"Ghost Rider" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Spider-Man]

Long ago he made a deal to save someone he loved.

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/MMPO/505332.jpg

"I'm the only one who can walk in both worlds. I'm Ghost Rider."


Release Date: February 16, 2007
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Screenwriter: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott, Donal Logue, Peter Fonda
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for horror violence and disturbing images)
Comic Book: Ghost Rider Discussion (Comic Book Version, Possible Spoilers) (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=184308)
Retrospective: Ghost Rider (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=183969)

Plot Summary: From the director of Daredevil (talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67130)) comes a new hero... Ghost Rider. Long ago, superstar motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze made a deal with the devil to protect the ones he loved most: his father and his childhood sweetheart, Roxanne (Eva Mendes). Now, the devil has come for his due. By day, Johnny is a die-hard stunt rider... but at night, in the presence of evil, he becomes the Ghost Rider, a bounty hunter of rogue demons. Forced to do the devil's bidding, Johnny is determined to confront his fate and use his curse and powers to defend the innocent.

Comments? What are your thoughts?

[Frank Castle]

I just got back from the movie and man was it awesome! Nic Cage really pulled off a convincing Johnny Blaze and the special effects were amazing. Also, the Penance Stare was one of the coolest things ever in movie history. I highly recommend it to everyone.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I saw it and I liked it. Mainly on the strength of Nick Cage's bizarre, quirky interpretation of Blaze, though. When Cage is on the screen it's a clunky script (some groaner dialogue) saved by his bizarro performance. When he's not, it's just a bad movie with Emo freaks meandering around killing people in PG-13 ways. Blackheart is the head Emo, and he's a very weak villain for Ghost Rider. It would have been nice to have someone more physical.

But the CGI is good, Nic Cage is funny, the girl who plays Roxanne Simpson is attractive and it's relatively true to the spirit of the comics, with little touches that will satisfy both Blaze and Dan Ketch fans, heck even fans of other Ghost Riders.

[Jaguar]

This was a lot better than I thought it would be, especially considering Mark Steven Johnson was the director. A lot of good humor, good action. It wasn't one of those absolutely-special Spider-Man level movies (and I don't think anyone expected or wanted it to be), but it was a fun movie and worth my $5.50 (matinee showings for live, bay-bee =X).

[Shawn Hopkins]

Comparisons to the quality of recent Marvel movies:

I'd rank it above the Hulk and Punisher and slightly above or at the same level as Fantastic 4. It's close to the third X-Men, but below the first two and far below the Spider-man flicks. I haven't seen Elektra and DD.

[JustJack]

Y'know, I really don't believe people when they say they're Ghost Rider fans. I'm a comic book geek...I've grown up amongst comic book geeks, and I really don't think many/any comic book geeks like Ghost Rider as a quality series. I believe the only reason why any of us like him is because he is such a dynamic looking character...he's a neat idea.

That's almost exactly how I felt about this movie. This wasn't a quality movie, and I'll call anyone claiming to be a fan of this movie a liar. It wasn't good -but it was a dynamic character doing dynamic things, it was a neat idea and a pretty fun (though dull) ride. Fun and cute are the two words that would best describe this flick.

Seriously though, the direction here was worse than in Daredevil (same director), Eva Mendes is a terrible actress (and I was really trying to give her a chance, here), and GR finished off all the baddies too soon. Speaking of baddies...since when are metrosexual emo kid's threatening? I suppose that's why GR finished them each off within seconds of coming face to face. Oh well...at least they did pull off GR's look...he was pretty *****in'.

[The Clown Prince]

Friday estimates are in and Ghost Rider made $15.2 million. The Tomato Meter is up and running and Ghost Rider currently is at a 24% rating with 13 fresh and 42 rotten.

OK, I've mentioned a couple times here on the board that my first ever comics I bought were the 90's era Ghost Rider issues 21 and 22. I was in sixth grade at the time, now I'm 27. :p I fell in love with Ghost Rider instantly and I quickly was able to find all the back issues and collected ALL the issues after that, including the current revamp.

I read JustJack's post and I'm sorry, but I really have to disagree with your first paragraph. Ghost Rider to me is and has been my favorite comic book character and book. The selling point of course was his look, BUT the stories were really good (with some low points) and consistent over the years that the title existed. It was MUCH darker than what the movie was. We had really good villains in the comic like Death Watch, the first incarnation of the Scarecrow, and my all-time favorite GR baddie Blackout. Later as the titled aged we had Lilith and her brood and we even had Zarathos (the first Ghost Rider spirit that possessed Johnny Blaze in the 70's comics as a major villain).

