Nicolas Cage has the charisma of the titular hero, but it's not enough make up for its generic script

Rating: 4/10 (12 December 2016)

Releases of superhero movies based on Marvel comics are more often than not subject to the most attention of their year from the public, while also scoring abundantly high on the box office ladder. Majority of the time, these films are intended for make for some high-octane entertainment; even when centering on the arguably lesser known comic book heroes like Ghost Rider here. Occasionally, the superhero genre from both the DC side and the Marvel Comics side has the tendency of slipping into the crack of some mediocre attempts bring some comic books on the silver screen. Ghost Rider, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, is one of those films. Though it certainly not one of the worst the genre has to offer especially when considering some of the more horrendous entries such as 'Catwoman', this film fails to succeed beyond the level of disposable entertainment. Based on the marvel comics, this film stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stuntman who suffers from emotional trauma after the tragic death of his father (played by Brett Cullen) as a teenager. He learns the death of his father was a result of when he mistakenly sold his soul to the devil known as Mephistopheles (played by Peter Fonda). Not only that, he gains the powers of the devil that turn him into a fiery monster with a skull scorching in flames. When his son known as Blackheart (played by Wes Bentley) threatens to release demons from hell to take over the Earth, Blaze must use his newly gained powers to fight back while protecting his childhood crush Roxanne (played by Eva Mendes).
This superhero action flick isn't a total drab to say at best. Those who go in for some action sequences tapped with fine visual effects will have at least something to hurrah for. The action kicks in our titular hero ramping up in flames as his humanistic body morphs into a skeleton body with his head transforming into a skull bursting into CGI flames. What transpires then is the hero racing at high speed on his devilish-looking motorcycle and facing off the bad guys in some chain-whipping action. Beyond this, the film fails to deliver much palpable excitement. The plot is a bit generic as it deals with the conflict between our titular hero and a hellish villain known as Blackheart also known as Legion. While Nicolas Cage generates a fair amount of charisma to make for a hero for audiences to root for, Wes Bently's performance fails to amount of an interesting or even memorable villain. Though he is not expected to fall on the lines of more highly iconic villains like The Joker or Magneto, his lack of ingenuity is rather hard to overcome. The conflict between the two characters eventually comes down to a final showdown sequences that should have been fun, but criminally lack the adrenaline it needs to be a climatic action farce. Then there is Eva Mendes who is given almost nothing to do beyond playing the corny love interest of Nicolas Cage. Though her performance is at least on the par, the chemistry between her and Cage never quite sizzles.
Ghost Rider is a generic superhero action flick that fails to rise above the typical standards of an average Marvel comics blockbuster. Although this film may demonstrate a glimmer of fun in its tense action sequences and small dosage of humor, the overall entertainment value leads little to be desired even for die hard comic book fanatics.