What are you, 10?!: 02/01/2007

Film Review: Ghost Rider

THIS MOVIE MAY BE BASED ON MARVEL'S GRAPHIC NOVELS, BUT THE ADAPTATION IS NOT FOR KIDS. I FELT SORRY FOR THOSE WHOSE PARENTS BROUGHT THEM IN TO THE THEATRE, AS THIS IS NOT SPIDER-MAN... BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A CUT ABOVE DAREDEVIL. 3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS.

IF I WERE THE MARVEL PRODUCERS THOUGH, I WOULDN'T GET THE SAME DIRECTOR... EVER AGAIN. HE'S JUST NOT PUSHING THE BAR AS FAR AS HE SHOULD, AND HIS SCRIPT ISN'T THE BEST EITHER. THERE ARE HOLES IN THE PLOT THAT YOU CAN DRIVE A TRUCK THROUGH (LOOK FOR THIS: KNIFE STAB). OTHER GRAPHIC NOVEL WRITERS COULD'VE DONE A MUCH BETTER JOB I RECKON. I KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST FILM TO FEATURE GHOST RIDER BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO FOCUS TOO MUCH ON THE ORIGIN OF THE CHARACTER (E.G. STYLE ON DAREDEVIL) AND NOT MUCH IN THE DEVELOPMENT. WHILST NICOLAS CAGE'S PERSONAL ADD-ON'S TO THE TITLE CHARACTER WILL PROVE TO BE SOME OF THE FILM'S TALKING POINTS, THIS IS JUST A SIGN THAT THE DIRECTOR WASN'T REALLY IN COMMAND.

EVA MENDES PERFORMED AT SUB PAR LEVEL, AND THIS IS AGAIN THE DIRECTOR'S FAULT, AS SHE HAD DELIVERED BETTER JOBS IN FILMS LIKE TRAINING DAY AND 2 FAST, 2 FURIOUS. IT'S NO WONDER A LOT OF THE PRESS CON'S PRIOR TO THE FILM'S RELEASE FOCUSED ON HOW SHE'S GAINED WEIGHT TO IMPROVE HER "PRESENCE".

WITH THE NEGATIVE'S ASIDE, THIS WAS AN ENJOYABLE TREAT TO CATCH FROM PREMIERE NIGHT ONWARDS. THEY DID AN EXCELLENT ENOUGH JOB AT TRANSFORMING THE GHOST RIDER FROM THE COMICBOOKS TO THE BIG SCREEN. I WON'T SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE BUT THE RIDE TO THE DESERT WAS ARGUABLY THE BEST PART OF THE SHOW. THAT AND THE VARIOUS LANDMARKS FROM ALL OVER MELBOURNE! LET'S SEE, WE HAVE THE YARRA FOOTBRIDGE AT THE TOP, THE TELSTRA DOME (REMEMBER THE CHOPPERS?), AND 'THE BALLERINA' ARTS CENTRE TOWER AS SEEN BELOW.

NICOLAS CAGE DID HIS BEST IN BECOMING PART OF MARVEL'S LINEUP OF LIVE ACTION HEROES. THINKING OF RUMOURS FROM A WHILE BACK, I STILL CAN'T SEE HIM AS KAL-EL, BUT THE SELF-CONFESSED COMICBOOK ENTHUSIAST DID A MEMORABLE INTERPRETATION OF THE SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE AND HIS ALTER EGO, JOHNNY BLAZE (KAREN CARPENTER AND JELLY BEANS, ANYONE?).

I HATE HOW SOME ACTORS WOULD COME BACK IN ANOTHER SUPERHERO FILM, AND PORTRAY A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CHARACTER. CASE IN POINT, SAM ELLIOTT (THAT MOVIE ABOUT A BIG GREEN GOLIATH?). HAVING SAID THAT, I'M STILL PLEASED WITH HIS PERFORMANCE HERE, AND THIS FILM WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ITS IMPACT WITHOUT HIM OR HIS CHARACTER.

IN MY OPINION, GHOST RIDER DID NOT DISAPPOINT IN THE MOST OBVIOUS OF WAYS. IT'S NOT A PERFECT ADAPTATION OF THE COMICS, BUT IS THERE REALLY SUCH A THING? I HOPE IT PAVES THE WAY FOR SEQUELS THAT DELIVER BEYOND THE ORIGIN PLATFORM. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET, DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE DVD COMES OUT. DON'T FORGET THE POPCORN ON YOUR WAY IN EITHER. SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE PUNCH! GUILTY!!