The movie however which I was really looking forward to was not all that good. Eva Mendes and Wes Bentley were TERRIBLE. Bentley's dialogue was some of the worst I've heard in a comic book movie in a long time. And Eva Mendes was just not a good actress.

I was really skeptical of Nic Cage's casting but somehow he made it work even with some cheesy dialogue of his own.

Peter Fonda was good but the best performance of the movie came from Sam Elliot. I don't know if MSJ was trying to make Elliot's reveal of him being the cowboy Ghost Rider a secret because it sure wasn't. The writing on the wall was blatantly obvious from the beginning.

You would think that MSJ, a diehard fan of Ghost Rider would have gotten this right, but two thirds of the movie wasn't good. Lame elemental villains, but a good one like Blackheart was majorly screwed over with Wes Bentley's performance and dialogue.

The only thing that they did get right was the actual Ghost Rider. From the far way shots GR looked fantastic! The close up shots while good still looked cartoony. The look of the skull was all right, but nothing compared to how Javier Saltres and Mark Texeria drew it. Those were some realistic looking skulls. The hell cycle was a pretty neat sight to see. All the more better that they actually built that bike and not have it be a CG creation.

GR's voice (as I read in the comics) I always pictured in my head as a loud sounding whisper. Hearing it in the movie was close to how I had it sound, but the delivery and of course one liner corny dialogue almost ruined it for me. And the Penance Stare was pretty good. MSJ actually nailed that down how it was in the comics.

Going by Friday's numbers I would guess anywhere from a $38 million to a $45 million opening. A modest opening for a film that cost $120 million plus I'm sure was another small fortune to market and promote. It will do good on DVD and I'm sure there is a chance of a sequel since MSJ and Ari Arad have already been talking about it.

The product we got here was a pure business decision. A low ranking character like GR was a big gamble to make and an even bigger one if they went with the hard R version that David Goyer wrote. I understand that every time GR is on screen it's costing a lot of money. I get that, but why throw in the humor, why have the terrible dialogue. This should have been a horror film. We've all seen PG-13 horror films and this easily could have been done. But considering what Ghost Rider is, they didn't take themselves too seriously and you could tell they had fun making it. This really was a shut your brain off type movie and enjoy it for what it is. A pure comic book movie with elements so fantastic and unbelievable, that it really IS a movie.

My view of the film seems mostly negative and it is since I am a big GR fan so I had expectations going in like any fan of a particular comic or book character. Sadly though this was worse than the theatrical version of Daredevil. For those that didn't know much about the character and enjoyed for it was, then I'm happy and glad for you. It will be you types of movie goers that probably get the sequel green lit and definitely not us comic book geeks.

The Clown Prince

[Hades]

This movie was just down right fantastic, and I hope Sony stays smart and gives us some freaking sequels!!! If there is anything to complain about, itis that the movie was far too short. That seems to be Marvel's biggest problems with their movies, running time. Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, and X-Men 3 were all good movies, but they were close to 45 minutes too short to tell the tale with its complete potential. Let's hope Sony releases on DVD and Blu-Ray an EE that is 2.5 hours long, because this movie truly needs it. I can see it now, Spider-Man 3 is going to be 92 minutes long. :ack: :p

Nevertheless, this was one hell of a movie, and I will definitely be buying it when it comes out. Heck, I was tempted to go right back and buy another ticket for the next showing, it was that good. Was it completely like the comics? No. But then again, Marvel has changed their comic characters around so many times (most of the time they are for the worst), they have basically made a movie being adapted directly from teh comic pointless. Spider-Man is probably the only one that has the same origin story, but for everyone else, it depends on who is writing it. DC has always kept their characters with becoming heroes for the same reason, but with Marvel, it is no holds barred.

Is it Spider-Man story telling, no, but it is still one great ride, and highly recommended. Oh, and one of my friends said the movie was very unrealistic. -_- I said to him, "Hello, you are watching a movie about a guy who turns into a flaming skeleton and rides a bike, THAT WAS BASED OFF A COMIC!! If you want realistic, which a bike race."

