I thought that the original Ghost Rider was an okay movie. However, the movie left me disappointed and wanting more. I got that yesterday when I saw Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. This is how a Ghost Rider movie should be. I will not spoil the plot of the movie, but just make some notes on what went right and what went wrong.
I was scared to see another horrible performance from Nicholas Cage. This time he really surprised me. The way he transforms himself (you actually can feel this guy's pain) into the Ghost Rider is spectacular. I like the physicality that Cage brought to the role, especially in the action sequences.
The opening scene that involves a man (not Ghost Rider) on a bike trying to help a mother and her son while being chassd by the baddies is awesome. The scene reminded me of the opening of Quantum of Solace 007. I saw Ghost Rider 2 in Imax 3D and in parts the 3D quality was good. Not great, but perfect for a movie like this.
The comic book panel like sequences are another new feature in this movie that worked really well. The main villain Ray Carrigan is a good villain, but his tranformation made him look like Steven Tyler. His death at the end was chessy. The kid in this film was pretty annoying. I just couldn't picture this kid as the son of Satan. The female character of Nadya was not given much of a backstory and her character suffers the most.
I had a good time watching this movie. Leave logic home and bring your imagination when you see this movie.
3 1/2 stars out of 5