The firs thing you need to know about Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is that it is directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (or Neveldine/Taylor). These two crazy people directed Crank and Crank: High Voltage. If you have seen these films (and enjoyed them), then you know what to expect.
While this film has moments of story and plot (not really relevant in Crank or Crank: High Voltage), the action still has the pulse-pounding adrenaline-rushing one would expect from Crank.
The problem with this film is that the first half is great. When Nicholas Cage is trying to repress the Ghost Rider persona, he acts twittery and crazy, akin to his performance in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans. This also causes the Ghost Rider entity to act erratically and unpredictably.
Once Nicholas Cage accepts the Ghost Rider entity, it's less compelling, but still entertaining.
Unlike the first one, this one knows that the proper length for a film like this is an hour and a half.
Want crazy fun hero action? Want weirdo, difficult to empathize with heroes? Like Crank and Crank: High Voltage? This film is for you...and me.
Showing posts with label Nicholas Cage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicholas Cage. Show all posts
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Ghost Rider - STOP Mark Steven Johnson!!! Please!!!
Ghost Rider, another tragedy by the writer/director Mark Steven Johnson. I don't know what fool thought it would be a good idea to PAY Mark Steven Johnson...anything!!! for his services...but damn! And I try not to curse here.
Let's start with the obvious; Ghost Rider is 2 hours and 8 minutes long.It is an epic length, even for a 2007 movie. But longer isn't better, and this movie is proof of this.This movie would have been 10x stronger if it were only an hour and a half...and it could have been!! SPOILER! (although do you really care?) The movie opens with a backstory of an earlier Ghost Rider; later in the movie, Sam Elliott tells Nick Cage the same story; if these two scenes were combined into one, it would have cut off 8 minutes or so, to the movie. There are at least two (or rather 4) more scenes this could have been done to. This movie could have easily been 1.5 hours.
Even though this movie is an origin story it still feels heavily, and I mean HEAVILY, weighted int emotions. I don't mean character building/developing emotions, I mean unnecessary, sappy emotions. There's some cool action scenes, but they represent 15% of the movie...so much is emotions here, emotions there...
Eh? perhaps I'm a cynic.
The basic plot isn't strong. It's very faustian, but drags that out, as opposed to enriching it (like Phantom of the Paradise).
You better like Ghost Rider, if you think you'll enjoy this movie.
Let's start with the obvious; Ghost Rider is 2 hours and 8 minutes long.It is an epic length, even for a 2007 movie. But longer isn't better, and this movie is proof of this.This movie would have been 10x stronger if it were only an hour and a half...and it could have been!! SPOILER! (although do you really care?) The movie opens with a backstory of an earlier Ghost Rider; later in the movie, Sam Elliott tells Nick Cage the same story; if these two scenes were combined into one, it would have cut off 8 minutes or so, to the movie. There are at least two (or rather 4) more scenes this could have been done to. This movie could have easily been 1.5 hours.
Even though this movie is an origin story it still feels heavily, and I mean HEAVILY, weighted int emotions. I don't mean character building/developing emotions, I mean unnecessary, sappy emotions. There's some cool action scenes, but they represent 15% of the movie...so much is emotions here, emotions there...
Eh? perhaps I'm a cynic.
The basic plot isn't strong. It's very faustian, but drags that out, as opposed to enriching it (like Phantom of the Paradise).
You better like Ghost Rider, if you think you'll enjoy this movie.
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