Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Plot synopsis:
Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) was a former stunt rider who often teamed up with his father on various stunts. When he discovered that his father's death is impending, he makes a deal with a man named Roarke (Ciarán Hinds) who claims to be the Devil in exchange for his soul and a curse to be set upon him. Johnny now hosts an entity called 'The Rider', a fiery demon who punishes sinners, no matter how petty the crimes are. However, his father dies regardless, and having two minds fighting for control over his new powers, Johnny attempts to stay as far away from mankind as possible, hiding out in Eastern Europe (Romania).In the present, a drunken priest named Moreau (Idris Elba) attempts to warn the order of monks residing in a castle that the Devil has sent out forces to retrieve a certain boy and his mother hiding there, despite the head monk's (Anthony Head) reassurances of their safety. At that moment, mercenaries hired by Roarke breach the castle and kill all of the monks except for Moreau, while the mother, Nadya (Violante Placido) and her son Danny escape. Moreau chases after them, as well as the mercenaries. Trying to protect Nadya and her son, Moreau is driven off a cliff before he shoots the mercenaries' tires, delaying them before they can go after Danny and Nadya. He survives, as a tree breaks his fall. Moreau seeks out Johnny, who has been living in isolation in an abandoned village. Johnny initially refuses to help Moreau locate the mother and her son, but after he is promised that Moreau's ancient order can exorcise the curse from his soul, he agrees.Nadya and Danny are found by the mercenaries, who drive their car off the highway and crash it. Their leader, Ray Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth), takes Danny after a struggle and attempts to execute Nadya. Sensing this, Johnny unleashes the Rider (having held it in for some time) and transforms. He arrives just as Carrigan is about to kill Nadya, and kills two of his men. The Rider senses the great evil in Danny and attempts to kill him, but Nadya distracts him long enough for Carrigan to knock him out with a grenade launcher. Danny is taken away, while Johnny wakes up in a nearby hospital the next day and confronts Nadya, who is also there. They both join forces in order to save her son. Meanwhile, Roarke arrives in Europe, and sets up a "firewall" within Danny (via cellphone) to prevent the Rider from locating the boy, but advises Carrigan to run, as the Rider can still sense 'him'.Nadya takes Johnny to one of Carrigan's contacts, and finds that he is in an old quarry. Johnny begins to transform, and when Nadya confirms her son and Carrigan's location, Johnny rides there mid-transformation. Carrigan prepares himself with an army of his men, including a rocket launcher that could hopefully defeat Johnny. The Rider appears and a battle ensues while Nadya frees Danny. The Rider makes short work of the mercenaries by "riding" a Bagger 288 and defeats Carrigan. As Nadya and Danny escape, the Rider catches up to them and attempts to kill Nadya. But in Danny's presence, the rider is forced to turn back into Johnny Blaze, partly due to the fact that Danny is the Devil's son. Roarke approaches Carrigan, who dies in front of him. However, Roarke resurrects him as a being known as Blackout, who can render a person's environment pitch black and decay anything he touches. Roarke sustains some injuries due to his weak state on the Earth and sends Blackout to retrieve Danny.Moreau catches up to the group and leads them to a Sanctuary, where the monks there, including Methodius (Christopher Lambert) ensure the protection of Danny. Before the exorcism, Moreau explains to Johnny that the Rider was once the Angel of Justice, Zarathos, but was tricked into going into Hell and was driven insane. Retaining his sense of justice, Zarathos became a Spirit of Vengeance, an entity who took pleasure in punishing the wicked regardless of their crimes, although Johnny questions if the Angel's benevolent spirit still exists. Johnny is successfully exorcised, but Methodius reveals his treachery and plans to kill Danny to prevent the Devil from taking over his body and achieving higher powers. Johnny, Moreau, and Nadya are imprisoned as Danny is about to be executed. However, Blackout arrives and kills Methodius and the monks, retaking Danny back to Roarke. Nadya is devastated by what has occurred, but Johnny swears to rescue Danny, even though his powers have been removed.Armed from the Sanctuary weapons vault, the group makes their way to a Turkish coliseum, where Roarke and his followers gather to enact the trade. Moreau distracts the followers while Johnny attempts to free Danny, but is knocked back by Roarke while Moreau is killed by Blackout. The ceremony interrupted, Roarke opts to kill Johnny in retaliation. Danny, knowing that he has his father's abilities, returns Zarathos to Johnny, who becomes more powerful and is now able to exist in daylight, appearing to be in full control as well. Danny is taken again and a chase ensues between the Rider, Nadya, Blackout, and Roarke. The Rider dispatches Blackout and causes Roarke's vehicle to crash. The Rider confronts Roarke, who declares that Johnny is the worst deal he ever made. The Rider then literally sends Roarke back to Hell, slamming him into the fiery depths of the Earth. Nadya catches up, but is dismayed to find the Rider pulling Danny's lifeless body from the wreck of the car. Reverting back, Johnny says that he feels the Angel of Justice reawaken within him once more and resurrects Danny with the Angel's blue flames. Johnny then rides off, now engulfed in holy blue flames, declaring that he is "The Ghost Rider".

