Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The name alone is enough to turn the stomachs of even our strongest CBM residents. It's been called the "Green Lantern" of 2012, and is pretty much trashed by critics and fanboys alike.
After my first viewing, which I admitted in my first review, I purposely went into this film with high hopes. The trailers for this movie had my excitement amped up to the fullest. I just knew that Neveldine and Taylor were going to deliver where Mark Steven Johnson hadn't. I went into this film knowing that without a doubt, my mind was going to be blown away... And it was.
My first go at Spirit of Vengeance left a very sour taste in my mouth. But I don't have to get into the details about that. To find out my original thoughts, check out my first review here. --> http://www.comicbookmovie.com/ghost_rider/news/?a=54928
This review is all about my second helping of Ghost Rider.
See... I just had this itch that I couldn't scratch. Out of all of the reviews for this movie, I found myself waiting and hoping for a positive review. A few finally showed up, and after reading the reviews by Ironpool007 and GhostRiderfan1, I started to think outside of the box a bit. It just kind of dawned on me that I owe this movie another chance. Now that I knew what to expect and what kind of movie it actually was/is, I couldn't help but wander if I'd enjoy it the second time around.
And the answer???... It's "Yes".
Coming into this movie the second time around, I found myself smiling and enjoying the very parts that I hated the first time. The opening sequence of this movie has some great, albeit quick, action scenes, and a pretty good chase sequence. Right from the start, I got the feeling that I was watching a different and better Ghost Rider movie. Main titles role, and the Nic Cage voiceover begins. This, imo, is still pretty annoying. Didn't like it either time.
Cage portrays a tormented and lost soul pretty well in this movie, yet still, in one scene, I can't get over his over-acting. Still semmed a bit like a crackhead when he was trying to scare this guy. But overall, after watching this movie a second time, I think Nicolas Cage turned in a good performance as Blaze and as Ghost Rider. The action is reved up in this movie, and it grabbed my attention without letting go, everytime Ghost Rider was on screen. Many scenes stand out, but my favorite has to be...
The quarry scene. Seeing our anti-hero take over a huge piece of machinery like the one above just dropped my jaw. And yes... I'm talking about the second time I watched it. Seeing Ghost Rider kicking ass and killing bad guys is exactly what I wanted to see. And This movie delivered.
Idris Elba really is great in this movie. His performance as Moreau is very well played and he delivers on the character's emotion and genuine faith in what he's doing. Plus, he likes to drink wine... A LOT!
Violante Placido did just fine in her role, playing the protective mother of young Danny. She's beautiful, brave and knows how to handle guns. She proved that she's not a woman to mess with, and has a very good eye when it comes to using that sniper rifle.
Fergus Riordan is really the weak point of this movie. His role as Danny really could have been played by any young kid actor, as many have said, and his performance rivals Jake Lloyd's Anakin in TPM. Yea! It was kind of bad.
Ciaran Hinds go at Rourke was also kind of weak. Peter Fonda expressed his intrests in returning to the franchise, and he was definitely missed. Hinds as the devil was far from menacing and you never feel threatened by him.
As Carrigan, I found Johnny Whitworth quite enjoyable. He was a dick and proud of it. But his turn at Blackout was very much crap. I liked the look, but the execution of the character was way off and just overly cheesy.
The brief appearances by Anthony Head and Christopher Lambert were very welcomed and their brief moments did in some way add a little bit more to the movie.
I loved the new Look of Ghost Rider and found him to be a very different version from the first movie. His movements were very creepy and comedic at times, but he just hit that perfect level of "B movie horror icon" look and I couldn't help but applaud it.
All in all... Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance did surpass it's original and delivered on the visual effects and action. We got a combination of action, B movie horror, stunning visual effects, along with a good and basic plot that basically served to get you through until the next action sequences, and a very good experience altogether.
Yes... Ghost Rider did piss fire...
And yes... Nic Cage is over the top at times...
But that's what made this movie fun. Yea, it took me two trips to actually enjoy this movie. But after going in with an open mind and accepting it for what it is, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was a great movie that does indeed deserve more praise than it's getting.
Originally, I gave this movie a 5 out of 10 rating. But I'd like to change that now, to a more earned 7 out of 10. I say give it a watch, and without the expectation of TDK or Iron Man type movie.
Cheers!