Ghosts of Mars

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Ghosts of Mars

R

2001

1h 37m

Sci-Fi

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

22%

Tomatometer

174 Reviews

25%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Long inhabited by human settlers, the Red Planet has become the manifest destiny of an over-populated Earth. Nearly 640,000 people now live and work all over Mars, mining the planet for its abundant natural resources. But one of those mining operations has uncovered a deadly mother lode: a long-dormant Martian civilization whose warriors are systematically taking over the bodies of human intruders.

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Critics Consensus

A tired recycling of John Carpenter's past triumphs, Ghosts of Mars buries its pulpy potential beneath clumsy dialogue, choppy storytelling, and monotonous action that generates little suspense.

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Jack Mathews

New York Daily News

Aug 22, 2026

1/4

The Martians are like the monsters in the recent "Mummy" movies. There are lots of them but they can't fight worth a damn.

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

Aug 22, 2026

The SFX are antediluvian.

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Roger Clarke

Independent (UK)

Aug 22, 2026

1/5

Carpenter's soundtrack is one of the worst I've heard.

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Stephen Cole

National Post

Aug 22, 2026

2/4

While Ghosts of Mars keeps our attention, it never quite captures our imagination.

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Matt Radz

Montreal Gazette

Aug 22, 2026

0/5

John Carpenter's script is a monosyllabic grunt so cretinous it doesn't know enough to aspire to being moronic.

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Bob Campbell

Newark Star-Ledger

Aug 22, 2026

2.5/4

This is a stylishly customized item for B-movie buffs and connoisseurs of bizarre action situations.

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Ian R

@RT23899272 9 hrs ago

I was hoping for a proper John Carpenter film, as I am a big fan. However this was terrible. It is the only film in which I really disliked Jason Statham. His dialogue consisted of conceited references to his own sexual prowess and don't match his limited ability to appear attractive. Especially, as most of his lechery is directed towards the character played by Natasha Henstridge who is way out of his league. Ice Cube proves again he can't act. If you were hoping for a decent sci-fi film, this isn't it.

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Kashgar A

@AllFunAndGames 5 days ago

Rewatching it for a bit of fun. Far more entertaining than I remembered. Its biggest problem is how hokey the sets and some of the costumes are, but it’s a true product of its time and it’s definitely fun matinee viewing material.

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Eric S

@PeachWolfer365 Sep 5, 2026

This is garbage. It is a John Carpenter movie, but not even he could make this watchable. It’s actually surprising that so much money and effort can result in something as terrible as this. Weird and awful, that’s the concise version of my review.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 4, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Thomas O

@RT13315613 Aug 17, 2026

It helps to get really, really high before you watch this.

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Victor B

@RT02647486 Jul 16, 2026

It's a fun film for a evening of rubbish film watching.

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John Carpenter

Director

Ice Cube

James "Desolation" Williams

Natasha Henstridge

Melanie Ballard

Jason Statham

Jericho Butler

Clea Duvall

Bashira Kincaid

Pam Grier

Helena Braddock

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Synopsis

Long inhabited by human settlers, the Red Planet has become the manifest destiny of an over-populated Earth. Nearly 640,000 people now live and work all over Mars, mining the planet for its abundant natural resources. But one of those mining operations has uncovered a deadly mother lode: a long-dormant Martian civilization whose warriors are systematically taking over the bodies of human intruders.

Director: John Carpenter
Producer: Sandy King
Screenwriter: John Carpenter, Larry Sulkis
Distributor: Screen Gems
Production Co: Screen Gems, Storm King Productions
Rating: R (Some Drug Content|Language|Strong Gore|Strong Violence)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 24, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 27, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.4M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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