Film: Ghost Rider

Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson

Produced by: Avi Arad, Steven Paul, Gary Foster

Year: 2007

Written by: Mark Steven Johnson

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Sam Elliot, Wes Bentley, Peter Fonda

Reviewed by: J.J.

Before I write this review, let me just say that I'm not a comic book geek. I know who Ghost Rider is, but never read one issue. That said, you're getting a review from a Ghost Rider layman. If you want a review by someone who knows Ghost Rider, read Kate's when she finishes it. She should be done with it in the next few days.

Nicholas Cage is the Ghost Rider. The movie starts off with a deal with the Devil. A motorcycle carnival stuntman and his son Johnny are doing stunts together. The elder gets cancer, and the character that Cage will resume when he grows up makes a deal with the Devil to spare his father from the horrors of cancer.

Then it is many years later, his father is long dead (from a stunt accident), and Nicholas Cage is now playing Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stuntman as crazy as Evel Knieval himself. The Devil however still owns his soul and forces Blaze to be his henchman as the Ghost Rider.

Sam Elliot puts in a fine performance as the cemetary caretaker, who seems to know a little bit too much about Johnny Blaze and his new powers/curse.

Overall, the movie had a strong Western fantasy theme. The music fit the movie. However, for someone who doesn't read the comics, the fighting made no sense. I didn't understand what can hurt Ghost Rider and what can't. Plus, as someone who has watched a lot of martial arts movies, the fighting choreography was mediocre at best.

The story was good though, as were the sets and the themes. Maybe I would have liked the movie more if I understood the whole Ghost Rider concept better. 6 J's out of 10, for making a decent movie, but one that failed to make sense to someone who doesn't read the comic. Nicholas Cage and Sam Elliot both did fine jobs in their roles. Eva Mendes was okay, and her character more relied on her pushup bra (which for some odd reason, her shirt was half unbuttoned half the movie) than her acting talents.

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