Original Sin DVD: Review By Dodd

I think it is inevitable that comic book films are here and they are here to stay. Well...at least that is for the time being. Superhero flicks seem to be the biggest cash cow in cinema, and as long as Hollywood keeps churning them out, we will continue to go. Of course so many comic-based films lead to criticism. With so many superheroes making it to the big screen, there are definitely the more superior ones more dedicated to original source material as opposed to the silly spectacles made only to stimulate teenage giggling and popcorn munching. I've even developed my own scale on which to plot recent superhero films ranging from worst to best. I would say that somewhere in the middle between the stupidity of Fantastic Four and the depth of Batman Begins is one of the latest wham-bam outings Ghost Rider.

Nicholas Cage puts on his leather jacket and badass face to play Johnny Blaze. Blaze has more than just a cool-sounding name; he is also one of the most extreme motorcycle stuntmen in the country. On one night he will jump a series of parked school buses. Not hardcore enough? The next night he will do the same thing over running helicopters. Blaze even has many near death experiences only to get up, dust himself off, and move onto the next show. Is it just good luck and motor coordination? No that would be too easy. Johnny Blaze is actually under contract with the devil (Peter Fonda) from a shady deal he made as a teenager, and he is obligated to stay alive until the evil lord calls upon him to do a favor.

After years of cycle stunt shows, Johnny Blaze is finally paged by Satan to grant that favor. Satan's son Blackheart (Wes Bentley) has come to Earth with his grungy gang of wrongdoers to find a contract that will give Blackheart powers that can unleash hell on Earth. Blaze officially becomes a new person by night as he is ordered by the devil to bounty hunt Blackheart. Johnny's head becomes a flaming skull and his bike becomes enveloped in flames. At night he is Ghost Rider; a bad-to-the-bone motorcycle maniac who protects the innocent from Blackheart's evil schemes.

When I see a movie like Ghost Rider, I see considerable potential. A film based on a comic book about a leather-clad biker with a flaming skull for a head is rather intriguing and hardcore. In fact, something so morbid should adapt into a rather rewarding picture for an older audience. While I am not an avid reader of the comic book, it seems as though the film is not embracing its dark side, but is instead embracing more of an upbeat side that, of course, can appeal to everyone. While this appears to have succeeded in the box office, Ghost Rider's forced PG-13 nature is what brings this flick down. This action flick about the conflict between good and evil is strikingly similar to another over inflated, Satan-busting action vehicle known as Constantine. This comparison is not necessarily complimentary.

Comic book films tend to go wrong when they misinterpret the definition of "comical". Because a film is based on a comic book does not necessarily mean it should be comical in nature. Judging by the clich&#233d, jokey quips and blatantly synthetic CGI effects, the makers of Ghost Rider clearly did not give this much thought. This is pretty much self-evident based on the sight of the villain Blackheart and his gang of thugs alone. Rather than coming off as wicked spawns of hell, they more closely resemble gothy outcasts who drink coffee at Denny's and wallow in self-pity and misery.

Another major flaw here is miscasting. Ghost Rider includes a rather impressive cast, and it is clear that the most veteran, reputable performers keep their distance from the film in choppy supporting roles. Peter Fonda (channeling David Carradine from Kill Bill) is a welcome presence with his stone-cold stare. Sam Elliot even swings in as Johnny Blaze's mentor figure. I think we all know that the mere presence of Elliot makes guys want to chew tobacco and eat T-bones just to achieve his cowboy machismo. The poor casting comes from the prime players. Say what you will about Nicholas Cage, but it seems as though his performance skills have gotten rustier throughout this new millennium. The 40-something Cage seems a little rough around the edges and aged for his role. This is particularly so when he is paired with the younger Eva Mendes. Age difference aside, I failed to detect the chemistry between these two. The biggest problem comes from the casting of Wes Bentley as the villain. With a little face powder and a trench coat, Bentley makes Blackheart one of the most nonthreatening villains in comic-based films. The way he forcefully delivers badass lines like an angry high school outcast makes his performance laughable at best.

Commentary

The disc comes equipped with two commentary tracks. The first includes writer/director Mark Steven Johnson and visual effects man Kevin Mack. The two of them collaborate well and keep the track moving. They seem very enthusiastic about the film, and clearly planned out trivial things to discuss. This is unlike the second track with producer Gary Foster. It is not clear to me why this track was included. Instead of sitting in with the boys on Track 1, Foster quietly sits and spouts off the occasional comment. This track loses steam quickly.

Featurettes

There are a total of three doc*mentaries in this bundle. They are titled "Spirit of Vengeance", "Spirit of Adventure", and "Spirit of Execution". As many DVD featurettes do, these run in the order of covering pre-production, filming, and post-production. There is a nice distribution of set footage and interviews where these docs do not wander too far into boorish or fluff pieces. However, I was a bit disappointed at the ongoing footage in the post segment. I was hoping for a little more clarification as to why the film was shelved for so long.

Sin and Salvation: Comic Book Origins

This is probably my favorite of the special features. There are four doc*mentaries combined with each one representing a decade, and these discuss the origins of Ghost Rider and how much he has changed over time. Even if you are not a comic book fan, the sense of history will really shed light on the character.

Also included is a brief montage of preliminary animatics for the film.

Widescreen (2.40:1) The picture quality is A-OK. It is just the actual look of the film that is sub-par. Yes it is colorful and technically looks good, but sometimes the CGI effects are a bit much. After all, Nicholas Cage only dominates the screen half of the time while a computer program plays his flaming skull alter-ego.

Dolby Surround 5.1. The sound is rather outstanding on this disc. There is a lot of classic rock that adds to the biker/western genre at play here.

Standard case. The case is packaged with a slip sleeve, and the front cover shows Ghost Rider on his flaming hog.

Ghost Rider is not one of the best comic book films to be released this decade, but it is also not one of the worst. Perhaps if this film took a more rugged approach, it would have found its dark, western side prevalent in the comic books. I really do think it is possible to create a comic book film with a strong plot and character depth. Unfortunately, Ghost Rider instead reaches for the CGI razzle dazzle.

Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com