Ghost Rider Review

Ghost Rider

Release Date: 15th February 2007 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

Crystal Sky Pictures (in association with)

Marvel Entertainment

Relativity Media (in association with)

Michael De Luca Productions

GH One

Vengeance Productions Pty. Ltd

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Action/Fantasy

Rating: M

Runtime: 110 minutes

                123 minutes
                (extended)


Budget: $110,000,000

Box Office Gross: $228,738,393 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Hearing that his father

is dying of terminal cancer,

motorbike rider Johnny
Blaze makes a deal with
Mephistopheles, selling his
soul in exchange for his

father's health. But the

devil tricks him when

Barton dies in a motorcycle

accident during a show,

leaving Johnny with

nothing, including his

girlfriend, Roxanne.

Years later, Johnny is now

a famous motorcyclist, who

risks his life in his shows.

He reunites with Roxanne,

now an intrepid reporter,

and with Mephistopheles,

who offers to release
Johnny's soul if he becomes

the legendary, fiery Ghost

Rider, a supernatural agent

of revenge and justice.
Mephistopheles asks
Johnny to defeat the

despicable Blackheart,

Mephistopheles' archenemy

and son. Blackheart plans

to replace his father and

create a new hell even

worse than the old one.

Cast

Nicolas Cage - Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider

Eva Mendes - Roxanne Simpson

Wes Bentley - Blackheart

Peter Fonda - Mephistopheles

Sam Elliott - The Caretaker

Donal Logue - Mack

Brett Cullen - Barton Blaze

David Roberts - Captain Jack Dolan

Laurence Breuls - Gressil

Daniel Frederiksen - Wallow

Matthew Wilkinson - Abigor

Matt Long - Young Johnny Blaze

Rachel Aquissi - Young Roxanne Simpson

Arthur Angel - Officer Edwards

Rebel Wilson - Girl in Alley

Jessica Napier - Broken Spoke Waitress

Crew

Screen Story/Screenplay/

Director - Mark Steven Johnson

Script Supervisor - Sophie Fabbri-Jackson

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

M. Bennett Walsh

Executive Producers - Ari Arad, Stan Lee,

Norman Golightly, David S. Goyer and

Lynwood Spinks

Producers - Avi Arad, Michael De Luca,
Gary Foster and Steven Paul

Casting Directors - Juel Bestrop,

Jeanne McCarthy and Christine King
Production Designer - Kirk M. Petruccelli

Additional Creature Designer - Mark 'Crash' McCreery

Supervising Art Director - Richard Hobbs

Set Decorator - Suza Maybury
Costume Designer - Lizzy Gardiner

Makeup and Hair Supervisor - Lesley Vanderwalt

Special Effects Makeup Creative Supervisor -

Dave Elsey

Special Effects Fabrication & Hair Supervisor -

Lou Elsey
Director of Photography - Russell Boyd

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Brad Shield

"B" Camera Operators - Warwick Field

and Leilani Hannah

Unit Production Manager - Catherine Bishop

First Assistant Director - P.J. Voeten

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Brendan Campbell

Second Assistant Director - Deborah Antoniou

Third Assistant Directors - Scott Lovelock

and James Nicholas

Second Unit Director - Kimble Rendall

Stunt Coordinator - Glenn Boswell

Co-Stunt Coordinator - Eddie Yansick

Action Consultant - Gary Powell

Horse Wrangler - Evanne Chesson

Action Vehicle Coordinator - Darren Loveday
Special Effects Supervisor - Peter Stubbs

Special Effects Coordinator - Caroline Kelly
Visual Effects Supervisor - Kevin Scott Mack
Visual Effects Supervisor: Cafe FX - John F.K. Parenteau

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Dream -

Jerry Pooler

Visual Effects Producer - Josh R. Jaggars

Visual Effects Executive Producer: SPI -

Jenny Fulle

Digital Effects Supervisor: SPI - Kee-Suk 'Ken' Hahn
Animation Supervisor: SPI - Marco Marenghi

Pre-Visualization Producer: Halon

Entertainment - Daniel D. Gregoire

Pre-Visualization Supervisor: Halon

Entertainment - Brad Alexander

Pre-Visualization Artists: Halon Entertainment -

Nicholas Markel, Clint G. Reagan and

Andrew Moffett

Film Editor - Richard Francis-Bruce

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor -

Dane A. Davis

Supervising Sound Mixers - Gary C. Bourgeois

and Greg Orloff

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker

and Michael Broomberg

Music - Christopher Young

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Review

In 2012, when I first saw the movie GHOST RIDER in its introduction, my first choice should have been another feature from Marvel, the violent and dour The Punisher. Unfortunately, I saw GHOST RIDER and have watched some of Nicolas Cage's previous work. Even his talented acting could not redeem this second-rate superhero film. Over time, I have that movie in my collection and a few other movies. Usually, his features are to a better standard than this. It came out in the same year as Spider-Man 3. They are both ambitious films of the genre that the critics judged as inferior. Director Mark Steven Johnson has tried to immerse the audience in seeing a dark and supernatural world. I felt Johnson should have picked up his game after Daredevil, as GHOST RIDER was a weak comic-book movie.

Nicolas Cage should not be in this film and has a different style that doesn't fit Cage's character and personality. The role should have gone to a much better actor like the late Paul Walker or Cyclops' actor James Marsden. Sam Elliott enjoyed his time in the movie as he had fun with his supporting part that's worthy of him. Unfortunately, the other secondary cast was out of touch with their characters, and probably the least favourite would be Wes Bentley in his antagonist role. Summing up the unqualified aspects of the feature is the cheesily written dialogue.

It is just one of those less distinctive movies I could barely watch again. I certainly will not worry about the sequel. I'd recommend watching it only once on Blu-ray and DVD.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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