Movie Review: Ghost Rider

This Nick Cage flick isn't much of a National Treasure

Many people nowadays may not know, but there was a time where good comic book movies, didn't exist. This is one of those bad movies from the era. Released in 2007, now 13 years ago, Nicholas Cage stars as the stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who after making a deal with the devil is forced to become The Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider. The movie itself is pretty forgettable, and sometimes even boring. That's pretty bad when your Ghost Rider movie is forgettable, and boring.

The movie starts with a voice over of a old man talking about legends. He tells the tale of a Ghost Rider, who back in the old west took a dangerous contract from the devil, and rode away with it, for well, I forgot why. We then transition to about 100 years later, and we are introduced to Johnny Blaze, and his father who are both stunt motorcyclists for a carnival. Johnny finds out his dad has lung cancer, and while working on his bike he is visited by the devil himself. Well in this movie he's called Mephistopheles, but he's basically the devil. He makes a deal with Johnny to cure his father in return for his soul, Johnny accepts. The next day his father is healthy again, but as he goes to do his next stunt, he perishes in a horrible accident. Mephistopheles claims that he couldn't have his father coming in between them, because eventually in the future he is going to call forth Johnny to do a task for him. Johnny then abandons his girlfriend, and drives away before transitioning to the present (2007). Johnny Blaze is now a professional stunt motorcyclist known for his death defying acts. Johnny believes that this is simply because Mephistopheles is trying to keep him alive, so he keeps on upping the danger in hopes of regaining some control over his life. Johnny now prepares for his biggest stunt yet, jumping over an entire football field, and three military helicopters. Before the stunt, he reunites with his old girlfriend, Roxanne, who is now a news reporter. After she leaves, he goes to do his stunt, which goes flawlessly. Immediately afterwards, he chases down Roxanne's news truck, and harasses her until she agrees to go on a date with him later that night. Of course though, not all will go to plan.

After this scene, we are introduced to the main villain of the story, with an unnecessary jump scare; we get it, you're evil. He then proceeds to murder an entire bar in the middle of nowhere filled with bikers. Shortly after we cut back to Nicholas Cage, and his uninteresting adventures. That night when Johnny is supposed to meet Roxanne for their date, he is instead approached by Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles tells him that his son, Blackheart (I'm pretty sure that was the name of a Care Bears villain), is loose on Earth with three fallen angels, and they want to find the forbidden contract, or whatever. He appoints Johnny as his new Ghost Rider, and forces him to a train yard. He also promises that if Johnny can defeat Blackheart, he will return his soul. Once Johnny arrives at the train yard, we get a very Nicholas Cage performance as he overacts his way into becoming the titular Ghost Rider. After the transformation, he goes to fight Blackheart, and his angels. During their first fight, he is only able to kill the Earth Angel. After that he changes the form of his bike, and rides off upon sensing someone sinning. He comes across a random fat goth girl (upon doing some research, turns out that girl was Rebel Wilson in one of her first acting roles) being mugged by a thug. Ghost Rider then uses one of his new abilities, The Penance Stare on him. The stare makes it so then he can look into a sinner's soul, and burn them from the inside, killing them instantly. Ghost Rider then rides off until he turns back to normal, and at the same time arrives at a graveyard where it just so happens there is a guy there who can help him. The man is called, The Caretaker, and he knows all about Johnny's Ghost Rider stuff. Caretaker explains that he will take on the form every night, especially if he is around evil or sin..

Later that day, Roxanne comes to apartment to ask why he missed their date. Johnny tells the truth, he is The Devil's Bounty Hunter now. Of course, she does not believe him at all, and leaves. Later that night as he is doing some research, the police arrest him, accusing him of the murders at the biker bar. Of course when placed into the holding cell full of evil, he transforms into Ghost Rider. Escaping the police he then goes to fight the second Fallen Angel, an Angel of wind. He manages to defeat him by creating a fire tornado with his chain whip. Roxanne also sees him in this form, and believes his story. Johnny then returns to the Caretaker for more exposition. Returning home, Johnny finds Blackheart has killed his friend, and kidnapped Roxanne. Since Blackheart has no soul to burn, the only way he can save Roxanne is if he brings Blackheart the forbidden contract. Johnny returns to the Caretaker. The Caretaker then reveals that he was the Ghost Rider who had stolen the contract, as if that wasn't obvious. Caretaker gives him the contract saying that since his deal was made for love of his father rather then greed, he should be able to win. They both ride off to the abandoned village where the contract came from, and The Caretaker then disappears because, I don't know. Before arriving at the town, he manages to kill the Water Angel. Blackheart then steals the contract, reading from it, and releasing thousands of dammed souls. Blackheart absorbs the souls, making him very powerful, especially with the sun rising rendering Johnny powerless. Thanks to good timing, and plot armor however, he manages to get into some shadows, which brings back his powers, then he uses the Penance Stare on Blackheart. Since Blackheart absorbed all the souls, it allows Johnny to burn them, thus killing Blackheart. Mephistopheles returns, and says Johnny can have his soul back now, but Johnny refuses. He decides to instead become a vigilante in hopes that one day he will be strong enough to kill Mephistopheles. Johnny, and Roxanne then ride off into the distance, and that's the end of the movie.

For a movie about a skeletal stunt biker killing demons, man is it boring. The effects have also aged like fine milk. I've seen amateur visual artists on YouTube that can do better! If you're in the mood for a Nicholas Cage movie though, then maybe give this a watch. Otherwise, please leave it buried in the early 2000s where it belongs. This cheesy superhero flick gets a 1 out of 5 Paws up.