Marvel’s comic takes a wrong turn in Sony Pictures’ big budget transition to the silver screen

Readers of the Ghost Rider comic series are familiar with the storyline.  The title character is a motorcycle rider given supernatural powers by a demon to do his dirty work.  The original comic anti-hero was Johnny Blaze, a young motorcycle stuntman with a traveling carnival.  Like most comics-turned-movies, the updated film adaptation quickly distances itself from the original printed version.    

Storyline

A seventeen year-old Johnny Blaze agrees to give his soul to the evil Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) to save his father from lung cancer.  The next morning Barton Blaze tells his son of the miracle cure of his illness, but dies that afternoon in an accident during the carnivals show caused by Mephistopheles.  Showing all the wisdom of youth, Johnny over-reacts by riding his chopper out of town in a pouring rain, leaving safety and his girlfriend Roxanne Simpson behind.  

Fast forward several years, Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) popularity as a daring motorcycle stuntman has grown to legendary status.  When his paths cross with his old girlfriend (Eva Mendes), who is now a successful television reporter, Johnny wants to rekindle the romance with Roxanne.  At the same time Mephistopheles’ son, Blackheart (Wes Bentley), challenges his father for the power of controlling 1,000 souls.  To beef up his resume to equal his pedigree, Blackheart recruits outcast angels hiding as the elements earth, wind and water for the fight.  Mephistopheles calls his marker with Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider is born.

Johnny is given guidance by a graveyard caretaker (terrific performance by Sam Elliott) who seems to have inside knowledge of the Ghost Rider legend and Mephistopheles.  While Ghost Rider battles Blackheart’s recruits, he exposes his romantic interest in Roxanne.  Blackheart uses this weakness to force a final showdown with the reluctant Ghost Rider.

Wrong Turns

In an age of out-of-this world special effects, the artists behind the Ghost Rider got it right.  Many people say that the transparency and movement of fire makes it extremely difficult to look realistic on film, but Ghost Rider succeeded thanks to harnessing more computer power in one scene than was required for the entire Ron Howard version of Apollo 13.  If only Opie had been on set, maybe he could have saved Ghost Rider.  

Instead, the reigns of this film for writing, directing and artist vision were turned over to Mark Steven Johnson with a blockbuster resume that includes comic movies Elektra and Daredevil.  If you believe the hype, Mr. Johnson is a both a fan of the original Ghost Rider comic and an avid motorcyclist.  Neither of these foundational elements come across in the final project.  

Enter Mr. Cage’s contribution to the Ghost Rider legend.  While he has proven himself to be a fine actor in numerous movies in the past, we’ve also seen what his skills can not overcome when he’s cast in the wrong part (Firebirds, ConAir).  At 43, Cage was the wrong actor to play the lead in this or any other film with a twenty-something superhero (Superman Returns).  Despite being another avid motorcyclist associated with this film, he never looks comfortable riding the bikes.  Too many scenes were clearly shot inside a studio in-front of a green-screen when they begged for the realistic results only found with a live on-set shot.   The "personality" traits that Cage injects into Blaze, obsessions for eating jelly beans from a martini glass and listening to old Carpenters’ songs, only draw attention to how wrong he was for this role.  

The one actor associated with this film who clearly is comfortable on a motorcycle, Captain America himself, Easy Rider’s Peter Fonda delivers a poor performance as the dark father Mephistopheles.  Anything but flat on the screen, Eva Mendes, the movie’s eye candy, completely fails to put any life or passion into her characters lines.  As teenagers the lovers were the same age.  When they meet again, the 10+ year age difference is as clear and unbelievable as the hairpiece on Johnny’s head.     

The Motorcycles

Even Johnny Blaze’s stunt bike is miscast in Ghost Rider.  While any fan of the X-Games can tell you Travis Pastrana rides motorcross bikes for his stunts, Mr. Johnson decided to strap Johnny to a crotch-rocket street racer Buell to jump 100 yards and six helicopters.  Not even Evil Knievel would have tried that when he was young and dumb.  

The saving character in Ghost Rider is what some people would say is the most important… his Hellbike.  As unlikely as it is that a kid would have an expensive custom chopper that looks extremely similar to a repainted Easy Rider, when the artist morph the motorcycle into Ghost Rider’s ride, it looks terrific on the screen in motion or just standing still.    

Conclusion

It’s time to let this Ghost Rider rest in peace.  Put your money to better use on another tank of gas for the motorcycle and wait to see the DVD rental at home.  Unfortunately, the movie jumps the shark.