 30, 2008

The worst film John Carpenter ever made. So bad it nearly ruins movies that it has nothing to do with. It's hard to enjoy other John Carpenter movies while burdened with the knowledge that the same guy also made this one.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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