Average Film!

Rating: 4/10 (5 May 2016)

Based on the Marvel comic character, Nicholas Cage plays Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt driver who escapes death countless times because he sold his soul to the Devil (Peter Fonda) years earlier in exchange that his father would beat cancer. The Devil doesn't totally keep his end of the bargain so Johnny escapes to fame but soon the Devil shows up wanting him to become the Ghost Rider and destroy his son who is trying to take over his power. I'll admit right up front that I'm not a comic fan and I've certainly never read anything this film is based on so I can't compare it to anything. I went into the movie hoping to at least get a popcorn entertainment and for the most part I think the film delivers, although it's certainly far from perfect and it's not even a good film. I viewed the Extended Cut, which I think was a mistake because there are certain scenes that just dragged on for no reason and sure enough, after watching the movie I looked up the differences in the two versions and these scenes were what was extended. There's way too much build-up and talk leading up to what the film is really about and I'd say that the ending goes on way too long as well.
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, and based on his own screenplay, the film makes no sense. The main idea revolves around the eternal theme of how a man can sell his own soul to the devil because the asking person wants to gain something he doesn't have, or in this case because Johnny Blaze, who knows about his father's cancer, wants to save the old man. Unfortunately, for the production team, better made movies have been made using this idea.