[Anarky]

a friend of mine saw it last night, he said it sucked toes
i might catch the matinee this monday
backstory: i am no fan of Nicholas Cage

[Nightwing]

I enjoyed the movie since I'm one of the regular movie goers who doesn't know much about Ghost Rider's comic history. What I wanted, though, was something that both The Clown Prince and myself would enjoy in terms of movie experience from a comic book character, of course.

I won't buy it, but I enjoyed it. And I also enjoyed Nicholas Cage's delivery of the character. I thought that was interesting and fun to watch, although if it should have been darker than that's what I would have wanted. If it's dark and it's supposed to be dark then I want dark. If you'll excuse the exaggerated example, it doesn't make much sense to put light moods in a movie that has dark moods if you're trying to translate the setting exact.

In any case, I think I changed my mind about something. I think Nick Cage could have been Superman.

[Zeonic Freak]

It was literally... OK. Thats it, i just couldnt get into it.

And i figured that Gunniess i drank before the movie would have helped some...

3 of *'s is a decent rating.

[Batmex]

4 1/2 Stars from me:D

I was skeptical about Nicolas Cage being a Marvel Superhero, but he pulled it out nicely.

[Wingus]

Wingman gives it a four-point-five as well, as I enjoyed it, but like others have said, it was no Spider-Man, or Batman Begins.

I actually enjoyed the humor, and the corniness of a lot of it. Though that Jellybean thing had me scratching my head some. My only complaint was about Blackheart. I was expecting the big Black Repaint Predator guy, but nah, we got the emo guy in a trenchcoat. Ah well. Hopefully, if ther's a sequel, maybe he'll come back in that version. Ghost Rider himself was awesome. Loved the transformation sequences, and the one-liners. :)

[Silly McGooses]

Wow, it made $15 million on Friday. Well on its way for $50 million+ four-day weekend.

[JustJack]

I had more time to think about this damn movie...here are some more thoughts.

It seems Spider-Man and X-Men both had the benefit of directors who knew how to do what they wanted to do before they ever started the damn film. Hulk, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and now Ghost Rider all seem to have suffered from production crew's that tried to make a movie around special effects that were never-before attempted (i.e.-people on fire, constantly).

How many more Fantastic Four's, Hulks, and Ghost Riders should we see before Marvel realizes the first movie can be just as good as the second. Why does every interview for FF:ROTSS have to say "now that the origin is out of the way, we can really have fun!" Likewise, I'm sure that if GR2 is greenlit, everyone will say "now that the origin is out of the way, and we know how to do the effects, we can really have fun!"

I gotta say, the first half of Ghost Rider was better than the second half, and part of that has to do with young Johnny, and his testing fate. In the second half, what little actual Ghost Rider we saw was amazing. I guess my real beef with it is that after GR appears, the "human" element feels forced. They didn't have the time/money to keep GR on screen for the final 40-50 minutes, so they tacked on a lot of crap to move the story along until GR squeezed in another 5 minute glory show. I also understand that they didn't actually figure out how to animate him until they were halfway through post.

I'm looking forward to a future where Marvel pre-plan's a little bit (kind of like what they're doing with Iron Man...it's called Pre-Production), and can make a movie with special effects (like Spider-man?), and not around special effects.

[FireStarterLE]

I haven't seen it yet but I need to. I was one of those fans who thought this TV show that came on years ago that was called "Ghost Rider" was about the comic, but when I watched it it was about these kids and just nothing about the real "Ghost Rider"

And even got a few of the toys (Ghost Rider and Vengeance to name a few). So I really need to see this movie.

[Cortez2301]

I really want to go see the movie soon.Is it worth watching at least once? (For a comic book fan).

[Terminatah]

I haven't seen it yet but I need to. I was one of those fans who thought this TV show that came on years ago that was called "Ghost Rider" was about the comic, but when I watched it it was about these kids and just nothing about the real "Ghost Rider"Are you thinking of Ghostwriter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter_(TV_series))?

-Terminatah

[Hades]

Wow, it made $15 million on Friday. Well on its way for $50 million+ four-day weekend.

How is it a four day weekend?


I really want to go see the movie soon.Is it worth watching at least once? (For a comic book fan).

It is worth watching many times. Heck, if you liked DareDevil or Fantastic Four, then you'll definitely like Ghost Rider as I think it is better than both of those. If you like Elecktra, then this will be like watching Spider-Man.

[Silly McGooses]

How is it a four day weekend?

