Movie Review #5 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

-Why would you watch the second when the first was so bad?

I try to go into all movies with a clear head and an open mind and I did even with this one, but what I've found is that there was no need to do that for this sequel.

When a good movie gets a sequel that doesn't have the same level of production crew (director, writer, etc) the fan base will tear you a new one with outcries. However when a bad movie gets a sequel and that movie doesn't have the same level of production crew there isn't the same outcry, positive or negative. Spirit of Vengeance is a warning that perhaps there should be some outcry, because things can always get worse.

I'll start with what I did like with the movie, although this section is brief, so don't get too comfortable. The special effects for Ghost Rider, and the effect that the villain has on people and the non-effect he has on Twinkies is actually decent. Believability of a flaming skull existing in the real world? 100%. And that's about it. The flaming urination scene was much too childish when we all know Ghost Rider is part of the Marvel Knights generation and should be geared toward the Blade audiences with a bit more blood, gore and humour (aimed higher than PG-13). I understand that kids would find it funny, you know this because the rider (a CGI fiery skull over Nick Cage) is dragging a child around with him and trying to play the father figure for him. We all know Ghost Rider is all about that *sarcasm*. I think the spirit would have rather stuffed the kid and his mother in a trunk and gone off into the sunset but alas, Johnny Blaze (the completely unhinged Nick Cage) is fighting for control so there is less Rider in this movie (everyone cheer for budget cuts!). Another problem, which was in the first and unfortunately follows to the second instalment, what in unholy hell were they thinking casting Nick Cage? Nothing about him screams The Rider, although boy howdy does he scream in the movie. He throws this goofy “I'm a 10 year old pretending to be crazy” act at you throughout the movie and it's just silly. Dealing with devils, fighting things called Blackheart, Mephisto and Blackout one should hope a silly romp in fantasy land would be a little more gritty and hardened and not fun loving and goofy, that's all I'm saying.

You thought I was kidding about the scene, didn't you?

It doesn't even end there, no, the story is flimsy at best. Child is born, gonna be a new host for the devil and gosh, there is an entire cast of people nobody cares for that don't want that happening, including, eventually, The Rider. The movie is action sequence, fire urine, action sequence, another action sequence, tender moment, zany Nick Cage moment, action sequence, credits. All in all I'd have to say Drive Angry was a better Ghost Rider movie for the R-rated material, at least they didn't destroy a previously-created character and the story didn't really force anything on you. It lacks the CGI flaming skull but at least it doesn't have an atrocious supporting cast. The story of Drive Angry wasn't strong but at least it didn't have a flaming pee scene.

I've given this movie 3/10

PS: What ever happened to the team that made Blade 2? That was a fine example of a dark comic book movie with a great cast and a solid story for a comic book character.