Rating summary
| Movie |  | 2.5 |
| Video |  | 4.0 |
| Audio | | 4.0 |
| Extras |  | 2.0 |
| Overall |  | 3.0 |
Ghosts of Mars Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 9, 2019
Mill Creek has released Director John Carpenter's 2001 film 'Ghosts of Mars' to Blu-ray. The film was previously released to Blu-ray through Sony Pictures on March 31, 2009. Note
that I did not review that original Blu-ray and neither do I have access to it and cannot conduct direct comparisons. This
new disc includes the same supplemental package as found on the Sony disc. Also included is a new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack.
For a few thoughts on the film, see the Blu-ray.com review of the original 2009 Sony release
here.
Ghosts of Mars Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Ghosts of Mars was not well reviewed in 2009 for its video quality. Whether this is the same transfer or not this reviewer found the
image to be more than acceptable, though certainly not perfect. Red is a major tonal focal point with the Martian terrain the most
predominant and readily visible hue in the movie. It's never punchy, maintaining something of a modest desaturation that gives it a rather flat and
dead look rather than a vibrant and alive appearance. That suits the movie's somewhat bleak and action-y tone quite well. The color is contrasted with
one or two other shades throughout, such as blue attire and...not much more. Most of the characters wear black vests and carry black gear. Those
elements are handled properly, with good depth and no extreme pushes to lightening or crushing the color. Skin tones appear fairly neutral. there's no
major push to warm or to pasty on the other end. This is a very tonally grim movie that was probably photographed and color timed with the idea of
"hell" in mind, which again suits the film well. Carpenter at least sticks with a vision for it (which he also does with the music...see the audio review
below) even if the film is ultimately not a triumph.
Texturally, the image is fairly solid and stable. A light grain field is retained throughout, which is not perfectly rendered but it never appears sloppy and
it never disappears. Textures are well resolved as the movie's production allows. The vast expanses of red rarely find anything resembling exacting,
pinpoint detailing or sharpness, but character close-ups showcase healthy detailed skin that presents pores, hairs, scars, freckles, and other intimate
details with inarguable sharpness and detail and clarity. There are more than a few softer corners and edges that are inherent to the photography.
Compression artifacts are present but never appear at a debilitating level, and the print is surprisingly clean and free of debris and other blemish.
Overall,
this one's not bad. Fans should be rather pleased with what is a solid presentation from Mill Creek.
Ghosts of Mars Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
Sony's 2009 Blu-ray featured a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that did not garner high marks, but Mill Creek has at the very least re-encoded it
into a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. How similar or different it is from the Sony disc I unfortunately cannot say, but it's certainly active
and enjoyable, if not a bit crude around the edges. Ghosts of Mars is perhaps best known for its score, its blend of classic Carpenter synth and
more aggressive and then-contemporary Heavy Metal riffs (which includes music from Anthrax, Steve Vai, and Robin Finck, amongst others). The
lossless DTS track handles the material quite well. While it lacks absolute finesse and perfect detail, the track certainly presents the music as Carpenter
likely envisioned, more as a tonal assault and action compliment and less a dramatically orchestrated and perfectly nuanced score component meant to
reinforce subtle drama and characterization. The movie succeeds more as an aggressive cinematic pursuit rather than a finessed storyteller, and in this
way the music feels perfectly suited to it and the soundtrack delivers it as it compliments that vision, which includes a wide front end berth and
aggressive surround implementation. Action effects also deal in back channel engagement, offering good chaotic gunfight zip and pop and punch and
well defined and positioned general battle din, and when the action plays with the music the two compliment one another well; the track never
prioritizes one over the
other, allowing for a more harmonious total engagement. The subwoofer delivers more than a few quality rumbles as well. Environmental supports are
nicely integrated, including light atmospheric elements and minor location and shot details that help further shape the film's unique set pieces.
Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and firmly grounded in the front-center channel.
Ghosts of Mars Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Ghosts of Mars contains the same supplemental content that Sony released with the film back in 2009. For
convenience, below is a list of what's included. For full supplemental content reviews, please click here. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does
not ship with a
slipcover.
- Audio Commentary: With Director John Carpenter and Actress Natasha Henstridge.
- Video Diary: Red Desert Nights (480i, 16:59).
- Scoring Ghosts of Mars (480i, 6:23).
- Special Effects Deconstructions (480i, 6:33).
Ghosts of Mars Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
John Carpenter is an extremely talented filmmaker with a number of classics to his name -- Halloween, Escape from New York, The Fog -- but Ghosts of Mars is one of the director's
flops. It's easy to see what Carpenter was trying to accomplish with the film, an effort to craft a somewhat hellish, unrelenting, hard-edged
Sci-Fi/Action hybrid that, whether he intended or not, does have some mild similarities to the video game series Doom. The movie is broadly entertaining but lacks the precision of
Carpenter's best films. It boasts an interesting cast and some good music that blends well with the action. Unfortunately, the story is a weak spot
but the stylization, action, and music carry the film to acceptable quality. Mill Creek's Blu-ray contains the same supplements as the 2009 Sony disc. I
cannot verify how similar or different the A/V presentations may be, but the Mill Creek disc delivers good experiences in both categories.
Recommended.
