Poster version 3
©Sony Pictures
Reviewed Format: Theatrical Release
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott
Writers: Mark Steven Johnson, based on the Marvel Comics
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Ghost Rider
By: themovielordDate: Monday, February 19, 2007
Ghost Rider (2007) starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, and directed by Mark Steven Johnson.
In order to save his dying father, young stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze (Cage) sells his soul to Mephistopheles (Fonda) and sadly parts from the pure-hearted Roxanne Simpson (Mendes), the love of his life.
From the moment I saw the trailer I asked why? Why Ghost Rider? Out of all the Marvel Characters why pick one that is generally obscure to the general public? Is that his strong suit? Build a character up starting with a movie franchise? The fans will come out to see him and we’ll gain some new fans in the process. I also had to ask why Nicolas Cage? The last movie I saw of his was World Trade Center (2006) and I enjoyed it but in no way did I feel as if he was the star, in short it wasn’t a Nicolas Cage movie. Maybe a guy like Cage who did Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) knows something about motorcycles too? Anyway he’s in this superhero movie and he is who we are going to have to watch.
Have to watch… well I don’t have to watch him in any thing but my morbid curiosity got the better of me and I really wanted to see this movie bomb, tank, be a turkey, etc…
Oh, I should also mention I never read the original run of the Marvel Ghost Rider comic but I did read the early 90’s re-launch and I’ll admit that I liked its dark story lines that dealt with a tortured soul in search of evil to bring vengeance upon. So I did know a little about the character.
But back to the movie, okay it was better than I expected. It didn’t suck but I felt as if there were no real surprises. It followed the superhero movie plot by the numbers. Step 1, origin. Step 2, introduce love interest. Step 3, the villain(s) scheme. Step 4, hero and girl fall in love. Step 5, villain finds about girl. Step 6, girl and the world in peril. Step 7, hero saves the day. Pretty standard and nothing to get all jazzed about. Mark Steven Johnson tells the story of Ghost Rider a lot better than he told the story of Daredevil (2003). He uses a lot of the story of Faust and a smidge of Beauty and the Beast but here I found the villains dull. I wished for a more colorful villain to liven up the story by having an actor bring a villainous flare to the film, Peter Fonda and Wes Bentley are fine actors but there characters were dull.
There were a few things to film I did enjoy. Matt Long who plays the young Johnny Blaze and Raquel Alessi who plays the young Roxanne were completely captivating. I honestly believed the two of them could have pulled this movie off a lot better than Cage and Mendes. Because with them (Long and Alesssi) I was watching a young couple in love being torn apart because of the world around them. Often while I was watching Cage I kept looking at his hair piece and with Mendes I was noticing how each outfit had to show off her cleavage. Another thing I liked was Johnny Blaze’s music choice in the Carpenters. It gave his character a different layer that you don’t see in this kind of movie. I also appreciated Johnny Blaze’s research into the deal he had made with the devil. It showed that he was ready for when the devil came to collect his pound of flesh. Many times in this kind of movie our hero does this in a last minute effort to thwart the villain. It comes off and cheesy and insulting to the audience. Here it was credible.
The film is not a turkey but it is not four stars either. It falls into that same category as the Fantastic Four (2005), a good start but I really want to be dazzled for the next time around.
Click here to read the staff review by Mania.
