Tut tut tut Mr Cage (Ghost Rider - Extended Cut (DVD))

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	Ghost Rider - Extended Cut (DVD)
Date:	25/10/09 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A couple of nice looking set-pieces

Disadvantages: Very poor script and performances

Anyone who has read a number of my film reviews will realise that I have a strange compulsion to watching poor movies - and although I knew that it would probably be terrible, I decided to watch the Mark Steven Johnson directed 'Ghost Rider' anyway. So why did I assume that Ghost Rider would make for dodgy viewing? - well, when you consider the fact that Johnson also directed 'Daredevil' and 'Elektra', my expectations were understandably low.

In the big screen adaptation of the much loved Marvel Comic, Nicolas Cage plays the role of 'Johnny Blaze', a motorcycle stuntman who many years ago bargained his soul with the Devil in order to rid his ailing father of cancer. Now, the devil, a.k.a 'Mephistopheles' (Peter Fonda), has come to claim his debt, transforming Blaze into Ghost Rider by night - a leather-clad, flaming-headed skeleton who rides around on a Harley...

Ghost Rider must act as the devil's bounty hunter, and attempt to track down and defeat 'Blackheart' (Wes Bentley) and his band of cronies who are terrorising the human world.

I was all set for a mindless action flick, but Ghost Rider is entertaining for all the wrong reasons - poor editing and randomly cut sequences produce something which is more akin to a badly edited music video than a feature film. The story is rather convoluted, and I frequently had to ask myself where Ghost Rider was going, and why he was going there.

The acting throughout the film is generally very poor, and Nicolas Cage is ridiculously wooden. The character of Blaze is unusual to say the least, with a range of what are essentially quirky charactericteristics. Unfortunately, these nuances can't be appreciated as much as they should, as Cage's performance is so average. Cage apparently has a Ghost Rider tattoo in real life, and took the role due to his love of the character - but surely he should have read the script to make sure the film was half decent before accepting the role! That said, Cage has been in some rubbish over the last few years - let's not forget the recent remake of 'The Wicker Man'... actually, we probably *should* forget it.

In fairness, Eva Mendes doesn't do much wrong in her portrayal of love-interest Roxanne Simpson - but her chemistry with Cage is pretty much non-existent, and the end result is a series of scenes which feel tacked on to the story in an attempt to recreate the vibe which made Spiderman so watchable.

The special effects throughout the film are merely OK, but there are a couple of cool looking sequences which work quite well. Generally though, it's one of those CGI packed movies which goes for style over substance, forsaking a clever story in favour of loud and explosive set-pieces. The end result is a movie which feels like it's made for thirteen-year-olds... and it probably is. Actually, my favourite part of the film (which is little more than a small comedic touch) occurs when Ghost Rider drives past a tiny lizard on a rock, transforming the poor creature into a charred skeleton - and it's this sort of attention to detail that we should have seen more of throughout the movie, potentially producing something a little more comedic and enjoyable in its approach.

The 'bad guys' are a generally weak bunch who pose no real threat to our eponymous anti-hero. Because of this, the movie's fight sequences are rather non-descript and dull, allowing Ghost Rider to remain pretty-much unscathed from start to finish. Similarly, Lead villain Blackheart feels non-threatening and predictable, and could have been made more sinister and less camp, even within the confines of a 12A certificate.

All in all, Ghost Rider is a poorly made and ultimately average film which suffers from bad editing, bad acting, and a bad script. However, if you do want a couple of hours of mindless entertainment, and are keen on seeing a skeleton riding up and down tall building, then perhaps this is the movie for you. If there is a sequel (not likely considering the fact that Ghost Rider had a poor showing at the cinemas) then the franchise would certainly benefit from the touch of a proven director / screenwriter combo. This is what you get when you attempt to make a 12A comic book adaptation with a poor director - not completely terrible, but it should have been a lot better.

Lead Roles
- - - - - - -
Nicolas Cage - Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
Eva Mendes - Roxanne Simpson
Matt Long - Young Johnny Blaze
Raquel Alessi - Young Roxanne Simpson
Brett Cullen - Barton Blaze
Peter Fonda - Mephistopheles
Wes Bentley - Blackheart

You can currently purchase Ghost Rider on DVD for £4.78 from Amazon.

Summary: Average comic book adaptation