Comic Book Movies 101: Ghost Rider

25th Apr 2011

To be completely honest I was never a fan of Marvel’s Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze, even when I was a younger comic book geek (although admittedly the look has always intrigued me); the story just never appealed to my sensibilities regarding comic book characters. I always liked the idea they a cape and a secret identity is key to being a true superhero. And when I found out that a Ghost Rider film was going to be made I decided to go back and read the source material.

After some research I found the character to be a complex and worthy (if admittedly C-list) Marvel anti-hero. All of this intrigued me, getting me excited at the prospect of seeing this modern day Faust on the big screen. When I finally did see it – and after the initial wow of the flaming skull subsided – there was more than a feeling of an empty void present.

One of the few things that this film adaptation does get right is the look of Ghost Rider himself – flaming skull, clad in black motorcycle leathers and astride an undeniably cool supernatural motorbike. While the ways Blaze tries to cope with his torment are enjoyable and different – listening to The Carpenters and eating specific coloured jelly beans – all of this only adds up to a halfway interesting performance from Cage. It’s also a shame about the bad hairpiece that’s supposed to make him appear younger. That certainly takes suspension of disbelief to a whole new level.

Sam Elliot’s stereotypical old westerner (long Texan drawl plus chewing tobacco which is inevitably spat out after each sentence) is a clichéd addition but one which feels welcome. This is mostly due to Elliot’s performance – he’s clearly having fun with the role – but also in part to his first line directed towards Johnny Blaze: “Morning Bonehead!” It never fails to produce a grin.

Unfortunately the various elements it does get wrong – and there are plenty – are apparent from the get go; a stilted and unconvincing romance between Johnny Blaze and Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendez) only adds to the painful and cringeworthy viewing experience. But quite possibly the worst thing about this is its lack of a decent villain, as it seems Wes Bentley as Blackheart decided to act using only his eyebrows and a smug grin. I can completely understand that in a Christmas panto, but for a film like this it’s shameful and downright laughable.

The main issue I have is that it takes well over 40 minutes to get to the first transformation of Blaze into his flame-headed alter-ego. But when it does happen it’s a genuinely impressive – and quite gruesome – sight to behold. That particular manic and unhinged element that Cage does so well, adds to the crazed transformation. His burning flesh and distorted voice prove to be one of the film’s highlights.

In retrospect I think what director Mark Steven Johnston got wrong was that he didn’t delve deep enough into Ghost Rider’s wide and varied history. Like much of Marvel’s back-catalogue of characters, Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze – and to a lesser extent Daniel Ketch his successor – is full of rich back-story and interesting character arcs. Unfortunately, Mark Steven Johnston makes the same mistake he did with Daredevil, forgetting to make anything other than a mostly boring, middle-of-the-road adaption with a sense of high camp. And the less said about the addition of a rather random, tacky and quite frankly laughable fast zoom the better – it’s a cinematic faux pas that can really not be forgiven.

Admittedly it does contain a few moments of enjoyment, such as Ghost Rider’s face-off against a police helicopter and subsequent motorcycle stunt as he drives off the top of a building. Also the jail sequence with Cage vs. a load of thugs as Blaze changes into Ghost Rider is actually more impressive than any of the encounters he has with unconvincing antagonists.

Ghost Rider had potential but fails by falling headlong into high camp and an unconvincing romance. The film works best when Cage is allowed to run free with his typical brand of outlandish and manic persona, which he does with relish. Fingers crossed the second film (due February 2012) is at least marginally better and can inject a bit of life into this franchise before it becomes dead in the water