Ghost Rider (2007)

"...a movie so full of camp spirit it should come with tents and a marshmallow roast.  Liam Lacey, The Globe and Mail
"It's entertaining to watch ol' hothead do his thing with his fiery chain and his "penance stare"...  Michael Ordona, Los Angeles Times

Editor's Note The prophetically named Johnny Blaze and his father perform death-defying stunts in a carnival, but the real danger to his dad's life is the cancer growing within his dying body. To save him, Johnny makes a deal with Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda, EASY RIDER) and sacrifices his soul. When his father is killed mid-stunt, Johnny runs away, leaving behind his grief and a young love named Roxanne. Years later, Johnny (Nicolas Cage, WORLD TRADE CENTER ) is the most famous rider in the country. Despite his daredevil tendencies, Johnny is a different man when he's not riding his bike. Though he wears leather jackets and pants, he prefers jelly beans to Jim Beam while listening to the Carpenters. Years have passed since Johnny has seen the love of his life, but he still carries a torch for Roxanne (Eva Mendes, HITCH). When he sees her after a stunt, he tries to regain her love and trust. But it's time for the devil to take his due as he brings Johnny into an epic battle with Blackheart (Wes Bentley, AMERICAN BEAUTY). In the presence of evil, Johnny transforms into a super-strong skeleton with a flaming skull who has the power to defeat Blackheart and his minions. As Johnny, Cage plays a cross between his Elvis devotee in WILD AT HEART and the sensitive he-man in CON AIR. The evil Mephistopheles is Fonda's most memorable role since his Oscar-nominated turn in ULEE'S GOLD, and this film provides an opportunity for him to return to the spotlight. GHOST RIDER doesn't rank with the best of the comic book adaptations such as SPIDER-MAN and BATMAN BEGINS, but director Mark Steven Johnson (DAREDEVIL) provides a film driven by both humor and action.

	Brett Cullen
	Donal Logue
	Eva Mendes
	Matt Long
	Nicolas Cage
	Peter Fonda
	Raquel Alessi
	Sam Elliott
	Avi Arad - Executive Producer
	Christopher Young - Original Music By
	Kirk M. Petruccelli - Production Designer
	Mark Steven Johnson - Director
	Mark Steven Johnson - Writer
	Michael De Luca - Producer
	Richard Francis-Bruce - Editor
	Russell Boyd - Cinematographer

Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "[B]ig, loud and outrageous....When he rides and cars explode in his wake, that's pretty cool." 03/01/2007 p.88

Sight and Sound
"[Cage] gives one of his eccentrically committed performances....There are also two perfect, shivery performances from Sam Elliott...and Peter Fonda..." 05/01/2007 p.62

Uncut
3 stars out of 5 -- "Nic Cage's patented range of doleful stares make him a fine choice to play a doomed hero..." 08/01/2007 p.137

Reel.com 8 of 10
Ghost Rider, the latest movie based on a Marvel Comic, is one of those stealth films that arrives in theaters with nary a press screening until the night before opening--past deadline for many writers. Usually, that means the movie reeks so much that the studio does not dare show it to critics any earlier for fear of what their poison pens might do. But in this case, what it really means is that whoever made that boneheaded decision at Sony Pictures ought to be preparing a new resume; if he or she could not see what this truly fun piece of entertainment had to offer, it's time to get into a new line of work. Sure, it may fall under the heading of a guilty pleasure, but there is nothing wrong with that--few movies can even make that much of a promise...Don't be fooled by the studio's abuse of its own product. This is one beguiling ride. - Pam Grady