Tags: murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, psychedelic, action

Review:
At first glance, 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' seems like an unnecessary sequel, another example of Hollywood mining old ideas and slapping the 3D label on it for a higher ticket price.When viewed in right 'spirit', GR:SOV is a bit of harmless fun, a mindless superhero/action film where you can turn your brain off and relax.
On the proviso that he's rid of his curse, Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze (Nic Cage) agrees to help Danny's mother Nadya (the absolutely stunning Violante Placido) save her boy.Probably the highlight of the film is Nic Cage, who unashamedly hams it up.
In 1990 a new version of Ghost Rider was introduced with a different character and it ran eight years.The first film was an amalgam of the ideas presented in these two series, mostly the first, and struck me as the comic-book come to life.
Really, the only thing that was disappointing (other than Cage being too long in the tooth for the role of Johnny Blaze) was the villain, Blackheart, who was seriously scary in the comics, but fairly bland in the movie and looking totally different."Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" (2012) is a worthy follow-up with Nicolas Cage returning as Johnny Blaze.
Another positive is the rockin' soundtrack.I don't mind the story switching to Europe since the locations are excellent, particularly the amazing cave-monastery, but there are other changes that I'm not so crazy about, like the charred biker jacket of the Ghost Rider, but this is just a matter of taste; I simply prefer the cool "costume" as opposed to the dirtbag biker look.
One of the worst stories I've ever seen in a movie, crippled by awful directing and poor acting even from Nicolas Cage, of whom I happen to be a fan.
The movie is a complete disaster from beginning to end, failing to capture the spectator because of a weak storyline, bad timing and management of tension and viewer expectations, and action sequences that besides not having the impact the film maker wishes they had, look pretentious and anti-climatic.About the lines written for the characters, all I can say is: if *I* was invited to work in this movie as an actor (and I'm not an actor by any stretch of the imagination), I'd still be embarrassed to say them and ashamed that other people would watch me doing it.The fight scenes are not believable at all, seems like people are waiting to be punched in the face, shot or whatever it is that's going on at any given moment.
The ghost rider has the potential to be one of the coolest and most successful franchises today,Ghost rider is so iconic and so much can be done with him,the problem is morons are making the films.The film has several styles that never really gell,It tries humor but fails,Halfway though the movie it literally starts making fun of itself..and its not funny.I felt like they were saying haha we got your money.The over used Prophecy child theme,The fish eye 1970's lens used to death and poor effect..the home computer cgi..If you rent this one day in redbox you'll want your dollar back,If i ever see the director I'll ask for my money back and shame him for taking something that could be so cool and just dropping the ball,he should be banned from making films for 2 years for this one.I hope one day someone with imagination and talent takes on a ghost rider film and finally does it justice..
well it's not like the first one but it's interesting to be seen...and it'll be more interesting to see a 3rd movie from this series...yes the effects are weak and the casting could've been better as always Nicholas Cage knows what he's doing but come on let's be serious other actors from this movie are way out of line...
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE is the ultimate b-movie complete with b-grade actors (welcome back to the silver screen Christopher Lambert), a generic plot (the only way for the devil's power to survive is by taking over the young body of his progeny), lots of guns, a villainous threat whose true evil power is the insane amount of cliché dialogue, and a feisty damsel in distress.
Ghost Rider's dialogue is kept to a minimum as much as Cage's is not – but he never gets to truly cut loose into a- quality action, even though it appeared that the f/x budget would allow such, and, surprisingly, doesn't get a lot of face time.
I think the film is good because it is full of cool action-packed scenes and has a decent plot.This action-fantasy stars Nicolas Cage and Idris Elba as they take you on a fiery ride you'll never forget.
Some people may be disappointed but if you're in for some crazy Nicolas Cage and some crazy action then you're going to enjoy this.It doesn't look like a sequel though.
Both seem to want to achieve completely different results from an audience that it's actually difficult to say which one's better.If you're looking for great eye-candy, and whack visuals, then Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance delivers.
The movie isn't really much better or worse than the original, which I thought was passable entertainment, not great but not bad either.In this film Johnny Blaze is hiding out in Eastern Europe when he's contacted by a Monk named Moreau (Idris Elba) who tells him a plot to take possession of a young boy's body.
I especially like the pyrotechnics and the smoke effects."Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance" had a good enough group of actors together.
We've all seen this story line some where before but really it's just the setting to let Nicholas Cage go crazy with the Freaky new iteration of the Ghost rider, and that is exactly what he does.I was not a fan of the original, i thought it was a little too boring for a movie based on a character possessed by the spirit of vengeance.
