In a new millennium filled with superhero flicks featuring young hotties, crazy special effects and corny story lines, Ghost Rider could have crashed and burned along with hero’s flamed motorcycle. But Nicolas Cage’s fire is what saved this film from the ashes.
Ghost Rider gets a little more biblical than most comic-book based films care to, and the classic hero-versus-villian story line revolves around the one and only Satan, who also goes by the name Mephistopheles. A young stuntman named Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage, The Wicker Man) sells Mephistopheles his soul in order to save a loved one and, years later, is called by Satan to do his bidding as the Ghost Rider. As the Rider, Blaze is a bounty hunter who must round up a group of fallen angels, led by Blackheart (Wes Bentley, Weirdsville), to appease Mephistopheles.
To become the Rider, Johnny Blaze goes through a gruesome transformation, comparable to the classic morph of the American Werewolf in London. After he transforms, he is the least human of all superheroes – and also the most ruthless. He doesn’t just turn his victims in to the authorities, like most friendly neighborhood heroes; instead, he turns their evil deeds against them and burns their souls to a crisp through their eyeballs. This – in addition to the fact that he works for the devil – pretty much makes him bad right down to his very visible bones.
The supporting roles in Ghost Rider consist of the usual superhero posse: the villain, the love interest, the old man who always has wise words of advice for the hero and, of course, a sweet ride. Wes Bentley, with his icy blue eyes and harsh facial features, makes a perfect villain. His naturally creepy face – and sound-effect-enhanced voice – keep the audience shuddering every time he rears his evil head. His two cronies, who channel the wind and water elements as their powers, are equally cringe-inducing.
The Ghost Rider’s flame (pun intended) is Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendes, Hitch), a city news reporter. This seems to be a popular career choice for superhero girlfriends (Lois Lane, anyone?), but Mendes is hotter than Superman’s girl any day, and she and Cage have a surprising amount of chemistry on screen. Her reaction to finding out that Johnny is a superhero is much more believable than most, in that she doesn’t believe it at first. This reaction is a breath of fresh air from the usual superhero sweethearts, who seem to think that someone having supernatural powers is completely believable.
The Caretaker (Sam Elliott, Thank You For Smoking) is an old, mysterious graveyard keeper who seems to know a lot about the Rider’s mission. His deep voice and cowboyish manner keep in tune with the feel of the Texan Superhero theme and he is much more badass than, say, the ultra-prissy British Alfred of the Batman saga. And, Ghost Rider’s motorcycle that comes when he calls it a la Nightrider is way cooler than any Batmobile.
Nicolas Cage, who has had a long and very memorable career both as a Coppola and afterwards, brings a more sophisticated feel to a character that is usually played by a much younger actor. But the fact that he has a brand new 8-pack to brandish – and wears a shiny, voluminous hairpiece in the film – doesn’t hurt.
The hero-overcoming-evil story line feels a little rushed near the end of the film, when Ghost Rider starts to pummel his villains a little too quickly, but the effects elsewhere – such as the verticle motorcycle ride on the side of a city building – make up for it; no wonder the film’s release was delayed from August 2006 to complete effects and stunts. And although the movie’s story line lacked some development, a sequel has already been announced, which means fans will maybe get a chance to see some of the original Ghost Rider story line not featured in this film.
Despite the normal entourage of cliché characters, solid actors filling these roles help make them more dynamic. That, plus a whole lot of eye-catching effects, make Ghost Rider not only a badass twist on the good guy story, but more sizzling than the hero’s head.
Contact reporter Courtney Pomeroy at diversions@dbk.umd.edu.
