Ghost Rider - 2007

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Crystal Sky Pictures, Relativity Media, Marvel Studios

Written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson

Cast:

• Johnny Blaze – Nicolas Cage
• Barton Blaze – Brett Cullen
• Carter Slade – Sam Elliot
• Mephistopheles – Peter Fonda
• Blackheart – Wes Bentley
• Roxanne Simpson – Eva Mendes
• Mack - Donal Logue

Story: “The story goes that every generation has one, some damned soul cursed to ride the earth collecting on the devil's deals. Many years ago, a ghost rider was sent to the village of San Vonganza, to fetch a contract worth a thousand evil souls...” Thus the narrator sets the stage for the epic battle of good and evil. Johnny Blaze is a professional stunt rider who made a deal with the devil when he was just a boy, a deal that backfired in his face, and left him orphaned and isolated from his friends and his sweetheart. Since then, he has gained national fame as the most daring daredevil on the planet, doing impossible stunts on his motorcycle. But his deal has come due, and the devil has charged him with a seemingly impossible task: find the contract of San Vonganza, a contract worth a thousand evil souls. The son of the devil, Blackheart, is also looking for the contract to create a hell on earth. The Ghost Rider must battle the devil and his son to make certain neither one get's the contract.

Review: I remember watching this film the first time and thinking it was just a lot of special effects without a lot of plot. Then I watched it a second time, and started to realize you have to really pay attention to the details to get the story. While not the best adaptation of a comic book (graphic novel if you prefer) to the screen, the special effects are awesome and the photography is Oscar worthy. Cage is Cage, that stoic actor who seems somehow devoid of emotion in most of his films. Mendez is hot, goes without saying, and equals Cage's level of emotion. Sam Elliot and Peter Fonda are the saving graces of the film, both adding a dimension of emotion lacking in the main characters. The prelude scenes of young Johnny and Roxanne are somewhat necessary, but could have been trimmed down to include more footage of the Ghost Rider and his missions. I haven't seen the newest film, just released at this writing, but hopefully the characters have been “fleshed out” and the plot concentrates more on the present than the past. With Cage being the only holdover for the new movie, perhaps the new directors can up the game a bit. The original film is rated PG-13 for violence and language, but nothing the teens haven't seen in their video games. Collectible? If you are a Marvel fan like I am, probably. As as classic film? No way. But entertaining.