Spirit of Vengeance

            Hey guys, I’m the girl you trust with information about movies out in the theaters!  Please call me TheCinemaChick.  I’ve got two reviews for you so I suppose we should get things started with the first movie I watched.  Now, before I delve into it, I just want to let everyone know, I’m not a huge fan of this series.  I have seen Ghost Rider, but it was several years ago.  Ironically, the day after seeing Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengance, the original one came on television, so I watched it again.  .

            The sequel…well…I really didn’t enjoy it.  It was nowhere near as good as the first one and I felt like it wanted to do too much.  As you’ve seen from the previews or trailers online, it’s about a boy who is possibly the antichrist.  That’s one of the plots.  The other involves kidnapping, another one involves religious sects that are mentioned once and never brought up again and ultimately, Ghost Rider being taken away from Johnny Blaze.

            So, let’s get this straight.  Ignore everything you know about Ghost Rider because it will not be mentioned in Spirit of Vengeance.  In fact, the origin story has been slightly changed.  The devil is played by a different actor.  As if that’s not bad enough, there’s nothing tying the two films together.  Both of them could stand alone and still be fine.     

            Ok guys, since I can’t seem to write this normally, let’s just have a friendly debate with myself about this.  What I’m going to do is make a point about Ghost Rider, then make a comment about Spirit of Vengeance.  I’m hoping this helps to keep things a bit more organized.

Ghost Rider:

I can safely say I prefer the first one.  I can’t help it.  As tacky and as bad as it was, it had a better storyline, the CGI was superior and it left me feeling satisfied.  Sure, it was far from perfect but everyone knows I’m willing to admit every film has flaws

Spirit of Vengeance:

.While the first film did nothing for me and the second just disappointed me.  Not to mention the lead actor just hasn’t done anything worthwhile lately.  Honestly, Nicolas Cage should really consider retiring because his recent track record has been fairly disappointing.  My faith in Marvel adaptations is wavering and that’s sad considering I was fairly amped to see The Avengers when it came out.

Ghost Rider:

In the first film, Ghost Rider is a soul collecting bounty hunter for the devil.  Ok, that makes him sound like a total badass.  I could get into that.  In fact, he is a badass.  He’s a skeleton on fire who uses a red hot chain to snare his enemies, then uses the Penance Stare to take their souls.  Come on, the guy stares at you and it’s like “Instadeath”.  How many comic book characters can just look at you and kill you? 

Spirit of Vengeance:

Johnny Blaze has gone from total badass to mopey, brooding outcast living in the middle of nowhere.  He’s been suppressing the Ghost Rider because he thinks it only wants to kill for sport.  (Bear in mind, this is my own personal opinion.  I am most likely wrong about this.)  Instead of being an awesome bounty hunter, he’s a demon.  Yes, you heard me, a demon who is really an angel that was once cast down from Heaven.  Apparently, this version can also revive the dead.  Yeah, doesn’t really make sense to me either.

Ghost Rider:

His main weapon is the previously mentioned Penance Stare, where he can pretty much look in your eyes and know every bad thing you’ve ever done, from a little white lie to murder.  I think that has got to be one of the most amazing powers anyone could ever have.  Seriously, I’m a comic book nerd and I’ve been all for Psylocke, Sage and Threnody for years.  I’d get into Ghost Rider just for the whole Penance Stare thing.  Plus, he has a red hot chain and flaming motorcycle. 

And if you have no idea who Psylocke, Sage and Threnody are, Google it.

Spirit of Vengeance:

Yeah…the Penance Stare is used once in a fairly lame battle towards the beginning.  Ghost Rider relies mostly on his chain and later on, machines.  Don’t ask how that one works out.  I’ve having a little trouble accepting that one myself.

            For the most part, I just couldn’t stand Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.  The script is full of horrible puns and terrible jokes.  Most of the time, the dialogue is just pathetic.  Nicolas Cage gets a little too into his role, which makes his performance borderline bipolar.  It’s like watching the man having a psychotic breakdown.  I’m almost certain it actually happened too.  The CGI was embarrassing.  It was major step down from the first film, where I thought it was incredible.

            After the movie, I spoke with a theater employee who knows me.  He asked about it and I honestly said, “If you view it as a comedy, you’ll love it.  I cannot recommend this as an action movie.”

            Yeah…now time for the shocking part.

            Despite how laughable this movie was, I do recommend it.  The directors really got into it and the camera work is phenomenal.  It’s not Oscar worthy by any means but it could earn a MTV Movie Award.  I loved the technical aspects of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.  There are animated montages scattered throughout, which provide a great way to show things without having a character sit there and talk for long periods of time.

            Trust me, it’s not Marvel’s finest film, but it’s decent.  As I told my friend who works at the theater, I cannot recommend it as an action film.  It must be viewed as a comedy to be taken seriously.  Nicolas Cage’s acting talents seem to slowly vanish with every movie he makes and he seems positively schizophrenic in this one.  However, it works and manages to successfully convey the inner struggle between Johnny Blaze and Ghost Rider.

            So there you have it.  The movie is overdone, horribly acted, overly complicated and almost painful to endure because it’s such a far cry from the original.  But, I would say it’s worth a shot.  Marvel fans will enjoy it, as will Nicolas Cage fans.  As a comic book geek and a movie lover, I’m somewhere in the middle.  I didn’t hate it, but I don’t love it.  Save this one for the dollar theater and skip the 3D.

            It was more entertaining than The Vow, which is my next review.

            I’m TheCinemaChick and I’d like to say happy birthday to Zaden.