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 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 66 Ratings

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5.0	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 66 Ratings

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Ghosts Of Mars

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Movie Details & Credits

Screen Gems | Release Date: August 24, 2001 | R

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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Critic Reviews

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

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

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

A.O. Scott

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

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

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

LoRevisor

Jan 5, 2015

Um filme sem nexo e sem qualquer sentido é ótimo para quem curte um heavy metal,porém péssimo para quem gosta de um bom entretenimento e muito mas um entretenimento inteligente. Desperdiça o talento de Statham. Mas mesmo assim as cenas de ação são boas,na verdade é só isso o filme

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

YoursTruly

Nov 15, 2012

So dreadfully low quality that I don't even know what to say. I will grant it one star because its incompetence gives me a laugh. But sincerely, this is barely even a movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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

imthenoob

Oct 5, 2019

Ghost of Mars has the quality of a straight to video horror film that looks like it was made in the early 90s when really it was made in 2000 (released in 2001). It just looks that bad. The plot is weird and makes little sense, The characters are painfully shallow and it's not the least bitGhost of Mars has the quality of a straight to video horror film that looks like it was made in the early 90s when really it was made in 2000 (released in 2001). It just looks that bad. The plot is weird and makes little sense, The characters are painfully shallow and it's not the least bit interesting to watch.

It's a rare fail for Carpenter and one that actually made him leave Hollywood for years.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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