So… I don't get all the hatred for Ghosts of Mars. Yes… It's a dumb movie, but just because the premise is rather dumb, doesn't mean it can't be a nice watch. Granted, there are some stilted acting and language here, but that drowns somewhat in the fact that I feel entertained every step of the way. Is Ghosts of Mars a masterpiece, like most of Carpenters filmography? No, certainly not, but it has its place, and I'll take it out now and then just to annoy the film snobs out there. Wish I could have seen the Escape from Mars version of the script, but I take what I can get. The Indicator release from Powerhouse Films in the UK is currently the best version I have seen. Well worth the cost!!!

I agree with Ebert & Roeper, this really isn’t a bad movie. Not Carpenter’s best but fun with a great cast. Carpenter also nailed it with the musical score as usual.

Rumor is that this is a bad movie. It may be one of John Carpenter's worst but it was still fun as Sci-Fi action movies go. Natasha Henstridge and Ice Cube were actually not too bad. Henstridge specifically was not difficult to believe as a capable leader of the team, although she's basically too beautiful to forget about that in the context of the movie. Ice Cube snarls and smirks a lot, but he also pairs nicely with the leading lady. The rest of the cast is forgettable. The insane, possessed by ghosts, zombie crazies are completely underwhelming, which is the primary problem with "Ghosts of Mars". Only their numbers are an intimidating factor. The sets are often claustrophobic and drab. Everything is dull red or some shade of dark gray. Still though, this is a Carpenter movie so there's a lot to enjoy if you are a fan.

I finally had the chance to check out the new 4K transfer of this from Scream Factory. I was always a fan of this movie as a kid. As I’ve grown up I’ve realized that it’s definitely not the greatest. It’s still a really fun time but it’s pretty darn corny. The cast is great and the action is really entertaining and fast paced. I’ve also always loved the main villain. I always thought his look and design was really fascinating when I was a kid. It definitely doesn’t age very great on each rewatch but I still enjoy my time with it.

Statham with (some? 💀) hair... hm, not sure if i liked That. saw a wide range of scores with a few particularly glowing reviews from some of my faves on here so i wasn't sure what to expect though i was a bit hopeful. didn't necessarily pan out for me, unfortunately. more than anything i was just a bit bored. individual pieces of this sound like it should've been the most unhinged viewing experience on the planet but it all just felt muted. not sure how the development went with this one/if there were issues like a lot of later career efforts from genre giants or not but i wouldn't be surprised if there were. thinking on it a little more and at the risk of being killed by someone, i think Carpenter has a rougher late period of work than other genre mainstays with polarizing catalogs? like for all the talk of Craven, Hooper, Argento, etc. falling off at least their worst works never approached as boring as this even if they were tangibly worse in the grand scheme of it all?