Movie Title: Ghost Rider
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/10)
Year: 2007
Ghost Rider official site: http://www.ghostrider-movie.com/
Yeay!!! As much as I say I want to watch this movie when it first came out, I didn’t. Indeed, I was fashionably late for this one. Very much late when my friends told me it was cheesy. Well… some even text me to just watch the DVD when they just walk out from the cinema. Being me, of course I want to see it on the big screen.
Seriously, no matter how cheesy it may sound or be, I would wanna see it. I mean… hello… a movie make based on MARVEL comic books! I think I only missed Daredevil and The Hulk. Seriously, I sorta think it’s one of the best way to practically see and read a comic. Best is when you get the best of both world in one.
As usual… the opening was a pretty much standard MARVEL comic flip style (which I really enjoy). Then comes the Ghost Rider opening titles which quickly disappoints me. Now wait a minute… let me say this, I have not seen the comics… nope… have not even heard about it.. so reviews are solely based on what I see and feel. Now back to the opening… I find it has this big clash between this modern fast and furious like car pattern design with old western fonts… which later on when the story ends… I sorta know why they did it… but still I wasn’t impressed. I personally think it’s a bad combination.
The movie begins with a narrated story which tells tales about the legendary Ghost Rider. Back in the old western days, in the town called San Venganzas, one horse rider make a deal with the devil, Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) to be the next Ghost Rider. A Ghost Rider is the Devil’s bounty hunter. It lives to do the Devil’s bidding and bring back any escaped souls from Hell. In one of his jobs, he Rider is sent to retrieve a contract where a thousand souls of San Venganzas make with Mephistopheles. Knowing how powerful the contract is, the Rider ride away and hide the contract and himself away from the “devil”.
The movie then starts centuries later focusing on a young stunt motorcyclist, Johnny Blaze (Matt Long) and his father Barton Blaze (Brett Cullen). They were the main attraction at the carnival and lots of people is actually cheering for them. Young Johnny Blaze was madly in love with Roxanne Simpson (Raquel Alessi). Roxanne’s father is planning to send Roxanne away to stay with her mother. Being so in love, Johnny decides to run away with Roxanne to a far away place leaving his father behind. Johnny makes a date with Roxanne to wait at the same spot tomorrow.
When Johnny reach home, his father was asleep looking back at the old news clippings. While trying to put the album aside, Johnny picked up a letter from the bin stating that his father is dying of lungs cancer. Sadden by the news, Johnny just went out, take some air while fixing up his bike. While fixing, Mephistopheles suddenly appear in front of Johnny telling him how much he loves to see him ride. Mephistopheles then make a deal with Johnny. He promised he would cure his father claiming that his father will be “as healthy as a horse” if Johnny signs his soul over. While trying to take a look at the contract, he cut his hand and a drop of blood falls on the contract.
Mephistopheles quickly takes the contract back saying that would do. Johnny then finds himself laying on the bed the next morning. Johnny thought he was dreaming at first. When his father was jumping around happily telling him he is fine and the doctor says he is not sick anymore, Johnny felt something is not right. Later that evening, Johnny’s father died while performing a stunt at the carnival. Johnny then finds out it’s Mephistopheles caused his father’s death.
Mephistopheles then contacted Johnny to inform him that he now owns Johnny’s soul and that a rider like him needs no distraction from family, friends and love. This forces Johnny to leave Roxanne behind and goes on a solo life.
Many many years later, Johnny (Nicholas Cage) grew up to be a famous stunt motorcyclist. He is famous for surviving his almost impossible to achieve stunts. Mack (Donal Logue), one of his crew members constantly advice him to stop doing the impossible and take good care of his life. He even told Johnny that, he must have an angel looking after him for surviving all those impossible stunts. Which of course, no one knows it was something else.
While trying to set a new record trying to jump from end to end of a field stunt, Johnny met Roxanne (Eva Mendez). Roxanne is now a journalist and set to interview Johnny. Both got a little tongue tied especially when Johnny kept asking Roxanne embarrassing questions. After successfully doing the field end to field end jump ( with helicopters in between)… which many regard as a suicide attempt, Johnny just went on to find Roxanne. Johnny tries to renew his relationship. He then asked Roxanne out for a date.
Just when everything seems fine, Blackheart (Wes Bentley), Mephistopheles’ son came to earth to find the contract that belongs to Mephistopheles. As he arrived at a bar, he practically killed everyone in the bar. He then calls upon “The Hidden” which gathers three other fallen angel that takes the form of Earth “Grissel” (Laurence Breuls), Wind “Abigor” (Mathew Wilkinson) and Water “Wallow” (Daniel Frederiksen). While trying to get the contract, they confronted Mephistopheles.
Blackheart told Mephistopheles that he is all out to get the contract and there is nothing he could do to stop him as he could not send his soul back to Hell. Mephistopheles told Blackheart and “The Hidden” that he would send his Ghost Rider to go after them.
Johnny is getting ready to meet Roxanne as promised. However, Mephistopheles comes just in time to spoil the date. He hinted to Johnny that he survived all those stunts because of the deal he made to be his Ghost Rider. Johnny tried to refuse working for Mephistopheles, however it just didn’t happen.
As he rides on the bike, it just move automatically. The bike then brought Johnny to a warehouse where Blackheart and The Hidden is looking for clues to find the contract. In the warehouse, Johnny’s skin melt away and is left with a flaming skull. At the presence of the evil, Johnny is now the Ghost Rider.