President's day. Every public school in America is off.

[Wounded_Dragon]

President's day. Every public school in America is off.

Bzzzt. No, not every school.

[Silly McGooses]

*nearly* :)

I thought it was a national holiday? Are public schools alowed to be open?

[Wounded_Dragon]

It's a federal holiday. All that means is that the national government is off that day.

[Ishtar]

I just saw it this afternoon, and what can I say? I loved it. I liked the story, I liked Nicholas Cage's acting, it was well paced and had me interested the whole way through. The Special effects kicked ass, especially during the part where Ghost Rider rides up the side of the building. I'd rate it above The Hulk and Fantastic 4, but under the Spider-Man movies. I look forward to seeing Nicholas Cage in National Treasure 2 later this year.

[ShadowGUN]

Awesome movie. While I was never a fan of Ghost Rider comics I did enjoy the movie a lot. Nic Cage was entertaining to watch. Mendez could use some work. The fights and special effect were great. The only thing that dissapointed me was Blackheart and Mephisto appeareances. I thought they might look like their Marvel vs Capcom versions by the end of movie. Man, I hope they green light a sequel.

[Michael24]

Just got back.

This movie was awesome! I loved it. The special effects were really good, and I thought Ghost Rider himself looked great. In some of the ads, I thought he looked a bit underdone and moved a little awkward, but he looked pretty darn good.

I liked Nicolas Cage. I didn't get what was so quirky about his performance except in the earlier scenes of the film, before he became Ghost Rider. I thought Eva Mendes was okay. Her part didn't call for anything special, but she did what was called for and looked great in the process. Wes Bentley was appropriately menacing as the villain and a few of his moments actually gave me a good jump. Peter Fonda was creepy, though I was surprised how little he was used. And of course, Sam Elliott is incapable of being anything less than great. The humor was well-placed and got some good laughs from the audience (especially the part where Ghost Rider flips off the cops as he drives away laughing.) And while it maybe could have had a tad more action, the sequences we got were fun.

Overall, definitely entertaining. Sure, it's no Spider-Man or Superman Returns, but I felt it did its job, and I liked it more than Spider-Man 2, Fantastic Four, and any of the X-Men movies. My mom, who had never even heard of Ghost Rider until she saw ads for the movie, thought it was entertaining and said it was one of the better comic books movies she's seen.

Yup. I'm buying the DVD. :)

[Gpoliceman]

It sucked.

I agree wholeheartedly with Harry Knowles review at aintitcool.com

The characters were completely empty, not developed at all. Bad acting, bad dialogue, uninteresting villains, everything Harry Knowles said.

I didn't understand why Johnny Blaze acted like a little kid, eating jelly beans and watching cartoons. Is Blaze supposed to be quirky and a little nutty?

The villains were totally boring. It was just another one of those types of action movies where the villain is introduced by killing someone quickly and then the audience in the movie theater registers in their minds "Oh, I guess he's the bad guy." BORING BORING BORING. A cardboard cut-out villain.

Any ways, just read Harry's review. He says everything I thought.


PS:

I liked it when Ghost Rider gave the cops the finger and when he told the helicopter pilot "You're pissing me off". That was the only time I felt a hint of Ghost Rider's individual personality as compared to other superheroes.

from best to suckiest:
Spiderman 2
Batman Begins
Spiderman 1
X-Men 2
Superman Returns
X-Men 1
The Hulk
The Punisher
Fantastic Four
Daredevil
Ghost Rider
Electra

[Cortez2301]

It is worth watching many times. Heck, if you liked DareDevil or Fantastic Four, then you'll definitely like Ghost Rider as I think it is better than both of those. If you like Elecktra, then this will be like watching Spider-Man.Thanks.I saw the movie today.It was way better than I expected.I would have preferred someone other than Nicholas Cage to play the title character but he wasn't bad.I liked Daredevil more though but this movie was darker than I thought and it was worth the watch.I gave it 3.5 stars out of 5.

[Jin Kazama]

I didn't understand why Johnny Blaze acted like a little kid, eating jelly beans and watching cartoons. Is Blaze supposed to be quirky and a little nutty?

My father couldn't figure it out either. I'm not sure if even I do. The way I saw it was that, since he's one foot in the grave already, he's not really amused with edgier, darker things. That he wants to stay as far away from that side of life as much as he can.

