John Carpenter's Ghosts Of Mars Reviews

Lacklustre

Once upon a time John Carpenter was the coolest thriller director on the planet. 'Assault on Precinct 13', 'Halloween', 'Escape from New York'. Then came 1982 and he got his biggest budget and made his masterpiece, 'The Thing'. Unfortunately 1982 was the year of 'E.T.' and dark SF was no mans land, so like 'Blade Runner' Carpenter's piece de resistance was roundly damned (although later hailed by the same critics and audiences who shunned it at the time). More unfortunately Carpenter seems to have taken the drubbing to heart as he hasn't made anything half as good since.

I keep on hoping that the next Carpenter release will be a return to form. After all, he's always rehashing the same siege plotline of Howard Hawks' 'Rio Grande', but this is his worst yet. It looks more like an episode of 'Battlestar Galactica' than a cinema release, stinking of TV movie cheapness and lack of imagination, featuring flat lighting, slack editing, state of yesterdays art effects, and stilted acting from a talented cast, who have all been better elsewhere, but here just seem to have given up even trying to make a good movie. Ice Cube's final shot cheesy stare into camera lens is the turd on the icing.

At times this is so bad it actually makes your eyes hurt.

Great title, Camel Plop stew film

Whatever happened to John Carpenter?

Rent 'The Thing' instead.

Utterly lacking in thrills, sick killings. Makes 'Crimewatch' seem interesting!

Pretty Bloody Awful

I have really enjoyed some of carpenters work, the thing, vampires, escape from New York hell I even liked Escape for LA, but what happened here. The acting was wooden, the sets looked like they came from Doctor Who and the story was soooo lame. But it was a good way to pass a rainy saturday night because thanks to the otherreviews on the site I was prepared for it.

1 star is for carpenter's early genius

I will not waste anyone's time with a lengthy critique of this bile, let's just remember the early genius of Mr Carpenter's greatest movies instead - Halloween and The Thing.

Cool

This movie rocks. If you like stuff like Aliens then you will like this.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Not as bad as some say

Liking Carpenters style as I do, I don't think John Carpenter has ever made a really bad movie.

And though this is not one of his best, it's still not bad.

So long as you're not expecting a masterpiece, then this'll be an hour and a half of scifi siege entertainment in typical Carpenter style.

Action packed - but poor story

OK for the action buffs, but story nicked from Stephen King's 'Desperation' and poorly told.

The 'trendy' soundtrack destroys the atmosphere, but the action whips along so not a bad 1 and half hours entertainment.

OH NO!

Oh dear, this is one of the worst films I have ever seen. Similar to other films he's made (Prince of Darkness and Assault on Precinct 13) which are both watchable (although Prince less so) this film tells the story of a siege (although smells of cheapness). The whole thing looks like it was shot in a studio and has the feel of a TV movie. The dialogue is awful, the action is turgid and at times looks like an episode of the A-Team. Avoid, I fell asleep numerous times during the film and had to rewind to find out what I missed (not much as it turned out)!

ghosts

fun film no classic but well worth a look after a trip to the pub

im too used too quality

Hmmm!!! Whats he up to??? He should know better after producing a cinema spectacular like 'The Thing' Why Oh why did this low budget look-a-like turn up? Great idea and story but the acting and the effects make this an absolute pile of tripe!! im sorry thats his hard work but clearly not hard enough. terminator meets 'The Keep' meets ' Bambi'meets Sleep now im fed up and bored goodnight!