RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars
John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
19 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

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.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence/gore, language and some drug content

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Aug 24, 2001 Wide

Box Office: $7,307,616

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

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 25

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Mar 31, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • From John Carpenter, the master of horror behind 1998's hit John Carpenter's Vampires and classics like The Thing and Halloween, comes a sci-fi thriller full of explosive action and bone-chilling suspense. Natasha Henstridge (Species) is Melanie Ballard, a headstrong police lieutenant on Mars in the year 2025. Humans have been colonizing and mining on the red planet for some time, but when Ballard and her squad are sent to a remote region to apprehend the dangerous criminal James "Desolation" Williams, played by Ice Cube (Three Kings), they discover that he's the least of their worries. The mining operations have unleashed a deadly army of Martian spirits who take over the bodies of humans and won't stop until they destroy all invaders of their planet. With a stellar cast including Pam Grier (Jackie Brown), Jason Statham (Snatch) and Clea Duvall (The Faculty), as well as explosive special effects, John Carpenter's GHOSTS OF MARS is an intergalactic terror fest like you've never seen.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
    Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
    04/29/09
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Felix Vasquez Jr.
    Cinema Crazed

    Mad Max Heads for the Angry Red Planet on a Pitch Black Night of the Living Dead.

    Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
    03/27/09
    John J. Puccio
    John J. Puccio
    DVDTown.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    08/07/08
    Mark Halverson
    Mark Halverson
    Sacramento News & Review

    Ghosts of Mars is not Carpenter at his best. It may very well be Carpenter at rock bottom.

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    02/14/08
    Rob Gonsalves
    Rob Gonsalves
    eFilmCritic.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    12/30/06
    Empire Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    02/09/06
    Time Out
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A turd wrapped up in a nice bow is still a turd.

    Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
    12/31/05
    John Venable
    John Venable
    Supercala.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/06/05
    Film Threat
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
    02/25/04
    J. V. McAuley
    J. V. McAuley
    Zap2it.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Jim Shelby
    Jim Shelby
    Palo Alto Weekly

    More Mars lacks than Mars attacks and an outing for Carpenter die-hards only.

    Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) | comment Comment
    03/04/03
    Harry Guerin
    Harry Guerin
    RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
    12/08/02
    Film Threat
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
    10/30/02
    Matthew Turner
    Matthew Turner
    ViewLondon

    Original movies on the Sci-Fi Channel have better production values.

    Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
    06/20/02
    Jeffrey Westhoff
    Jeffrey Westhoff
    Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
    06/19/02
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    a complete and utter disaster

    Full Review Source: NutzWorld | comment Comment
    05/12/02
    Blake French
    Blake French
    NutzWorld

    The monsters were just not scary.

    Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
    05/05/02
    Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
    Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
    Goatdog's Movies
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
    03/14/02
    Rich Cline
    Rich Cline
    Shadows on the Wall
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
    02/21/02
    James O'Ehley
    James O'Ehley
    Sci-Fi Movie Page

    You'll wish you were on Mars and not on Earth suffering through this movie.

    Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review | comment Comment
    02/04/02
    Kamal  'The Diva' Larsuel
    Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel
    3BlackChicks Review
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
    all

    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

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
    52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
    45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
    19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
    55% 55% Orphan

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    98% 98% Up
    88% 88% Ballast
    67% 67% The Merry Gentleman

    More New Releases…

    See All

    RT On Current TV

    The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

    DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

    Learn how you can be part of the show

    More...

    What’s Hot On RT

    60+ New Moon pics

    60+ New Moon pics

    You want Twilight images? We got 'em!

    What to Watch?

    What to Watch?

    Find out with RT's Holiday Movie Preview!

    John Cusack

    John Cusack

    We list his 10 top rated movies!

    Five Favorite Films

    Five Favorite Films

    2012 director Roland Emmerich reveals his!

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
    142
    • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
    26
    • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
    19
    • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
    3
    • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
    117
    • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
    36
    • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
    8
    • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
    1
    • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
    102
    • J.J. Abrams Producing Micronauts Movie? Source: Wall Street Journal
    11
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
    68
    • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
    54
    • Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints
    43
    • RT on DVD: Up, the Ultimate Watchmen Cut, and More
    36
    • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
    34
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
    32
    • Friday Harvest: Prince of Persia, The Road, and more!
    26
    • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
    8
    • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
    0
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
    15
    • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
    15
    • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
    8
    • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
    28
    • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
    28
    • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
    14
    • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
    40
    • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
    139
    • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
    4
    • Neill Blomkamp talks District 9 - RT Interview
    51
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars at Rotten Tomatoes
    • John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars at IGN
    • John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars at AskMen

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Best of Disaster Porn
    Best of Disaster Porn External Link

    Moviefone looks back at 7 films that have paved the way for movies like 2012.

    Actors with Famous Parents
    Actors with Famous Parents External Link

    BuzzSugar rattles off their 10 favorite current actors with celebrity pedigree.

    The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
    The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T External Link

    The AV Club looks back at a dance sequence from the only movie written by... Dr. Seuss?

    Top Cameron Crowe Moments
    Top Cameron Crowe Moments External Link

    TIME reminisces on the 10 most iconic moments from the films of Cameron Crowe.

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.