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Is it worth $10? No
“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” was my most anticipated movie for February. Brought to us from the menacing minds that made “Crank” and “Gamer,” from start to finish this feels like a maniacal production. The intensity that directors Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine bring certainly shines through, but that wasn’t enough to save “The Rider” from just being bad. While the dynamic duo improved upon what was lacking in the first adaptation of the Marvel comic, they failed to deliver in other areas.
The principle cast was just alright. Nicholas Cage delivers the crazy in a part he has truly made his own, Johnny Blaze, a.k.a. the Ghost Rider. From his weird facial tics to his menacing laughter, there is never a moment on screen that you don’t feel like his character is possessed with a demon. That’s one thing they improved upon in this reboot: The sense that Blaze has this uncontrollable madness dwelling inside him. However, where he succeeds the three other main characters, Nadya (Violante Placido), Danny (Fergus Riordan), and Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth), fail horribly. They deliver their lines with zero emotion and no enthusiasm.
The supporting cast fares much better. The amazing Ciaran Hinds (“Munich”) does well with the limited material given to him for his role of Roarke (Satan). For some reason Hollywood loves to cast Ciaran in minor roles when he has the ability to carry a film all on his own. Another victim of this is Idris Elba (BBC’s “Luther”), who plays an alcoholic French monk named Moreau. He was my favorite part, and contributed a lot to the “story” with his charisma and humor. Much like he stole the show in “Thor” as the guardian Heimdall, his performance demands attention every time he is on screen. The surprise bit of casting for me was Christopher Lambert (“Highlander”), whom I had no idea would even be making an appearance. He plays a monk named Methodius, but is barely in this.
Written by Scott Gimple (TV’s “The Walking Dead”), “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” suffers from a lack of plot. Basically you learn that this kid is wanted by the Devil because he is the anti-Christ, and Ghost Rider has to protect/rescue him. That’s the whole idea, and it never gets any deeper. They tried to throw in some twists, back stabbings, things like that, but you see them coming from a mile away and they don’t alter the trajectory of the story at all. There is, more or less, no character development, and the only reason I cared about some of the characters to begin with was simply because of the actor playing them. On top of that the soundtrack was piss poor. I can’t even remember how many times I was watching and wondering why it was so quiet. It reminds me a lot of “Haywire” in that there was intense action that was just ruined by pure silence. Also, there were some bizarre soundtrack choices by the directors, much like in their “Crank” films, that just took me right out of the dark setting.
The cinematography was pretty amazing this time around. You really feel close to the action because the directors actually filmed parts of it on portable cameras. In a behind the scenes video I saw one of the directors on rollerblades with a camera being dragged behind Nicholas Cage’s motorcycle, and that allowed them to put the viewer in the action. Between that and the amped up fight scenes the entertainment value is certainly here. The CGI was stepped up a huge notch this time around, and far surpasses its predecessor. There was certainly more action in this than the first “Ghost Rider,” but it was more flaming demon vs. humans than the original was; unfair fights could get boring to some people. I was told by trusted sources, since my vision will not allow me to see it myself, that the 3D was actually quite excellent. People were commenting how things actually seemed to pop out at them. So that’s another draw for people to see this in theaters.
What it boils down to is “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” had all the ingredients necessary to make an amazing sequel, but it didn’t follow the recipe and ended up with the wrong measurements. The production suffered from a lack of plot and character development, a craptastic soundtrack, and poor casting for the lead roles, but it excelled in its supporting cast, CGI, 3D and action scenes. As a whole I would not waste my money to see this in theaters unless I was a comic book fan or a 3D junkie. It’s worth watching, but it would be better to purchase on Blu-Ray or rent from Red Box. If the supporting cast had been given more to do, and given more depth to their characters, this could have been a lot more than an “only slightly better” sequel.
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Honeybee
said:
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... This movie was what I expected. Nicholas Cage really brought out the Johnny Blaze character this go around. Very demeanted and funny. I just wished that the other supporting cast was the same. It would have made a better affect. Overall it was a great movie and my family & I enjoyed it. |
Twilliams
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... It was what I actually expected for this type of movie. You have to go in thinking that it isnt the greatest acting, dialogue (which is funny in parts) or effects. Just have fun and let loose. |
Matthew Kaiser
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... I maybe the only one who thinks this, but I really enjoyed this film. The first Ghost Rider was a flaming pile of monkey poo, so I wasn't expecting anything from the sequel. I was pleasantly surprised by improved CGI, action scenes, and even Nick Cage's hammy over the top acting seemed to fit in better this time. The acting wasn't stellar and the plot was quite basic, but it was a thrill ride that kept me entertained throughout. The 3-D was done well, but at times due to the insane action sequences gave me a bit of a headache. |
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