Some might see the fact that the critics have energetically and almost unanimously panned Ghost Rider as an ominous omen. Not me. I view this as another point in its favor. I've heard it said that critics tend to value originality above all else, as could perhaps be expected when you spend your life as one long string of movies. As such, they're excited over things that are different, even if they're boring. But there's a very good reason that About Schmidt bombed and that National Treasure became just what its name implies. And thankfully, Ghost Rider holds true to the pattern established by these earlier films.
Enough previews. It's time to get on to the movie itself. As usual, I will attempt to refrain from including any real spoilers with my makeshift analysis. Our story centers around Johnny Blaze, a young stuntrider with ambitions of elopement, who suddenly discovers that his father has terminal cancer. This leads him to sign a deal with the devil, offering up his soul in exchange for his father's recovery. Not mentioned in this contract is the fact that the devil will also transform him into Nicholas Cage. In other words, young Johnny is soon forced to part with his hair. On the plus side, flaming skulls don't require much coverage anyway. Another reason that the casting of the protagonist was so appropriate.
Years later, Johnny continues his career as a daredevil biker, surviving countless disasters thanks to his deal with the devil. And the star power of Nick Cage, no doubt. I'm glad that even an over-the-top action movie like this one admits the impossibility of the stunts performed, though it wouldn't be the first time that a movie was able to defy the powers of mathematics. This is not to say that the scene where Johnny leaps over six giant helicopters and then zooms off after his girlfriend is even in the same ballpark as realism. But this can be forgiven because, as Johnny says, helicopters are cool. And despite all the fire, that's definitely the way to describe this movie. Everything from the chain to the bike drips with all sorts of style. With the exception of hairstyle of course, which is a little bit lacking.
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