A fun Saturday afternoon flick

Rating: 6/10 (11 July 2007)

So I finally get to see Ghost Rider, and unfortunately, the disk I got was damaged, so I missed a few minutes prior to the final battle.
Strangely, I don't think I missed much.
Let's face it - this is going to be the age of the Superhero Flick. The return of iconic movie greats such as Batman and Superman, the incredible emergence of comic classics like X-Men and Spiderman, and even the creation of new and interesting hero tales such as The Incredibles and Unbreakable are all testament to the Age of the Super Hero Film.
And in any such age you're going to get great movies, lousy movies, and OK movies.
This one joins the ranks of the Hulk and Fantastic Four as an OK movie. It's not bad - it has fine graphics, interesting general plot, and some moments of surprise and humor that make it a good film to have on-hand for rainy Saturday afternoons, when the charm of Power Ranger reruns and new, pathetic Scooby Doo cartoons runs out. But the acting is, at times, pretty bad - aren't we glad Cage didn't end up playing Superman after all! - and the plot is clearly as forced as the average '80s comic - which is what this film was based on.
The worst part of this film has got to be the villains. Without giving away details, I think I'd have rather seen this movie done in the old style of TV serials, where the superhero faces a number of conventional criminals and realistic situations, rather than facing a group of contrived demons that barely come across as threatening.
The best part was, undoubtedly, the visual effects. I sincerely had my doubts that they could successfully pull off a flaming skull and a flaming motorcycle, but they did.
In the end, though, you just have to turn off the gray matter and enjoy the film for what it is - a fun Saturday afternoon flick.
Then, when the kids are in bed, pop in any of the Blade trilogy, to remind yourself of what a really scary supernatural villain could be like.