As for the movie as a whole? Meh. It was ok. I didn't have high hopes going in, and I didn't leave disapointed, so it was decent. They should have really laid off the cheese factor, though.

[Michael24]

I don't think there's anything to figure out about Blaze eating the jellybeans. It was just a quirky little character trait, like Kojak and his lollipops.

[Nightwing]

Wholey mind melds, Batman! I NEVER EVER thought I'd agree with a review from Harry Knowles! But he was completely right about the movie's lack of emotion and consequence. He was wrong about one thing though. Eva Mendes looked stunning, but she has looked hotter. In the time between shooting this movie and the last time I saw footage of her, I think she put on a few pounds. Still hot though. And irrelevant, I know, but it softens the blow for me in realizing Harry Knowles has a point in his cursing and ranting. :p He just always came off as mean to me.

from best to suckiest:
Spiderman 2
Batman Begins
Spiderman 1
X-Men 2
Superman Returns
X-Men 1
The Hulk
The Punisher
Fantastic Four
Daredevil
Ghost Rider
Electra
The only thing I'd change about that is put Ghost Rider second to last, Electra up 2 spots, and X-Men 1 is a few thousand times better than Superman Returns.

[Hades]

from best to suckiest:
Spiderman 2
Batman Begins
Spiderman 1
X-Men 2
Superman Returns
X-Men 1
The Hulk
The Punisher
Fantastic Four
Daredevil
Ghost Rider
Electra

For me, it would go:

Batman Begins
Spider-Man 1
Spider-Man 2
X-Men 2
X-Men 1
Ghost Rider
Fantastic Four
DareDevil
X-Men 3
Superman Returns
Punisher
Hulk
Elektra

[Gpoliceman]

Oh yeah, I forgot X-Men 3...

from best to suckiest:
Spiderman 2
Batman Begins
Spiderman 1
X-Men 2
Superman Returns
X-Men 1
The Hulk
The Punisher
Fantastic Four
X-Men 3
Daredevil
Ghost Rider
Electra

[Michael24]

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. Did anybody recognize the cartoon that Blaze watches, with the skeleton and the cats? It looked so familiar.

[Anarky]

It's a federal holiday. All that means is that the national government is off that day.

as well as financial institutions and the US stock market. i love working in the financial industry: 10 guaranteed weekdays off...and PAID:D

[Anarky]

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. Did anybody recognize the cartoon that Blaze watches, with the skeleton and the cats? It looked so familiar.

i haven't seen the movie but that sounds like Thundercats (the main villain was Mum-Ra)

can't think of anything else at the moment until i see the film

[Anarky]

did Blackheart remain in his human-form or did he revert to his demon-form at the end?

[Frank Castle]

did Blackheart remain in his human-form or did he revert to his demon-form at the end?
He stayed in his human form. But at the end...
His eyes turned red when he absorbed all the souls. They basically ripped off Deacon Frost from Blade.

[BonyT]

The special effects were fine; but then things are not quite the same as they were in the days when special effects alone could make Jurassic Park an instant classic. Generally speaking, spectacular special effects don't really buy an action film any extra ratings stars from anybody nowadays; the effects have simply become a sine quo non for the genre -- an expected basic element without which your film doesn't even have a foot in the door.

The story: meh.

i'm not well-versed in comic book Ghost Rider, so I don't really have a feeling for how well this film translated the essence/character of the comics into live-action.

Don't think I'll be buying this one.

[Michael24]

i haven't seen the movie but that sounds like Thundercats (the main villain was Mum-Ra)

can't think of anything else at the moment until i see the film

No, it definitely wasn't Thundercats. It was an older cartoon, black-and-white, probably from the 1930s.

[Batmex]

Oh yeah, I forgot to ask. Did anybody recognize the cartoon that Blaze watches, with the skeleton and the cats? It looked so familiar.
If memory serves me right that's a Disney Halloween toon from the old days.

[BonyT]

If memory serves me right that's a Disney Halloween toon from the old days.I don't think I've ever seen that particular cartoon before, but it struck me as Disneyish as well --- the Steamboat-Willy-style spaghetti-like legs on the cats and all.

[2dalchemist]

President's day. Every public school in America is off.
ughhh not my school i have to do a makeup day for bad weather and still had to go to school

[Anarky]

No, it definitely wasn't Thundercats. It was an older cartoon, black-and-white, probably from the 1930s.

that old? maybe it was felix the cat.
i'll see it this week

[Shawn Hopkins]

I'm pretty sure it was a Disney Cartoon. I think it was "The Skeleton Dance."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skeleton_Dance

You know what this movie was really missing? At no point did the Rollin's Band song "Ghost Rider" appear.

