A surprisingly good film

Rating: 8/10 (23 March 2007)

Ghost Rider Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson With: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes
2005 and 2006 weren't the best years for Nicolas Cage, his films: Lord of War, The Weather Man, The Ant Bully, WTC and The Wicker Man, were resounding box office failures. As a result, the actor desperately needed a movie to get him back to the superstar status that he once held in Hollywood's competitive environment.
That chance came with Ghost Rider, the film adaptation from Marvel's comic about a man who sold his soul to the devil and became something like Satan's payment collector. Yes, the plot is ridiculous, however, the film itself turns to be surprisingly good
The plot unleashes when motorcycle acrobat Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) sells his soul in exchange for the mend of his father, sick with cancer. The buyer, a kind of comical mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) turns Johnny in a sort of hit man and ask him to finish off the rebel group that, lead by mephistopheles' own son, is trying to overthrow the devil and take his post.
At the center of this UFO-like plot, lies the lost contract for the property of 1,000 evil souls from the Town of San Venganza, seek by both mephistopheles and his bad-mannered son.
The main achievements of Ghost Rider are, doubtless, the special effects, that turn Blaze from an average guy to a scaring flame-surrounded skull, with a matched motorcycle.
The Director, Mark Steven, gives us an entertained product in the best way of the comics. A film that must be seen in a really big screen to fully appreciate its beauty.
Ghost Rider is a good omen for the herd of mega films coming this next summer. The year, at least for the popcorn eaters, has begun in a great way.