Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance: Review By kiion

Along with the many different superhero characters that Marvel comics have created in its run, the company has also created a multiple amount of characters that are darker and more adult orientated in style. Ghost Rider is one such character. In 2007 this character was given a theatrical release that showed the origin of the title antagonist but, being a comic that was produced for older audiences, the film was unable to attract the large audience numbers that Marvel were used to gathering for their other releases. Considered, through this as well as a poor undertaking of the characters origin being shown correctly with not enough detail or action sequences, the film was garnered by critics and production bosses to be a flop.

Even though it is considered by many to be one of the poorer produced Marvel movies, the film still doubled the budget of what it cost to produce and as such, a sequel, that is in a lot of ways a reboot, was commissioned to be produced. However, the film was in need of correcting all elements that the first seemed to fail on. Step in Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, directors of high action movie Crank and its sequel. A pair of directors who could adapt their style of film-making into a way that would give this movie the sequences that the studio and audiences desired. In many cases they achieve their goal, but also in some ways the film falls slightly short of other movies from this genre that have come before.

This film once again follows the character of Johnny Blaze, or Ghost Rider. This role is portrayed by self confessed fan of the source material, Nicolas Cage. Aside from this role, no other character returns from the first one, except the Devil who is presented completely different to the way that he is in the other movie. Further more, no references are made throughout that tie this movie to the other one. The film can be seen as a sequel to the first movie, but also as a reboot.

Within this movie Johnny Blaze is asked to protect a young boy from those who seek him out, in return for this protection a travelling monk Moreau promises to lift the curse that he is struggling to control. The issue with protecting this boy however, is that he is the incarnation of the Devil, his son, and it is the Devil who is seeking out his son so that he may become a vessel for his power and fulfill the prophecy that has been set. It is a nice plot for the character to gain some depth, and showcases the true style of the comic books correctly. Being hunted gives great excuse for high octane action sequences to be shown, and it is within these scenes that the film really comes to its own. The main criticism from the first film, not enough action, is remedied within this movie but due to the nature of only wanting a lower certificate for the film, the violence shown does not always seem appropriate to the context of what is occurring on screen. However this is a small disappointment as the action sequences are up to the standard of what is needed, but it would have made more sense to allow more to be shown, especially with the targeting of this film to older audience members who are more likely those that are fans of the source material.

Nicolas Cage once again showcases his admiration for the character, having taken the mantle of the title role. Within this movie he does not do much different to what was seen in the first film, but with further screen time the character is able to garner some more depth and progression. This is a good thing as it will please many people who are fans of the original. Like the first film, the supporting cast in this movie are fairly strong. Idris Elba stands out as Moreau, portraying his character with the correct amount of mystical nature as well as keeping him very much real. His character was a nice addition to the collection, as it is to be seen that he is the opposite of Johnny Blaze, as such this allows for comparisons to be made between the characters. Ciaran Hinds replaces Peter Fonda as the role of the devil within this movie, and although odd at first the choice is excellent in furthering the characters development. Ciaran Hinds adds enough of his own style to proceedings that the character feels fresh, and as such is unclear for audience members to second guess his next move. The other supporting characters do not get enough time on screen to become fully developed in their roles, therefore they seem to be there just to make up numbers- not needed and wasted. This is a shame as some of the characters could have become a good addition to the series.

The action sequences within this movie are very much here and there. Where one sequence looks strong another looks poor and odd in its design. This is a shame as when they are done correctly they really take the characters to interesting places, when they are done badly however they only succeed in become annoying to watch. The special effects are also very much like this. One minute Ghost Rider looks perfect on screen, the next he appears odd as it can be seen out of proportion to other things in shot. These are a real shame for the film as they let down the aesthetics greatly. It is obvious why the directors have been chosen for this film, with backgrounds in action films, however, what may work on one such film may not on the other. The way that they decide to use shaky cam and artistic styling to certain scenes, never seem needed. Of course some people will enjoy them, but the majority will only find them out of place and odd in relation the material that is being presented.

Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance is the second released under the Marvel Knights banner, those comics that are aimed at older audience. Therefore it is odd for this movie to be presented in a way that caters for younger viewers, and this lets the film down in what it is trying to achieve. The 3D that is used within this movie also feels out of place and throughout it just bring across an unnecessary feeling of tackiness. Some movies warrant this new medium, this film did not. The cast of characters are not all worthwhile to have time used to gain attachment, and a lot will seem un-needed. With some cases of bad CGI, this film will annoy viewers, but it is to be noted that this film never does anything worse than the original. As such, those who are a fan of either the source material, the original film or superhero films in general will find enough content here to allow for an entertaining action movie that fulfills in at least some of the ways that are desired.

Written by Tom Clarke/Kiion