He then catch up with Blackheart and The Hidden. There, he fight with them where he got his signature chain. Blackheart then send Grissel to fight with Johnny which end up being sent to hell by Johnny with his fiery chain.
While trying to catch up with Blackheart and the others, he manages to save a girl from being robbed. Johnny grabs the robber and uses his most powerful weapon, the “Penance Stare”. Using the stare, it can turn the victim’s guilt against himself to inflict all the pain and suffering the robber has caused to innocents upon himself, leaving his eyes burned out.
Johnny then rides to a graveyard and fainted in front of this father’s grave as he starts to regain himself when the sun starts to shine. At the graveyard, Johnny met the Caretaker (Sam Elliot) who knows much about the Ghost Rider and Johnny’s life.
After leaving the graveyard, Johnny is on his way to look for Roxanne to apologize. On his way there, he notices the damages the Ghost Rider has done to the city. Everyone else is shocked and is investigating what is happening. Roxanne is interviewing the girl whom the Ghost Rider saved. Everyone started to look at her in a weird manner when she describes the look of the Ghost Rider. After the interview, Johnny tries to apologize to Roxanne. Being very angry and disappointed that Johnny never appear as promised again, Roxanne just left.
After a rough day, Johnny returns home and do more research to know what actually is happening to him. As he is trying out some gifts and talents he have with him now, Roxanne came looking for him and apologizes on the harsh words she used on Johnny. Roxanne then asked Johnny to explain why he didn’t show up. Johnny told Roxanne that she would not believe him if he tells the truth. Roxanne assured Johnny that she will believe him, however when Johnny tells out what happen… Roxanne was angry thinking Johnny would rather give her made up excuses than be frank.
As Roxanne walks out the door, Johnny is being arrested when they found his bike’s number plate at the scene. He is then being locked up in a cell. When being locked up, his cell mates tries to pick on him. In the presence of evil, he turns to the Ghost Rider and scared everyone else.
Escaping from jail, Johnny is now hunting down for Blackheart and The Hidden. This time, Blackheart sent Abigor to fight with Johnny. A massive damage was done as well. however this time around, everyone practically saw the Ghost Rider. Much shocking to everyone, including Roxanne. She finally knows that Johnny was not lying.
After defeating Abigor, Johnny tries to go to Roxanne. The police then open fire where he the quickly get on his bike and ride on returning to the graveyard to look for the caretaker. Not noticing that Blackheart was watching, he now knows the Rider’s weakness.
The caretaker hinted that Blackheart will use whatever he can to manipulate Johnny to get the contract. Johnny then tries to find Roxanne. However he was a little late as Blackheart has killed Mack and captured Roxanne. Johnny tries to change to be the Rider and use his Penance Stare on Blackheart which didn’t work out as Blackheart has no soul.
When Blackheart takes Roxanne along and asked Johnny to bring the contract to San Venganzas, Johnny went back to look for the caretaker and told him he have to find the contract to save Roxanne. The caretaker then reveals himself as Carter Slade (the previous Ghost Rider) and broke his shovel that he always carry and gave Johnny the hidden contract.
Carter promise to show Johnny the way and ride with him to San Venganzas. When reach, Carter pass Johnny his gun and thanked him for freeing his curse. While trying to pass through a swamp, Johnny was attacked by Wallow. Johnny managed to transform himself to the Rider and killed Wallow.
When Johnny finally arrive at San Venganzas, he saw Blackheart and Roxanne. Blackheart promise to free Roxanne first before Johnny gives him the contract. Half way releasing Roxanne, Johnny transforms himself to the Ghost Rider and starts to fight with Blackheart. The fight was then interrupted by the rising sun which forces Johnny to return to human form.
Blackheart then got the contract and opened it and called out the thousands evil souls in the town. Upon absorbing all the souls, he now becomes “Legion” of evil. Determined to kill Blackheart, Johnny cures Blackheart in to a church which is dark enough for his him to regain his Ghost Rider power. Of course one knows what happen when Ghost Rider gives it’s victim the Penance Stare… now that Blackheart have a thousand souls to burn.
Now… I am not sure how the comic goes about but there are lots of things which is rather confusing to me. Firstly, the trailer claims that Johnny sell his soul to save someone he loves. But the movie make it a little contradicting. It seems more like an accident kinda thing that he accidently cut his hand and a blood somehow just drop on the contract.
If Mephistopheles is always looking after his Ghost Riders, how come he cannot find the caretaker to get the contract in the first place? Let’s say the caretaker is that great in hiding… when Johnny landed and ended up at the graveyard how come he could not sense the caretaker is the previous ghost rider? And even so, when Johnny got the contract from the caretaker… why does he not reveal himself and grab the contract since it belongs to him?
Well, I know I sorta have to relax and let myself go when it comes to watching movies like this.. but I just hate it when I have more things troubling my my after I come out from the cinema. I initially wanted to get rid of what is on my mind but I came out with more things on my mind. Ah…
I somewhat felt the continuity was bad. Especially when they could just show how the caretaker stitch up Johnny for a whole 1 minute scene.. and the next second, when he is looking in to the mirror, the scar just goes missing.
I personally felt Roxanne was overcast. I don’t know… really don’t think she suited the character as it looks a little forceful on her. Well, I think Nicholas Cage was sorta alright except the fact that his lines were rather cheesy and I somewhat think he is a little too old for the character. I don’t know… probably a younger, hotter guy as a biker… *drool*.
Well, I guess not all MARVEL movie pulls of nicely. This is one of those that don’t.