All round though the effects are pretty impressive and the new look of old flame head with the burnt and craggy old skull and the charred clothes is a much more appealing style for a character this dark.The strangest thing for me is that this didn't really feel like a superhero movie.
When you open your mind to such an experience, the aforementioned faults become irrelevant.Consider the odds: it is a closely-controlled, big-budgeted blockbuster sequel targeted at the horrified-of-boredom, escapism-craving superhero- movie audience (which is how Hollywood studios wrongfully conceive us...), and despite all this, GR2 is clearly a work of its own, therefore considerably more interesting than its by-the-book predecessor "Ghost Rider" (Mark Steven Johnson, 2007)....And as a result, sadly also widely misunderstood, hence the criminally low IMDb rating.
One thing that is an improvement over the first movie is that this features some cool action and Ghost Rider has more powers.
When Johnny Blaze awakes in the hospital, he joins to Nadya and Moreau to save Danny from Roarke and Ray."Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is an underrated and entertaining sequel of the 2007 film.
Cinematography & Editing are passable.Performance-Wise: Academy-Award-Winner Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider, and, like always, he is sincere & honest.
(It also might be good to point out that I love Nic Cage and enjoy the semi-constant character he plays in all movies)The story is a bit choppy, but overall it's a highly entertaining, exciting, enjoyable movie to see (especially in 3D)!
I also think people over look just how well Cage played the role of Blaze in this film - when he starts to go crazy, he goes frigging crazy!If you're looking for an Oscar-worthy movie, this is not your cup of tea, but if you're looking for a way to be highly entertained for an hour and a half, you need to see this movie..
I feel like I got what was missing from the previous movie - more or less - in this steroid-pumped, mind-numbing follow-up."Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is a sequel that has no real ties to the film that preceded it, which to me is a good thing (because it's actually continuing the story and not repeating it), but it's not a remake (or that other fashionable Hollywood term, "reboot").
This last part is no doubt due to the co-directing team of Neveldine/Taylor, those guys who brought us the incredibly insane "Crank" action movies with Jason Statham.And it has Nicolas Cage; depending on how you view it, having Nicolas Cage as the chain-wielding specter Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider can really either be a good thing or a bad thing.
Only the accursed Johnny Blaze can stop Roarke from bringing about hell on Earth."Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is a totally different beast from the earlier film.
Another thing I'll also give this film credit for is that it is much darker than the first movie, and Cage's more-than-slightly unhinged portrayal of Ghost Rider does not see the character uttering bad one-liners every time he takes somebody's soul to Hell.
Instead, this Ghost Rider appears to be a real demon and a real force to be reckoned with, with the full powers of Hell at his immediate disposal.I feel that is what elevated this picture slightly above its 2007 predecessor.And further catapulting this vehicle into full-blown camp territory is a cameo from the original "Highlander" himself, Christopher Lambert, as a monk who may not be as benevolent as he appears and whose time on the screen is, unfortunately, extremely short (because I don't believe Lambert has appeared in a theatrically released mainstream Hollywood film in more than a decade).Despite the strong critical backlash against it, I think that Neveldine/Taylor did one good thing with "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" by deciding to take it into an even darker, more insane direction than 2007's "Ghost Rider," making it seem even more like a live-action comic book.
This isn't really a direct sequel to the 2007 "Ghost Rider" movie but it does show similar background and past in a comic book like manner.
Unfortunately, the same can be said about Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, because despite the intensity of the action and the main character's ferocity, the screenplay lacks of narrative cohesion, and it only brings us a parade of situations in order to display bizarre camera angles, slow-motion stunts and extraordinary special effects.
Nevertheless, I have to say that the film managed to keep me moderately entertained.The screenplay of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance consists of a modular adventure with a "mcguffin" (a kid in this case) as the plot's detonator, and with an anti-hero searching for redemption in order to justify the presence of action scenes of an increasing complexity, but null suspense.
What is more, I wasn't interested in the main character's suffering, nor in any threaten from the villain.On the other hand, the magnificent cinematography and brilliant special effects from Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance were the main reasons why this movie kept me moderately entertained, and why I consider it worthy of a slight recommendation, even though it's a bit painful for me to say that, because I'm generally against the "style over substance" mentality.
It is not nearly as predictable and "by the book" as most films are today, and the action scenes are really well done and fun to watch.It is true that this is not the movie you should watch if you are looking for a good Drama with in depth character relations and such, but hey, if that's what you're expecting, take a look at the cover next time you're about to watch a movie!
Losing the big budget, safe, Hollywood look of the first film, this action packed sequel comes under the hands of Crank directors, Neveldine and Taylor.And it is with that change I felt I had my first issue...Being so used to the typically Hollywood format of the first, it took some time to catch up with (and at time prefer) this new style of direction!Carrying the same hand-held, indie look (which I'm sure was a pain in the ass for the FX guys), the film is quick cut and at times, packed with a little too much.A change of location moves things to Europe which is nice, and gives things more of a comic book feel.
