Hell's baddies are no match for...anyone?

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2007)

The stated aim of Nic Cage and Mark Steven Johnson was to make a funny horror film, in the same vein as An American Werewolf in London. As a massive comics fanboy who is often blinded by that I still have to say  they didn't quite make it. However, Ghost Rider is still an enjoyable film, and certainly represents an improvement over Daredevil, Johnson's last Marvel outing. Cage is the star attraction, and his turn as Johnny Blaze strikes the right notes of comedy and confused sincerity, whilst Eva Mendes and Sam Elliott both give able support (and special mention to Mendes' breasts which virtually deserve a mention of their own on the cast list!) and, crucially, the look of the Rider has been nailed  an interesting mix of Blaze and Ketch, for those who know what that means. The big problem here is when they bring on the bad guys  all of whom are just a bit feeble, and are disposed of by GR with less fuss than swatting a fly. This lack of menace undermines the whole movie, as you never get a knock-down, drag-out scrap that you need to root for Ghostie in. Which is a shame, as with a tougher villain, this could have been a top film and, as it stands, it is just an enjoyable movie.