"Ghost Rider" is goofy and fun, primarily because of Nicolas Cage's performance...

Rating: 7/10 (6 July 2007)

Nicolas Cage loves comics. Taking the surname "Cage" from a black Marvel superhero named Luke Cage, naming his son Kal-El (Superman's Kryptonian name), and he was cast as Superman in the ill-fated mid-90s Tim Burton project "Superman Lives". Now, I like Cage; he is a splendid, bizarre actor who takes chances and risks, but I simply don't see him as Superman. Now he has a film where he is more suited to playing the lead: Ghost Rider.
Based on the Marvel comic, Ghost Rider tells the story of Johnny Blaze (Cage), a motorcycle daredevil who sells his soul to Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) in order to cure his father's cancer. His father then dies in a stunt accident. Bummer. Many years later, Mephisto comes to collect on the deal and turns Blaze into the Ghost Rider, a kind of bounty hunter who throws escaped souls back into Hell. His son Blackheart (Wes Bentley) has escaped from down below, looking for a contract made with 1000 evil souls. Blaze enlists the help of the Caretaker (Sam Elliott) to aid him in his fight, and things proceed in a predictable if enjoyable fashion.
The best parts of the movie are Cage and Elliott. Cage brings a weirdness to Blaze that makes him more human. Rather than being a hard-drinking, chain-smoking mope, Cage dines on jellybean martinis, listens to the Carpenters, and watches monkey shows. And I could frankly watch Elliott be a cowboy all day. While he's saddled with some pretty bad lines, Elliott forms a nice repartee with Cage.
The supporting cast, alas, does not fare as well. Peter Fonda manages to escape embarrassment by going for a quieter type of menace, but Eva Mendes is not given anything to do as the love interest except look great, and Wes Bentley is just horrible. Now, I like over-the-top villains, but Bentley doesn't bring any menace or energy to the role. His henchmen are equally lame, and they are hopelessly unimposing compared to the Ghost Rider.
Speaking of which, the Rider is pretty cool. A flaming skeleton clad in leather and chains is a pretty cool image to begin with, and the effects involving him and his ultra-chrome Hellcycle are neat, if not photo real. I liked when the Rider is played as more a movie monster than a superhero, such as in a scene where Blaze is thrown in prison and things go south quickly.
Director Mark Steven Johnson (the unfairly maligned "Daredevil") has a nice visual style, and the western elements he brings to the fray help liven things up a bit, but he simply should not be allowed to write anymore screenplays. The script here is saddled with horrible lines like "He may have my soul, but he doesn't have my spirit", "Hey, Dirtbag!" and "Let's clear the air!".
Despite these problems, "Ghost Rider" is entertaining for its running length, and Cage's enthusiasm is infectious. You could do worse.