Movies / Comics Movie Reviews

Ghost Rider

By Mitch Emerson
February 16, 2007 - 12:33

Ghost Rider

In Columbia Pictures' action adventure Ghost Rider superstar motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) strikes a deal with the vile Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) for the most precious of commodities, his immortal soul. Now Johnny Blaze is forever destined to ride night after night as the host to the powerful supernatural entity known as the Ghost Rider. -Official Site

The first thing you have to remember about Ghost Rider is that it is based on a comic book. The second thing you have to remember is that it's a movie based on a comic book about a guy with a flaming skull that goes around killing bad guys by staring into their eyes with his Penance Stare. The third thing you have to remember is that this was written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, the same guy who wrote and directed Daredevil and wrote Elektra. That being said, you can now sit back and enjoy Ghost Rider for what it is- A pretty faithful adaptation of a Marvel comic that is a big improvement over Johnson's previous films. With just enough humor to keep you from thinking to hard about the fact that the main character is a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle without being too over the top or cheesy. With good action, great effects, and a stellar job by the cast, Ghost Rider won't win any academy awards, but you will be in for a wild ride.

Nicolas Cage, a long time Ghost Rider fan, has impressed even me this time around. Now I like Cage, but he is an actor that only shines in certain types of parts. His style was perfect for Raising Arizona and Lord of War, but otherwise he either thinks he is Elvis Presley or is just kind of wooden in his performances. Or at the very least one of those actors who only seems to play himself. He plays Johnny Blaze/ Ghost Rider perfectly. He gets the character and what he is about. The pairing of Nicolas Cage and Donal Logue for the first part of the film brings a feeling of camaraderie and provides some good comedic opportunities that makes the film a little more believable. Eva Mendes, the love interest/damsel in distress is a very beautiful girl, but there isn't much development to her character. Here's how it goes. Boy leaves girl, girl interviews boy 10-15 years later, boy falls for girl, girl finds out boy is a monster, girl doesn't care, girl helps boy save the world, boy leaves girl. So, with Eva, just watch the cleavage. On to the baddies. Mephistopheles, played by Peter Fonda, is appropriately creepy as the Devil for the short amount of screen time he gets. He is really only in the movie at the beginning and the end. The real villain of the story is Blackheart, played by Wes Bentley. I have only seen him in American Beauty and while my wife says he did a good job, I think he only has one expression and that is sullen. But with the makeup and cg effects he does pull off the villain. There are a few other baddies but they get dispatched pretty quickly. And how could I forget Sam Eliott? He plays Caretaker, the wise old guide and narrator who is there to tell Johnny just what in the hell is going on. Gotta love that voice.

I want to touch on the effects here. It goes without saying that they are brilliant but there are a few worth mentioning. The transformations of Johnny and his bike to and from Ghost Rider are just plain awesome. With blisters and patches of bone showing through you really feel his pain. And there is one transformation back to Johnny where you see the brow of the skull through Cages face that makes you realize that this isn't your normal comic book hero. The shots of Blackheart killing people are pretty slick as well. If you are a fan of effects then this movie is worth it for those alone.

As a comic book fan I will admit that I am slightly biased, I like any comic book movie. Ever heard of the movie Faust? No? I didn't think so. So I may overlook some of the problems with Ghost Rider but there are a few I want to point out. The story of the missing contract just barely serves to tie the movie together. I mean, you don't get a real good idea of what will happen if the bad guys win. I already mentioned the lack of some characters development and not to contradict that, but the first half of the movie seemed to go rather slow with background story and character setup, at least as far as Johnny Blaze's story goes. But when Ghost Rider does show, it's off to the races where the story seems to move along a little too fast. I think there could have been a better balance there. And where was Stan Lee?

All in all, you will either “get” what Ghost Rider is about or not. There are many different things this movie does well, but as a whole, it could have been done a little better. For you comic fans out there, let's hope there is a Spirits of Vengeance movie out there somewhere. I mean what would be better than one Ghost Rider? Three or four of 'em, right? Anyways, Ghost Rider will definitely be added to my DVD collection just for the effects alone.

At least Cage didn't get to be Superman.

Keep reading,
Mitch E.

mitch@comicbookbin.com

Best Lines:

Caretaker: You are alright?
Johnny Blaze: Yeah, I'm good. I feel like my skull is on fire, but I'm good.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12