Smoldering Fire

Rating: 5/10 (9 April 2007)

DISCLAIMER - For the record I know less than nothing about the Ghost Rider comics, so my opinions (for the little that they are worth) are from a movie fan only I was looking forward to Ghost Rider since I saw the trailer but as it got closer and closer to its release my interest in the film had completely gone, which is unusual for me as I usually enjoy Marvel movies.
Anyway, after the FF2 trailer and the full trailer for the 300 the night began to pick up.... that was until young Johnny Blaze said his first lines. He was just a bad actor all round. There was one scene were he laughed at the devil and it was just embarrassing to watch!! The young Eva Mendes character was cast by the looks of it because she looked exactly like the real Eva Mendes! They just weren't anything special and after the first 10 minutes i was beginning to get really worried.
Before we go on it is important to note that I do not see the attraction with Nic Cage, I have only ever seen Gone in 60 Seconds, Face Off (free with my first DVD player) and National Treasure and he was OK it all three. I know he is an Oscar winner but to be honest that means jack all when you take into account some of the actors that have one the award over the years. There was a scene were he was watching TV and was pointing and laughing at a monkey karate chopping a brick and that was so awful to watch..... The few attempts of the Cage sarcastic humour were few and far between and even then they were poorly written, although the scene were Johnny was following the camera van was amusing. The camera guy survived though - that is unusual. I just didn't like the daytime TV watching Carpenter loving side of the Rider I do not know what age Johnny Blaze is but Nic Cage was just to old. It is tempting to insert a remark about the wig but it pretty much speaks for itself, you can see the wig and its two assistants credited at the end of the movie. He also had teeth so perfect i think that they were CGI and there was one shot (the lets show off my body scene) where i swear to God i thought that a body had been photo shopped in it was so toned and tanned.
Eva Mendes was OK. nothing to say about her really apart from the fact that she had a really fantastic push up bra on throughout the movie..
The chubby sidekick, who was also the side kick in Just Like Heaven was OK. Was surprised that he got killed in the end, then I remembered he was the chubby side kick so he was pretty much screwed from the get go......
The baddies were cool though. I liked the fire, air, water and earth thing that they had going on. I liked how it was an unofficial rule that they all had to wear long coats!! There was a fantastic dramatic pause between No Heart and his "father" when they were having their conversation. The fact that the devil was No Hearts father was supposed to be a great revelation but there was a definite giggle amongst the audience There is no denying that the film picked up when the action started. When he became the Rider is when the movie really started and you could feel the movie suffer whenever he changed back into normal mode. The action was good, and I will admit i got quite engrossed during the final battle.
I liked how the line "I'll fight fire with fire" was kept for the very end. He meant it in a metaphorical sense and a literal sense. The line had so many meanings on many different levels its writing at its finest. Honourable mention must also go to the "I haven't got a sole but I've got spirit" line.
The most memorable scene for me was when Blaze and the old Rider were making there way out to the town for the final battle. I just looked amazing the two of them riding out together. It was honestly spoiled for me when it was revealed that it was the old Riders last ride. He used it up, turned his horse around and rode off home and out of the movie. Clearly he didn't want to help out and die in a blaze of glory in the final battle.
Overall the movie was verging on the so bad is it actually good mark. I would give it a 6/10. Entertaining movie, not great on any level. It is def one for the cinema as it needed the dramatic big screen to help make it watchable. I honestly think if I had waited and rented it I would not have watched it the whole way through. I would have got 5/10 if not for the fantastic remix of Ghostriders in the Sky during the end credits!