Only effect that was special was the special effects

Rating: 5/10 (16 February 2007)

Serviceable comic book translation gets by on unique, well implemented computer animation, but cannot rise above it's underwhelming plot line, mechanical pacing, and wooden performances despite a reasonable enough attempt to make this superhero action film more fun and accessible then most of it's ilk. The Marvel-based, skull-burning character finds his script adaptation feeling methodically predictable even to non-fans, despite the special Gothic and Texan flavor that tries, unsuccessfully, to pull the movie further away from it's generic trappings.
Playing out a little too unintentionally comical at times, Ghost Rider's action sequences nonetheless provide the only distraction from the not-so-great acting, of course fronted by Nicolas Cage's overdone, ego-driven theatrics. While a few of these blazingly violent and vibrant physical scenes seemingly indulge the opposite in essence of our freakishly looking, damned soul of an antihero to a silly degree, on the whole this movie is saved from an irredeemable pit of tedium by the always reliable and ever increasing detailed effects design, which stands out from many standard comic book approaches, often implemented with thoughtful, sharp focus.
The visceral heart of these effect sequences may not be enough to justify a viewing from anyone who is not already a fan of this stuff, but it will be enough to pump up a general audience with it's hell-on-wheels aesthetics. Ignore the climax's dull relaying of a theme and enjoy this for what it is, a mildly fun little airheaded motorcycle ride through the desert with some inventive eye candy.