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Movies / On DVD / John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars
John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

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John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001)

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Reviews Counted:99

Fresh:19

Rotten:80

Average Rating:3.6/10

Consensus: John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars is not one of Carpenter's better movies, filled as it is with bad dialogue, bad acting, confusing flashbacks, and scenes that are more campy than scary.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: In the year 2176, Earth has colonized Mars, and all positions of power are held by women. Police Lieutenant Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) is assigned to take a crew via train from the metropolis of... In the year 2176, Earth has colonized Mars, and all positions of power are held by women. Police Lieutenant Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) is assigned to take a crew via train from the metropolis of Chryste to the deserted mining town of Shining Station to capture an extremely dangerous convict, Desolation Williams (Ice Cube). When Ballard and her crew arrive at Shining Station, an eerily deserted town, they find not only Williams, but also scientist Dr. Whitlock (Joanna Cassidy), who has secluded herself in the colony for safety. She tells Ballard and her crew that a mining project released a mysterious cloud from beneath the planet's surface. It is possessing the colonists, causing them to hunt down and kill off any non-possessed beings. Ballard and her crew decide that they must destroy the possessed beings for the good of the planet, a job which is more difficult than anyone predicts. John Carpenter's 17th theatrical feature combines action, horror, and sci-fi with thematic elements from earlier works (most notably ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 and THE THING). Rough around the edges with lots of energy and a sense of fun, GHOSTS OF MARS is a spirited genre cocktail. [More]

Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier

Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall, Joanna Cassidy

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter
Screenwriter: Larry Sulkis
Producer: Sandy King
Studio: Screen Gems

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Reviews for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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Written, directed, and edited with the offhand shoddiness of a day worker thinking about his evening beer.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
08/28/01
Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Village Voice

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
08/27/01
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

As Ghosts of Mars movies go, John Carpenter's is probably the best.

Full Review Source: Movie Boeuf | comment Comment
08/27/01
David N. Butterworth
David N. Butterworth
Movie Boeuf

...there is an artificiality to the whole thing that never lets you forget you are watching a movie.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
08/27/01
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
08/27/01
Barrett Hooper
Barrett Hooper
eye WEEKLY

Someday we're all going to look back on this one and l-a-a-a-augh.

Full Review Source: Mr. Showbiz | comment Comment
08/27/01
Cody Clark
Cody Clark
Mr. Showbiz

The acting is so pallid that you're never sure the cast members quite get the jokes.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
08/27/01
Bruce Fretts
Bruce Fretts
Entertainment Weekly

Little more than a heavy-metal music video. On Mars.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
08/27/01
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

One heaping plate of sci-fi cheese, a film that looks like it got lost on its way to the video shelves and ended up in theaters by mistake.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
08/27/01
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Blunt Review | comment Comment
08/27/01
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Blunt Review

It's like watching a John Carpenter greatest-hits reel done by a rank amateur.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
08/27/01
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Once you've seen one beheading or similarly bloody killing, you've seen them all, and that's all of any vague interest that Carpenter has to offer here.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
08/26/01
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

Sci-fi fans will also recognize this plot from "Pitch Black" and "Red Planet," both of which are superior to this film.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
08/24/01
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Provides a full-fledged blast of undiluted B-movie zest.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/24/01
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

It's big, gory, ugly fun, just the way you want it to be.

Full Review Source: IFilm | comment Comment
08/24/01
Dave White
Dave White
IFilm

Schlocky, sluggish shoot-'em-up.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
08/24/01
Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post

A flawed but worthy effort from an auteur whose near-misses are more entertaining than many others' hits.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
08/24/01
Mark Rahner
Mark Rahner
Seattle Times

There's no reason on Earth, or Mars for that matter, for anyone to waste their time, money or energy in seeing this film.

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
08/24/01
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

A tired and dispiriting affair that takes forever to get going.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
08/24/01
Bob Graham
Bob Graham
San Francisco Chronicle

Carpenter has brought his curatorial care to the nuances, and the movie achieves wipeout energy.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
08/24/01
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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Latest News for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

January 17, 2007: Disney Signs On with "John Carter of Mars"
Not too long ago Jon Favreau was this close to directing "John Carter of Mars" for Paramount Pictures, but the studio let their option on the property lapse -- and we... More...

May 13, 2005: John Carpenter to Return to Directing with "Apostle"
Yahoo! brings some news that should please the horror fans out there. Seems that legendary scare-master John Carpenter ("Halloween") will be returning to the... More...

June 06, 2001: Clea DuVall, Pam Grier, and Joanna Cassidy have joined the cast. Opens in new window
More...

June 06, 2001: And about how the fighting in his film eschews those trendy Matrix moves. 'There wasn't a lot of flying around at the Alamo,' says Carpenter. Opens in new window
More...

See All

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