Ghosts of Mars (2001)

Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Pam Grier

Synopsis:
A team of Martian police officers are dispatched to a mining colony to transport a dangerous criminal back to the capital, unaware of the bloodbath that awaits them.

Impressions:
I like the premise of this movie, but the execution leaves much to be desired. The production values are maybe a step above a SyFy Original at best, but that wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the abysmal writing of a plot that runs on stupid. The setting seems mostly wasted. Why establish that there's a matriarchal society and not really do much with it besides tease a little lesbian action between Natasha Henstridge and Pam Grier? The characters aren't terribly likable and they do so much stupid stuff that you just have to shake your head. The action scenes are pretty good, but the heavy metal played to accompany them is ear-splitting. The design of the bad guys is okay. They're basically the same thing as the Reavers from Firefly. It's not a very good movie. In fact, it sunk John Carpenter's career for a while. That being said, you might still find some merit in watching it if your expectations are low enough.

Rating:
50/50