Ghost Rider (2007)

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Writer: Mark Steven Johnson

Tagline: Hell Is About To Be Unleashed!

Actors: Nicolas Cage, Peter Fonda, Eva Mendes, Donal Logue, Sam Elliott

Category: Comic Book, Demon, Devil, Revenge

Synopsis: Johnny Blaze and his father are well known motorcycle performers with a traveling circus. But when Johnny finds out that his dad is dying, he sells his soul to the Devil in return for his father’s health. In a freak accident his father dies and Johnny is left with an unsettling sentiment from Mephistopheles that he will return when he needs him. Fast-forward into a future where Johnny Blaze has made a name for himself doing extreme motorcycle stunts. Just when he is at the top of his game, a dark figure from his past returns to claim his favor. The Devil turns Johnny into a Ghost Rider. Now inhabited with The Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny must learn to control his new powers to defeat Blackheart, the Devil’s son.

Review: Being a former fan/collector of the Ghost Rider comics, I was fairly impressed. It was really cool, just like X-Men, to see your childhood heroes come to life. Apart from some obvious clichés and some variations from the original story, I thought that this movie was pretty good. I know that some people will argue that Ghost Rider (2007)is not a horror movie…but I see it as a horror sub-genre, considering the Devil is in it, along with his son and a man with a flaming skull for a head who controls the fires of Hell. Either way you see it, if you are a fan of the Marvel comic, you should see it. The special effects (and there were many) were really cool and the animation of Ghost Rider’s head and hands were pretty cool too. The acting was over the top (what we’ve all come to expect from Nicolas Cage movies) but believable. The story, which starts off different from the original, took a nice twist and I thought they did a good job rollin’ with the new. Not Marvel’s best but definitely better than some.

Rating: 14. Although I liked it, there were too many clichés and normal Nick Cage acting. The story was good and the effects were really cool. Looking at it from a horror standpoint…don’t bother, but from an action standpoint…see it. I wish they would not have sub-genred this as horror…it’s insulting. (14of25).