Even though the song has lyrics that go "Baby, baby, baby, he's looking so cute, riding around in his blue jumpsuit, baby, baby, baby, he's screaming the truth, America is killing its youth" that would fit pretty well with the weirdo Blaze Nic Cage portrayed. And the song has some awesome energy.

They should have played it as the second song on the closing credits, or even played part of it in the movie. Maybe the part that goes, "He's riding through your town with his head on fire."

[Michael24]

Thank you, Shawn. I did some looking, and that is the one seen in Ghost Rider. Wow, I had no idea it was a Disney short. I didn't know they had made ones like that before. But it's very cool.

[Spider-Man]

I can't say I was blown away by the movie but I did enjoy it. I thought it wasn't as good as the director's previous super-hero effort Daredevil but it was still fun with some amazing special effects. I found some of the characters to be sort of lifeless and the movie predictable but I still had alot of fun watching it. The story wasn't anything exciting and I found alot of the movie felt staged but I still left with a smile on my face. I can't see this becoming a franchise though.

[Hades]

That is not true. X-Men 1 was not the greatest thing in the world, as the movie was kind of bland at times, but that still became a franchise.

[jv2k]

After finishing the movie the words wow left my mouth.But when I sad wow I don't mean "WOW that was great" I meant "wow... that was terrible".

To be brief I suppose the negatives could be listed as:

Ok so some guy comes in saying he will cure Blaze's dad's cancer if he sells him his soul. Who actually seriously responds to this? Sure it's a movie but come on they could have done it better. Maybe if he tricked him into it or something.

The beginning was the best part of the movie and even that was slow and boring.

Flat characters. No one really gets developed. Blaze doesn't even take time to learn his ghost rider powers. One minute they come without control the next minute he's mastered them.

The villains sucked . They looked lame and they barely put up a fight.

The fight scenes also sucked. Besides the bad choreography, the way GR beats the main villain was so lame and anticlimactic. I wouldn't have minded the predicable move if there was some struggle as he did it but in the end after he was getting his ass handed to him GR just pushed the main villain against a wall with little effort and does the whole eye thing. Come on now.

GR tells satan he's not taking back his own powers and he's going to use his satan born powers to stop satan from taking more souls. I don't see why he didn't just take GR's powers away as it seemed within his power to do so.

All in all a bad movie. To be honest I liked every other marvel movie more.

[Russkafin]

My friend Mike and I recently saw this and I regret to say that we were both quite disappointed with it.

We went in with pretty neutral expectations. Though our hopes tend to get fairly high for every new comic book flick, neither of us were followers of the Ghost Rider comics, and would both readily concede that we knew relatively little about the character. We both greatly enjoyed director Mark Steven Johnson's previous superhero endeavor, "Daredevil," despite the fact that the critics bashed it. In short, we went in ready for anything.

A few weeks before the movie's release, Johnson was quoted on superherohype.com as saying that he was disappointed with the way the movie was being advertised, saying that the ads made the movie look too light and jokey because the spots tended to use humorous moments in them, and that he didn't feel they represented how dark and horrific the movie actually was. Well, I am not sure what the heck he was talking about. The movie is full of goofy, "humorous" moments. It feels watered down. It's PG-13, and it feels it, and that just doesn't work for a character like Ghost Rider. I think Mike hit it on the head when he said they should have gone for the R rating and made it more like the "Blade" films... that is the kind of tone you really needed for this film and a dark character like Ghost Rider.

There were a few moments where I thought we were really going to see some wild stuff - first, when Johnny Blaze first transforms into Ghost Rider. This was by far my favorite moment in the movie. His flesh is burning off as his skull prepares to burst into flames for the first time, and he's laughing like crazy. It's absolutely insane! However, it doesn't follow through. The fights that follow (and all the fights in the movie, really) just feel weak. We never get to really see Ghost Rider DO anything... his enemies are dispatched way too quickly, easily, and effortlessly, from the Air Elemental guy who gets blown away when he spins his chain to the Water Elemental guy who, in a moment that doesn't even seem to make sense, is killed simply by Blaze turning into Ghost Rider underwater.

