Movie Review: Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider
Directed/Written By: Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Electra)
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bently, Brett Cullen
Did you read who wrote/directed this? If you did, you will be able to predict pretty much everything I will say. That was my attempt to warn all who don't click on link to see what's under the cut. Dear lord, somebody please stop allowing this guy to do comic movies. Hell, stop allowing him to do movies in general. Send him back to the drive thru window of a McDonalds in LA. He should be good enough to do that well at least. Below, I will start with the good because there was some merit to the movie. Then I'll hit why it wasn't so hot. (haha...hey, the pun is in the spirit of the movie so shutup)
The Good: David put it best: this movie was great as a romantic comedy. That is a mark in it's favor and against it. I do like me some romantic comedies, but as a whole the genre is plagued with lame, insipid, predictable plots that are really just there to get you involved in hoping the characters get together and happy when they eventually do, despite hilarity that tries to keep them apart. Ghost Rider was just downright funny in several points, which made it very entertaining. I think I might buy the DVD used one day, so it's not a total loss. Of course, it was funny in that it was not taking itself seriously and riffing on Ghost Rider in general...like Ghost Rider OOC. Of course, for those wanting badass...eheh... But I judge movies based on their entertainment value and this was entertaining. Also, Eva Mendes was hot and we saw a lot of cleavage. It may sound terribly shallow to say that, but it did redeem a few dollars of the night movie price (I still owe Mike 8 bucks for that). Finally, the special effects of Ghost Rider were pretty good.
The Bad: Everything else. The movie doesn't take itself seriously, and thus does not do Ghost Rider as a badass on par with Blade justice at all. Oh, but they do try to rip off Blade for some badass credibility. Blackheart seriously pulls a Deacon Frost La Magra at the end...but without the buildup and because it's already been done, and better, it only makes my inner Blade/Deacon Frost fan very, very angry. Wes, I liked you a lot in American Beauty, but you are no Deacon Frost. Now, comic movies don't need to be based on the comics...I'll be the first to say that. However, this movie was inconsistent within itself. They state explicitly that he becomes Ghost Rider at night in the presence of evil...that was in the preview for crying out loud. By the end, it's just "I need to be shadows...get me to shadows!" He can't control himself changing in the beginning; by the end, with precious little buildup, he changes as instantaneously as he can think it...in shadows. (Ghost Rider is NOT a vampire, Johnson. They didn't let you direct Blade because you suck; get over it.) The puns when he is Ghost Rider come fast and furious, and though aweful, it does make for some great laughs. Except when he whistles for his bike and it zips forward like a playful puppy. (Why Johnson, why?) Cage demanded not to be a bourbon drinking, chain smoking badass in the movie and he got it. I say, if he didn't want that, DON'T FUCKING BE GHOST RIDER, DUMBASS! I loved Cage in Face/Off and Gone in 60 Seconds...but Jesus. Don't try to rewrite intrinsic properties of something to suit your personal tastes. He does look the part and is decent at what he does, but finding out he demanded that the movie be that cheesy kind of kills him in it for me. Oh, and Barton Blaze at the end riding with him to the final battle, but then going "Okay, I just wanted to ride here...I'm out. Peace. Good luck and all that."? Lame. Ass. Every villain but Blackheart died too easily, I thought...but that might just be opinion. And I still can't figure out why Mephistopheles goes to such lengths to keep creating a creature that will inevitably betray him due to the heroic nature of the creature. It makes a nice damned if you do (reap evil souls), damned if you don't dynamic...but they never really explored that. Meph just looks like a dumbass...although the actor that played him did do really well at looking really evil. And a final bit of inconsistancy to leave you on before I head out: Ghost Rider gets stabbed at one point in the movie and when he turns back into Blaze, he needs the wound stitched up. Later he gets riddled with bullets, but shows nary a mark as Blaze. What, is he selectively invincible? Easy things to fix, sure, let them hurt him but lethal things...ooh no. *headdesk* Narrative fidelity? What's that?
In short: worth seeing, for cheap. Or preferably free. It's entertaining, but sometimes you're laughing and you wonder if you're only laughing because it beats the alternative of crying. I found myself thinking that it's pretty bad when in the movies, Ghost Rider is funnier than Spider Man. O.o I would actually say that Daredevil was better than this movie as far as comic movies go..and that's a lot (but I liked the Kingpin in that movie). However, this movie was more entertaining due to its reclassification as a romantic comedy. And again...Eva Mendes was hot.
