Film #10- GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE- So, the first GHOST RIDER is one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Atrocious. Terrible. I hated it. I was lucky enough to see the movie at a free screening, and I still wanted a refund. Needless to say, this sequel was fighting an uphill battle with me right from the get go. And I’ll be honest… it did not totally win me over. Is it better than the first? Um, yeah. Is it a good movie? Well… Hm. I will say that the effects and stunts are very cool in this movie. Also, the look of the hero is infinitely better in this iteration, as he is sporting a really cool burnt skull look, as opposed to the squeaky-clean white skull that he had in the first film. I still enjoy Nicholas Cage’s portrayal of Johnny Blaze, as he cranks the insanity up to an unreal level. As a balls to the wall action flick, there are certainly worse ways for you to blow an hour and a half. For diehard fans of the character, this film may even be a dream come true. Because whether it is good or bad, it is pretty darn cool, and has enough jaw-dropping moments to merit at least one viewing. If I were to give any advice, I wish the filmmakers would have taken it even more over the top. I know that there would be those who would cry foul if the character diverted too much from the source material, but I am really beginning to wonder how many truly inspirational, deep scripts screenwriters are going to be able to get out of this character without making some slight adjustments. Normally, I am kind of a stickler for established elements of existing characters when they are moved to a different medium. In the case of the Ghost Rider character, I might be willing to make an exception. Or, they should do one in the old west where he is back on horseback. That would get my butt in a seat for a third film. Overall, this was an ok film, with some pretty cool action sequences peppered throughout. Also, film geeks will dig the cameo at about the midpoint. That is all I will say about that.