The other moment that screamed of potential was the prison scene. Blaze turns into Ghost Rider in the presence of evil, and he is mistakenly thrown in the slammer with a bunch of criminals. Again, he flips out, and gradually Ghost Rider takes control of him once more. And, again, I thought to myself - "Here we go, we're really gonna see something now!!" And again... I was let down. Ghost Rider simply throws the criminals off of him, knocking them all out, and essentially strolls out of the cell (but not before giving us another "comical" moment where the only innocent kid in the cell faints).

The very reason that Blaze is thrown into prison in the first place is a huge leap of logic. Essentially, the cops find his licence plate among a bunch of rubble on a ruined city street, and conclude that he must have been responsible for not only that destruction, but several nearby murders. Keep in mind there are dozens of wrecked cars and other debris everywhere at the time, but somehow that licence plate leads them to throw Blaze right in the slammer?

Even the very premise of GR's origin, his pact with the devil to save his father's life, felt mishandled. The tagline on the movie posters was "Long ago he made a deal to save someone he loved." But, he is essentially tricked into making that deal without really knowing what he is doing... he doesn't agree willingly to it. The scene could have been so much more poignant if Johnny had made a real, intentional sacrifice, knowing that he was giving up his freedom and his very soul to save his father. Instead, a paper cut and a drop of blood seal the deal without Johnny even knowing what he's doing.

Perhaps the most bizarre moment comes near the end of the movie, where Ghost Rider gets a chance to ride with his predecessor, the original Ghost Rider. Again, this was a moment where I thought we were about to see some action - two GRs fighting side by side! Instead, the original just goes for a run with him, then essentially says "You're on your own, I just wanted to come for the ride." Did the effects budget run out?

By and large Nic Cage was the best thing about this film. Even saddled with a weak story and a thin plot, he is really trying here, which is more than I can say for the other actors. Even Wes Bently, who I loved in American Beauty, feels paper-thin as Blackheart. I'm not sure I can entirely blame him though, since he is playing a character with no real motivation other than the fact that he is evil and wants to be more powerful.

Overall this just felt like a movie that was going through the motions, hoping special effects would be enough to carry us through. And, while the effects do look good, what are they really worth without a solid story to back them up? Most of all, I feel bad for Cage... he is a huge comic book fan who has wanted to be in a superhero movie for years (at one point he was up for the role of Superman, when Tim Burton was briefly attached to the franchise). It's too bad that this is what he ended up with... he gave it his all, but everyone else (from the cast to the writers) were just phoning this one in.

*THUMBS DOWN*

[HaagenDas]

I did not have much expectation going in. That got me pleasantly surprised. I think they can do things better though.

Nick Cage with his pain scenes were good I thought. He definitely got ripped for the part.

Eva Mendes...mmmm. I havent seen her look that good in any movie.

I did think they overused the "look into my eyes" line. Sounded like a bad hypnotist/gypsie line after a bit.

The effects were what made me go see it and what made me appreciate it.

Out of all Marvel movies:

Spiderman 2
X-Men 2
Spiderman
X-Men
Blade
Blade:Trinity
Fantastic Four
Ghost Rider
X-Men 3
Blade II
Hulk

Didnt see Punisher, DD or Elektra.

I think they have a lot of potential here but didnt use it. They should have explored the curse aspect of it all. It's what makes Batman and Blade successful. Constantly driving, constantly fighting, all in a seemingless endless struggle. It could have been darker I thought. If it was, I would have enjoyed his character more.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Zis any good?

[Redi]

Ummmm...Johnny Blaze was funny and entertaining. If the movie was about a corky daredevil and his childhood sweetheart.....it would have been a good movie.

But as soon as Ghost Rider got into the mix, the movie started to drag. I never read the comic but the character was just as stiff as his animation. There was not enough Johnny Blaze present in Ghost Rider to be entertaining.

The villains were lackluster and the action was very mediocre.

Live action Marvel movies(last decade)

Spiderman 2
Blade 2
X-Men 2
Blade
----------------------best of the rest
X-Men
Spiderman
The Punisher
Blade Trinity
Ghost Rider
Fantastic 4
Dare Devil
The Hulk
X-Men 3
Elektra

[Damien]

This is pretty low on my list. Let me take it piece-by-piece.