>>Spazz Out
Directed/Written By: Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Electra)
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bently, Brett Cullen
Did you read who wrote/directed this? If you did, you will be able to predict pretty much everything I will say. That was my attempt to warn all who don't click on link to see what's under the cut. Dear lord, somebody please stop allowing this guy to do comic movies. Hell, stop allowing him to do movies in general. Send him back to the drive thru window of a McDonalds in LA. He should be good enough to do that well at least. Below, I will start with the good because there was some merit to the movie. Then I'll hit why it wasn't so hot. (haha...hey, the pun is in the spirit of the movie so shutup)
The Good: David put it best: this movie was great as a romantic comedy. That is a mark in it's favor and against it. I do like me some romantic comedies, but as a whole the genre is plagued with lame, insipid, predictable plots that are really just there to get you involved in hoping the characters get together and happy when they eventually do, despite hilarity that tries to keep them apart. Ghost Rider was just downright funny in several points, which made it very entertaining. I think I might buy the DVD used one day, so it's not a total loss. Of course, it was funny in that it was not taking itself seriously and riffing on Ghost Rider in general...like Ghost Rider OOC. Of course, for those wanting badass...eheh... But I judge movies based on their entertainment value and this was entertaining. Also, Eva Mendes was hot and we saw a lot of cleavage. It may sound terribly shallow to say that, but it did redeem a few dollars of the night movie price (I still owe Mike 8 bucks for that). Finally, the special effects of Ghost Rider were pretty good.
The Bad: Everything else. The movie doesn't take itself seriously, and thus does not do Ghost Rider as a badass on par with Blade justice at all. Oh, but they do try to rip off Blade for some badass credibility. Blackheart seriously pulls a Deacon Frost La Magra at the end...but without the buildup and because it's already been done, and better, it only makes my inner Blade/Deacon Frost fan very, very angry. Wes, I liked you a lot in American Beauty, but you are no Deacon Frost. Now, comic movies don't need to be based on the comics...I'll be the first to say that. However, this movie was inconsistent within itself. They state explicitly that he becomes Ghost Rider at night in the presence of evil...that was in the preview for crying out loud. By the end, it's just "I need to be shadows...get me to shadows!" He can't control himself changing in the beginning; by the end, with precious little buildup, he changes as instantaneously as he can think it...in shadows. (Ghost Rider is NOT a vampire, Johnson. They didn't let you direct Blade because you suck; get over it.) The puns when he is Ghost Rider come fast and furious, and though aweful, it does make for some great laughs. Except when he whistles for his bike and it zips forward like a playful puppy. (Why Johnson, why?) Cage demanded not to be a bourbon drinking, chain smoking badass in the movie and he got it. I say, if he didn't want that, DON'T FUCKING BE GHOST RIDER, DUMBASS! I loved Cage in Face/Off and Gone in 60 Seconds...but Jesus. Don't try to rewrite intrinsic properties of something to suit your personal tastes. He does look the part and is decent at what he does, but finding out he demanded that the movie be that cheesy kind of kills him in it for me. Oh, and Barton Blaze at the end riding with him to the final battle, but then going "Okay, I just wanted to ride here...I'm out. Peace. Good luck and all that."? Lame. Ass. Every villain but Blackheart died too easily, I thought...but that might just be opinion. And I still can't figure out why Mephistopheles goes to such lengths to keep creating a creature that will inevitably betray him due to the heroic nature of the creature. It makes a nice damned if you do (reap evil souls), damned if you don't dynamic...but they never really explored that. Meph just looks like a dumbass...although the actor that played him did do really well at looking really evil. And a final bit of inconsistancy to leave you on before I head out: Ghost Rider gets stabbed at one point in the movie and when he turns back into Blaze, he needs the wound stitched up. Later he gets riddled with bullets, but shows nary a mark as Blaze. What, is he selectively invincible? Easy things to fix, sure, let them hurt him but lethal things...ooh no. *headdesk* Narrative fidelity? What's that?
In short: worth seeing, for cheap. Or preferably free. It's entertaining, but sometimes you're laughing and you wonder if you're only laughing because it beats the alternative of crying. I found myself thinking that it's pretty bad when in the movies, Ghost Rider is funnier than Spider Man. O.o I would actually say that Daredevil was better than this movie as far as comic movies go..and that's a lot (but I liked the Kingpin in that movie). However, this movie was more entertaining due to its reclassification as a romantic comedy. And again...Eva Mendes was hot.
>>Spazz Out