Popcorn flick

Rating: 6/10 (17 February 2007)

"Ghost Rider" was a flick Cage had wanted to make for several years. Too bad he didn't make it earlier in his career. He is too old to play Johnny Blaze, and it hurts the movie. In particular, his wig is atrocious. The kid playing the young Johnny Blaze is fine, but no one would have paid to see GHOST RIDER with an unknown in the lead. Anyhow, Cage plays a motorcycle daredevil who sells his soul to the devil (Peter Fonda, who really needs to retire along with David Carradine). Blaze has to defeat a quartet of supernatural bad guys led by Joaquin Phoenix-lookalike Wes Bentley. Sam Elliott plays a graveyard caretaker who helps Cage from time to time and Eva Mendes is Blaze's love interest. No one exactly gives an Oscar-winning performance in this bit of fluff, but my kid and I agreed we would have liked to see more of the Elliott character, who gives the film a nice Western kick. GR is a rainy day rental. The CGI is passable, and the climax contains a neat surprise, especially if you are old enough to remember the original Ghost Rider. Nuff said.