So we decided to give Ghost Rider a shot over the weekend. Now, I’ve always been a fan of the comic, especially when Salvador Laroca was doing the pencils on the book. So when Marvel’s latest comic book hero to film star landed on our shores, I pretty much had to go see what they’ve done with the old chap.
Now not being one of Nicholas Cages greatest fans ever, I was already cringing at the fact that I’d have to be seeing old Snake Eyes in all the non-CG shots. That said, I was pleasantly surprised how well Cage pulled this one off. I genuinely enjoyed his portrayal of old flame head. He was goofy, he was serious, and he was fairly likeable, all rolled into one. Eva Mendes made an appearance as the love affair in the movie, and though I don’t know too much about her, I cant really say bad things about her. And although it isn’t necessarily a bad thing for her fans, I really do wonder if she knows how to do up the top button on any one of her outfits.
Live action aside, this movie was always going to be made or broken on the strength of its CG scenes. And in this regard it didn’t disappoint. The CG was pretty awesome. Very nice overlays, backgrounds and special effects make Ghost Rider a feast on the eyes. Super-powered villains, hot bikes and whipping chains all look and feel good in this one. The soundtrack was okay. Probably. I can’t say it really stuck in my head so I can’t really remember if it was any good at all.
All this praise aside though, the movie really comes out feeling ordinary. I cant really talk badly about it, nor can I rave about it. It was a perfectly ordinary (some would say boring) super hero yarn. A definite must for fans of the character, but for most people this is one movie they can safely skip over.