Acting/Casting: Fine. Good. I was actually impressed with Cage.
Music/Score: Freaking epic. Surprisingly excellent. Freaking...oh yeah.
Plot: Flawed. The whole deal with the contract didn't make the best sense, and it felt like a dumb subplot. There were other things that just didn't make sense. The whole time Blaze was like, "I hate my curse. I need a second chance." But nothing was really happening to him. Once the curse actually kicked in and he became Ghost Rider, he started to like it. He even kept it to fight Mephistopholes, even though there would be no way he could just welch on their deal like that. The Devil just got mad? No. He'd say, "Sorry," and take the Rider right out of him. Also, Johnny makes that decision at the end, but starts randomly fighting bad guys in the middle. What?
Dialogue: Sucked. The writing ruined the movie. Awful. Just awful. I couldn't tell if the writer was really, REALLY into '60s comics, or didn't know a thing about comics and said, "Yeah, yeah. This is what comic book fans like. Yeah." No. The worst part was the ending. You can even see Cage wince as he delivers his tough guy lines to the Devil.
The pointing: Stop it. Just stop that right now. Stop freaking pointing.
Characters: Everyone was fine except the villains. Annoying. Just. If I can't get into both the heroes and villains, I can't fully get into the movie.Good casting. Epic music. Just needs a new script.

[Hanshotfirst113]

That is not true. X-Men 1 was not the greatest thing in the world, as the movie was kind of bland at times, but that still became a franchise.

I loved X-Men and X2. Superb, especially the latter.

When your superhero's best power involves looking into peoples' eyes, you need to rethink him. A cure for insomnia. Outside of Eva Mendes, there was little going on. Sam Elliot was fun, though. Was Cage in pain or tripping on acid? He's such a horrible actor. After Superman, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, X-Men, X2, Blade II, Hellboy, and Superman Returns, I expect better from a superhero movie; really, it can be intelligent. Lame villians. If Peter Fonda is the devil, suddenly hell looks kind of boring.


The whole deal with the contract didn't make the best sense, and it felt like a dumb subplot.

It was the crux of the whole movie.


You can even see Cage wince as he delivers his tough guy lines to the Devil.

I know. The writing was just...ah, not good.


The pointing: Stop it. Just stop that right now. Stop freaking pointing.

Yes. What in the name of Kami was the point of that? I was just stupid. I'LL LOOK AT YOU! MWHAHA!


Characters: Everyone was fine except the villains. Annoying. Just. If I can't get into both the heroes and villains, I can't fully get into the movie.

A god is only as good as his devil. If satan is boring that means that you are doing something wrong.

[PowerZord]

Not the greatest of all Marvel stories.. but still a great one. the only thing I was really annoyed was at the final battle. I expected something more epical..

[James Harvey]

Wit the release of Ghost Rider to DVD today, in both a Regular Edition and Extended Cut, now seems like the perfect time to revisit this film!


http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/MMPO/505332.jpg

"I'm the only one who can walk in both worlds. I'm Ghost Rider."


Theatrical Release Date: February 16, 2007
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Screenwriter: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott, Donal Logue, Peter Fonda
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for horror violence and disturbing images)

Plot Summary: From the director of Daredevil (talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67130)) comes a new hero... Ghost Rider. Long ago, superstar motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze made a deal with the devil to protect the ones he loved most: his father and his childhood sweetheart, Roxanne (Eva Mendes). Now, the devil has come for his due. By day, Johnny is a die-hard stunt rider... but at night, in the presence of evil, he becomes the Ghost Rider, a bounty hunter of rogue demons. Forced to do the devil's bidding, Johnny is determined to confront his fate and use his curse and powers to defend the innocent.

Comments? What are your thoughts?

Related Discussion:
-Ghost Rider DVD Talkback (Spoilers) (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=191940)
-Ghost Rider Comic Book Talkback (Spoilers) (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=184308)
-Ghost Rider Animation Retrospective (Spoilers) (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=183969)

[sdp]

I am in no way familiar with Ghost Rider, in fact its the first time I'm exposed to the character.


The movie is a bit silly but the concept is silly so its good that they took this approach. I mean as a kid GR looked cool but as an adult he looks kinda cheesy..Anyways this movie is tons of fun. I really liked it and would love to see a sequel. I recommend it to people. The movie got mixed reactions but I'm glad I listened to one of the positive ones and checked it out.

[brooks]

I personally think this movie is fantastic. Nicolas Cage is a great actor.