Ghost Rider 2 fails to take shape
Review Synopsis
Ghost Rider – Spirit of Vengeance is a rather lackluster film that was better off as a trailer and with terribly weak performances.
Opening credits
Ghost Rider -Spirit of Vengeance is without any smoke or form.
Pulp
Johnny Blaze is back. In the first movie, ace stunt driver Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) undertakes a deal with the Devil to sell his soul in return for his father’s life. However, he is double crossed and goes on a self-induced exile on the death of his father. On his return, the Devil offers him another deal to become a “Ghost Rider” to fight against Devil’s son Blackheart, who wishes to possess a thousand evil souls and convert Earth to hell. Well, in that movie, Ghost Rider does manage to spoil Blackheart’s plan for the moment.
In Spirit of Vengeance, the Devil returns and has a bigger plan to take shape in human form through his son, Danny, that he has conceived with a woman Nadya (Violante Placido). Moreau (Idris Elba), a drunk motorcycle riding monk, requests Blaze to return as Ghost Rider and save the boy and his mother, foiling the Devil’s deep set plans. The only issue here is that Blaze has taken yet another self-imposed exile from being Ghost Rider as he feels that the powers he possesses is becoming evil and uncontrollable.
Does the Ghost Rider finally meet his match with the Devil and his antics? Does Blaze finally get rid of his curse and return to becoming a normal human? Is the boy finally saved from being just a conduit for the devil on Earth?
End Roll
The first Ghost Rider has some saving value. It was not a great film, but at least you did not feel like throwing your shoe at the screen. The Spirit of Vengeance is a highly dispirited movie. It is devoid of a sane plot, filled with terrible performances and runs along like a dog whose tail is set on fire. Nicholas Cage has a rather jerky performance and it is so distasteful, I actually made peace with the fact that the script and direction must have driven him insane.
The only redeeming aspect of the movie was the enhanced graphics of the Ghost Rider himself. The character is more edgy, has a better flame and almost looks like his skull is charred due to the fire and unlike the first film where the skull had a shiny hue to it.
The entire film does not have the gritty, dark feel that a character like Ghost Rider is supposed to showcase. He is almost like an anti-hero, so the film could have had dark tones, menacing lines, and chilling sounds. Sadly, the entire film makes you feel very irritated that you have been conned. Conned of having been promised something fancy and finally being fed with some less than mediocre.
Perspective
As the weekend is almost over, I would advise against watching this one, if you haven’t. If you did, well, at least you now know how not to make a Marvel comic hero look like a comic!
Halidon’s Rating: 2 stars
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, and language
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