Dear Mark Steven Johnson...

Rating: 2/10 (24 March 2020)

How could you do this?
Contrary to what people will say, Daredevil was not a bad or even mediocre film. Your gritty and inspired direction was outstanding even by today's standards and your script was ambitious and even thought provoking (even if the studio cut most of the bits that made sense)
Your Elektra film wasn't "good", but it wasn't unwatchable either. The script was absolutely awful, but the performances, direction and fight choreography wasn't half bad. I can watch clips of it and enjoy myself and I respect the film even if I don't like it. Honestly, as far as second entries in cinematic universes go, it could have been a lot worse (see The Incredible Hulk '08...Actually, don't see it. Ever)
So color me disappointed when your adaptation of Ghost Rider, one of my favorite comic book characters of all time, starring one of my favorite actors of all time, isn't just bad, but boring, soulless and a disservice to the genre.
Cage's performance was shockingly bad. Which is weird, Mr. Steven Johnson, when you've had a strong habit of getting great lead performances even in films that don't work. He looks more tired and disinterested than ever. We hardly even get much in the way of Cage freak outs (though I'll give you this; making him laugh at a chimp doing karate on TV was a stroke of genius) This is the man so passionate he sold his soul to save his family? I'm not buying it.
The love story feels perfunctory and incredibly sloppy, which is a major weakness given that you lean so heavily on it here. Again, how did this happen? Roxanne and Johnny are childhood sweethearts growing up in the South, these 2 should have a romance as fiery as Johnny's flaming skull. Instead, they hardly come off as even friends for most of the film.
Most shocking of all is how the film is never fun. There's no eye candy to be found with the horrendous effects and lifeless cinematography. You're the man who gave us that wonderful shot of Daredevil hanging from a Church cross, pulled straight from Guardian Devil. Why are you on such autopilot with a character with arguably more visual potential? Speaking of, the film's action sequences are also far less impressive or elaborate than Daredevil. The most Ghost Rider does in this film is throw a helicopter and shoot Blackheart with shotgun pellets that bounce like BB pellets. His fearsome Penance Stare done off-screen? Come on!
Wes Bentley's performance as Blackheart is...Good, but it doesn't fit the character. It's the same problem as Topher Grace as Venom. If he were playing a more seductive villain like Morlun or Loki, he might fit, but Blackheart is an otherworldly monster. It's a waste of a good actor's talents playing a character that doesn't fit.
To conclude, you get way more hate than you deserve Mr. Steven Johnson. Hell, I'd put you above most MCU directors and all but one DCEU director (the amazing Patty Jenkins) This is a film, unfortunately, that I can't forgive, even if I do find it unfair that it was the last blockbuster you directed. I hope your career can bounce back from it, but I also hope you've learned from its shortcomings.
Sincerely,
Your fan,
Will Walker