Ghost Rider (Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]

Most reviews of this film have been apathetic at best but i'd be inclined to be a little more generous.
Compared to some of Cage's recent efforts it's a step up. He has a passion for this comic, which he mentions in interview, he even has a tattoo of it and this enthusiasm comes through in his performance. Graphic novel anoraks will tell you that this is one of the most faithful adaptations to screen yet, they'll probably also tell you that having eye-candy like Eva Mendes in the film didn't do it any harm either...and they'd be right.
Mark Steven Johnson (also director of Daredevil) has done a good job with the adaptation, but having watched either Daredevil or Ghost Rider it's obvious that dialog isn't his strong point. Despite Cage's passion for the role, if you're expecting academy award winning acting from this flick, you're gonna be sorely disappointed. That said, Peter Fonda is very well cast as Mephistopholes and Wes Bentley does a good job at playing the bad-guy particularly in comparison to his slightly wet counter-parts.
The order of the day then; sit back, disengage the brain and enjoy the action as Ghost Rider literally ignites the screen with perpetual flames, even when not literal the fire imagery is ever present.
On Blu ray this looks even sharper than in the cinema, it really is stunning.
The extended cut runs for about an extra 13 minutes, and there are some nice featurettes on the extras disc. On the whole, a worthwhile purchase if you're a Marvel fan, or if you just fancy a good action flick.

This film is fun to watch, but nothing more. It doesn't have some deep, hidden message or any plot twists.

The action in this film is well done and is probably the strongest aspect of the film. Ghost Rider faces all kinds of demons, and each confrontation is short but sweet.

The love story in this film is good but nothing you haven't seen a million times before. The villian is good but unfortuanatly feels a bit B-movie-ish because of the way he acts. I don't know if the director is to blame for this or if the actor himself is.

The special effects are top-notch and as I stated previously the action is excellent. Ghost Rider makes a good debut in this movie. I hope to see a Ghost Rider 2, but with extended action scenes and it would be nice if it was a bit less predictable.

But hey, there are some good one liners here and the actual character of Ghost Rider is an uncomprimising badass. He will punish anyone who is guilty of a crime. In one part of the film he points towards a demon and says: "BACK TO HELL!" It sends a chill down your spine as you realise how unstoppable Ghost Rider is.........

So buy this film on DVD if you like supernatural stuff, or if you just like a good fantasy film.

Even way back during my comic-collecting days, I never really crossed paths with Ghost Rider (I've read exactly one issue), and I only decided that I like Nicolas Cage after all about a year ago - so I wasn't exactly waiting for this film (and what a lengthy wait it turned out to be) with baited breath. You know what, though? I really enjoyed this movie. OK, the first half hour is a little slow and boring, but once the actual Ghost Riding starts, the action makes up for the deficiencies in the storyline. I can't say the whole flaming skull thing looks like it could even possibly be real, but it's still a flaming skull, and that is, by definition, pretty darn cool. And we all know that you can't really go wrong with demon fighting.

If you know nothing about Ghost Rider, here's all you really need to know. As a teenager, Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) sold his soul to the devil (but not for greedy or selfish reasons) - only to be totally screwed over by the evil-doer. Knowing that old Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) could show up at any time to enforce his end of the deal, Blaze leaves the love of his life behind and heads out to lead a life of relative isolation. Following in his father's footsteps, he becomes a famous motorcycle daredevil, continually upping the danger ante in an effort to prove to himself that he, not Mephistopheles, is responsible for his success. Life goes on until the day he jumps the length of a football field (goalpost to goalpost, which would actually be 20 yards further than the 100 yards described in the film). As fate would have it, Blaze's death-defying jump actually pales in importance to two other things that happen: this is the day that Blaze's young sweetheart, Roxanne (Eva Mendes), suddenly comes back into his life, and it is also the day that Mephistopheles decides to show up and put his reluctant bounty hunter to work for the first time. Turning into a flaming skeleton consumed with the overwhelming need to punish evil-doers doesn't do much for romance, especially when it happens every night. Ghost Rider's targets aren't exactly easy to kill, either, because they are a group of demons led by Mephistopheles' rebellious son Blackheart (Wes Bentley). Father and son are both after the old contract for a thousand exceedingly corrupt souls a former Ghost Rider hid away from the devil's evil clutches.

Once Blaze transforms into Ghost Rider, some heavy CGI work is used to tell most of the rest of the story. None of the special effects will make your jaw drop open, but it's all pretty effective for the most part. That whole romance thing butts in from time to time to take away from all of the demonic action, but even the plot's predictability in this regard does little to take away from the overall entertainment factor. You especially have to love Ghost Rider's trademark finishing move, the Penance Stare.

I know the reaction to Ghost Rider has been a little on the mixed side, but I for one am glad to hear that there are plans for a sequel in the works. In terms of plot and characterization, this film does leave itself open to various levels of criticism, but Ghost Rider is a great character that could easily sustain a franchise of films.