It was exactly what I expected to see when I walked into a film titled "Ghost Rider - Spirit Of Vengeance" staring Nick Cage.
Nicolas Cage who played Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider seemed uncomfortable with his character and didn't quite know how to bring out the true feeling of the movie.
In the first Ghost Rider, we saw a Nicolas Cage who really did look like he was comfortable in the shoes of Johnny Blaze.
Neveldine/Taylor put their own directorial spin on it that gives it that rushed, fast-paced, adrenalin feel that just works so well with Ghost Rider.With the first movie, everyone criticized it for the lack of action and the dragging story.
Note that I have read none Ghost Rider comics.1)Nicolas Cage's acting had some very funny bits.2)The Ghost Rider looks better.3)The action was great.4)There were some very funny moments.5)Moreau was a great character6)Ghost Rider defeating the main antagonist was goofy and funny!Now let's see what I didn't liked about the film.1)The acting at times.2)The film is sequel, though Ghost Rider's origin story was different like the writers or the directors haven't seen the first one.3)The main antagonist wasn't cool.4)The first moment with Ghost Rider feels like the makers needed to make the film longer so they put plenty unnecessary moments.5)At times the writing was bad.6)When Roarke give Ray Carrigan super powers things start to make no sense and this isn't explained.7)Ray Carrigan's death is a bit disappointing.
The other big clue that I would probably hate this film was the directorial team of Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, who were responsible for the ADHD Jason Statham action flick Crank, a film that annoyed me from start to finish.To make matters even worse, the plot is derivative, reminding me an awful lot of the far superior sci-fi classic Terminator 2: Judgment Day (a boy and his tough mother are protected by a once-bad, leather jacket wearing, partly human protector who rides a motorbike), the script is terrible (even Cage's wild eyed mad acting technique cannot detract from the awful dialogue), and there are some truly lousy performances from the supporting cast (worst offenders: Fergus Riordan as irritating kid Danny and Christopher Lambert as facially tattooed monk Methodius)— all of which had me struggling to stay awake.I will definitely not be getting my hopes up if a third Ghost Rider movie should ever get the green-light..
I didn't watch the first one for a while, i think i will do soon because there some parts of the story that i didn't really get, like they didn't match with the first movie.As for the Rider suit, it was way better in the first movie, sharper, more style, i know what they tried to accomplish with this one, but it came out as not as good as visual look.
Anyway Ghost Rider 2 end up being a disappointing sequel to a first movie that was not a masterpiece, but a good cheese fest that i really liked.
If you are a fan of the comics or of the first movie it might be worth seeing, but after viewing this film I just felt like it wasn't bad or good just plain decent.
And Of Course The Directing In This Movie Is Crazy Ridiculously Bad- Ass. Some Of The Shots In This Movie I've Never Seen Before & It's A Real Treat To See Action Directed In A Gritty & Original Way. If Your Looking For A Fun Time At The Movies Where You Can Just Sit Back Eat Your Popcorn Laugh & Watch A Fun Movie With Some Great 3D Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance Is The Movie For You..
Ghost Rider himself looks better and there are some good action sequences, but overall this film is a step back..
I Know That There Were A Few People Who Hated This And Liked The Original But Fans Are Hypocritical Of Themselves.I Will Say That Nicholas Cage Did A Better Acting Performance In This, In The Original; He Did Do A Good Performance But His Insane Performance Was Believable, However Not Enough To Get To My Votes For "Best Insane Performances Ever." The Only Complaint I Have Is That Ghost Rider Gets Hit Down With A Grenade Launcher...This Is The Spirit Of Vengeance, He Would Not Go Down That Easy.Overall For A Movie That "Fans" Have Been Waiting For This Doesn't Deliver To The First However Its Not As Awful As Everyone Says..
Too bad he gets sort of wasted in this movie by its disappointing story.And Nicolas Cage always seemed like a perfect choice to play the crazed Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider but after this movie, I'm suddenly not so sure about that anymore.
It's from the guys who made Crank 1 and 2.Let's look at the good and bad of this film.THE GOOD Every action scene is entertaining and fun to watch.
Felt more like buggy wimpy knock out!The only good thing about this movie is the fact that Ghost Rider actually looks really cool and much more realistic compared to the first one.
Good to see Cage is not posing in this movie and is on screen even when Johnny Blaze is in full flame-on screaming skull (he had a stunt guy doing the stand-in for Ghost Rider in the original).
Nic Cage's crazy-face is fun and all, but when I watch a Ghost Rider movie I want a lot of action with skullhead.
Ghost rider: Spirit of vengeance it was a good movie but it's not the best but I still enjoy watching it.