Ghosts of Mars *** (2001, Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Pam Grier) – Classic Movie Review 8666

John Carpenter’s 2001 movie Ghosts of Mars is enjoyably silly, if trashy sci-fi horror action entertainment, directed with tongue firmly planted in cheek by Carpenter, who keeps it fast and exciting, and quite tough toned.

A team of space cops discovers a colony on Mars has been wiped out — but what caused the residents to kill one another?

Nice to have an action heroine in Natasha Henstridge, who makes a classily spunky job of the role and forms a good double act with Ice Cube. It also stars Jason Statham, Clea DuVal, Pam Grier and Joanna Cassidy.

Also in the cast are Richard Cetrone, Rosemary Forsyth, Liam Waite, Duane Davis, Lobo Sebastian, Rodney A Grant, Peter Jason, Wanda De Jesus, Doug McGrath, Rick Edelstein and Robert Carradine.

Ghosts of Mars is directed by John Carpenter, runs 98 minutes, is made by Storm King, Animationwerks and Screen Gems, is released by Columbia, is written by Larry Sulkis and John Carpenter, is shot by Gary B Kibbe, is produced by Sandy King, is scored by John Carpenter and isd eigned by William A Elliott.

Unfortunately, Ghosts of Mars was not a hit. It cost nearly $30 million and took only $8 million in the US.

It is rated R for strong violence, gore, and language and some drug content.

Unpleasantly, Ice Cube named it the worst movie he appeared in, calling it ‘unwatchable in many ways. John Carpenter really let us down with the special effects on that one. It looked like something out of a film from 1979.’

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8666

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