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Printer-Friendly ModeCage rides to mediocrity in latest superhero flick
February 19, 2007 —
Ghost Rider is the latest in a long line of recent comic-based movies and manages to land somewhere between the abominable Daredevil and the high-quality X-Men. Few moments hint at the possibility of excellence, but the unusual style and the charisma of some of the stars keep it from being completely detestable.
Based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name, Ghost Rider is the story of a stunt motorcyclist named Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) who quite literally makes a deal with the devil. After the devil promises to heal his cancer-stricken father, he exploits a loophole, as the devil is wont to do, freeing Johnny up to serve him.
These earlier scenes of the movie struck me as the strongest. Cage carries with him a kind of charm that people tend to either love or loathe. Although I was once in the latter category, he has grown on me over the years. His performance, though battered by some laughable dialogue, is enough to carry the movie through the less outrageous scenes.
Once the plot thickens, though, the movie falls apart. Villains appear from the woodwork with little to no explanation of who they are and why they matter, and when Johnny Blaze transforms into Ghost Rider, he undergoes such a drastic and inexplicable personality change that the character I had begun to like becomes unrecognizable.
The villains in the movie are bland and uninteresting. The leader of the small troupe of evildoers turns out to be the son of the devil, and he is wretchedly miscast. Instead of a frightening or intimidating figure, he reminded me more of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter with black hair and robbed of skin pigmentation. And when Ghost Rider actually says, "You're going down" to a pale boy-band member, there is little to do but laugh.
To be fair, though, these are the worst aspects of Ghost Rider. This movie is not all bad, and the addition of Sam Elliott as a mysterious cemetery caretaker offers a welcome respite from the weaker moments. Elliott is another actor who carries an unmistakable personality into every role, and that personality fits very well into the dark and grandiose world of Ghost Rider.
Dark and grandiose is indeed what it seems Ghost Rider is aiming for, but the failure to consistently create that atmosphere is at the root of its inadequacy. Somewhere along the line, comedy must have felt necessary, as numerous occasions warrant a laugh. Some of these feel unintentional, but others do not. Maybe it was ordained that viewers would not be able to handle the grim subject matter without a laugh-break, which is a significant mistake. When a movie is inconsistent and unsure of itself, then the foundation it rests on shudders.
It's unfortunate that another Marvel movie, like Daredevil and Fantastic Four, has failed. Certainly Ghost Rider and other recent sub par comic book films must feel sheepish next to great movies such as Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins.