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In the year 2176 A.D., about 640,000 human beings live and work in far flung outposts in
Planet Mars, mining its natural resources. Lt. Melanie Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) of the Mars Police Force, together with a small squad, is ordered to take a train to the
distant mining community of ShiningCanyon. This is the site of a prison from which they are to transfer back to Chryse, the capital, a most dangerous criminal named James
"Desolation" Williams (Ice Cube). In ShiningCanyon, they notice mutilated corpses but the prisoners are still alive in their cells where they also find Dr. Whitlock (Joanna
Cassidy), an archaeologist. She informs them that her expedition has discovered a subterranean tomb whose dormant spirits have been unwittingly activated and unleashed. These
"ghosts" take over the bodies of human beings and transform them into monstrous killing machines. In the face of the overwhelming threat from the martian "ghosts", the police
and prisoners join hands for survival and escape.
Film Director John Carpenter, the reputed "Master of Terror" embellishes a simple story with
the trappings of science fiction with the hope of transforming it into a terrifying tale. Much of the suspense and terror in this futuristic film are due to the production
design which show the unlimited horizons of man's imagination and creativity. Designer William Elliott evokes a landscape of dark desolation and stark massive industrial
structures. The use of light and shadow creates a mood of foreboding. The music heightens the anxiety. Special effects, both visual and auditory, help condition the viewer to
"believing" or "accepting" the unusual events that unfold on the screen. The characters, all sullen, grim-faced and high-edged, convey a sense of the precarious situation. The
early part of the film lags as the characters lengthily explore the high tech train. However, the rest of the film is brisk and packed with choreographed fight scenes.
This sci-fi/action/thriller is set in the Planet Mars but the principal characters are human
beings who have transplanted their highly advanced material civilization to this planet; on the other hand, human values which are an important component of that civilization
are not evident here. Except, perhaps, for one short scene when the prisoner James Williams "treats" the small hand wound of the female cop, there is nothing else to show
human warmth. The film is overloaded with fighting, maiming, violent deaths and destruction. The eerie scenes mostly in black and red reek of blood and gore. Regrettably, the
viewer has nothing to hold on to after the momentary "thrills". This film is neither scary nor thrilling and does not make for happy viewing.
(Date reviewed: November 5, 2001)
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