|
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 did Daredevil and 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.
mitchemerson@hotmail.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.
|
