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Special Features
Commentary with Director/Writer Mark Steven Johnson and Visual Effects Supervisor Kevin Mack
Commentary with Producer Gary Foster
Spirit of Vengeance: 2-Part Making of Ghost Rider Featurette
Commentary with Producer Gary Foster
Spirit of Vengeance: 2-Part Making of Ghost Rider Featurette
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Once intended as a feature for Johnny Depp, the long-germinating feature film adaptation of Marvel Comics' cult title Ghost Rider stars Nicolas Cage as motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who transforms into a skull-faced angel of vengeance to battle the forces of evil. Though perhaps a bit too mature for the role, Cage brings a degree of humor to the outrageous proceedings; he's well matched by the Easy Rider himself Peter Fonda, amusingly cast as Mephistopheles, the demon with whom Blaze strikes a bargain to save his father, and in turn, causes his transformation into Ghost Rider. Wes Bentley is also fine as Blackheart, the rebellious offspring of Mephistopheles, and Blazes' chief opponent in the film. They're joined by a solid supporting cast which includes Donal Logue, Eva Mendes, and Sam Elliott, but their participation and a relentless barrage of CGI effects can't hide the fact that the story itself, though largely faithful to its comic origins, is rife with clichéd characterizations and glum B-movie dialogue. Fans of the venerable title may cry foul over this adaptation (as they did over helmer Mark Steven Johnson's previous comic-to-movie feature, Daredevil), but less stringent viewers may enjoy the fiery visuals and Cage's typically quirky performance. --Paul Gaita
Product Description
Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) was only a teenaged stunt biker when he sold his soul to the devil (Peter Fonda). Years later, Johnny is a world renowned daredevil by day, but at night, he becomes the Ghost Rider of Marvel Comics legend. The devil's bounty hunter, he is charged with finding evil souls on earth and bringing them to hell. But when a twist of fate brings Johnny's long-lost love (Eva Mendes) back into his life, Johnny realizes he just might have a second chance at happiness - if he can beat the devil and win back his soul. To do so he'll have to defeat Blackheart (Wes Bentley), the devil's nemesis and wayward son, whose plot to take over his father's realm will bring hell on earth--unless Ghost Rider can stop him.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By Wuchak
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I personally feel that the numerous superhero films that have been popping up since "X-Men" came out in 2000 are all of about the same quality. Yeah, everyone has their personal favorites (mine is "Daredevil: The Director's Cut") but, generally speaking, they're all decent cinematic versions of the comic heroes.
Mark Steven Johnson's "Ghost Rider" (2007) combines Faust and Spider-Man and mixes in elements of all the variations of the Ghost Rider comics up to the present, including the 50's Western hero, but it's main inspiration is the 70s-80s comic featuring Johnny Blaze as the protagonist.
What makes Ghost Rider appealing? Well, the only thing cooler than a guy in black leather and chains driving a Harley is a flaming skeleton in black leather and chains driving a supernatural flaming Harley. That pretty much explains it.
THE PLOT: Johnny Blaze and his father make a living as Evel Knieval-like stunt riders in a carnival. When Johnny's dad is diagnosed with cancer he is mislead into making a deal with the devil. His father is healed of the cancer but Satan makes sure he dies in a stunt accident. Johnny ultimately discovers that, because of his foolish deal, he is cursed to become the nigh-invincible Ghost Rider -- a supernatural flaming skeleton -- whenever he comes face to face with evil. Satan then enlists him as his "bounty hunter" to capture his prodigal son, Blackheart, who naturally hates his father and is intent on getting the "contract of San Vengaza" for the purpose of starting some kind of hell on earth. Ultimately Johnny must make a decision about what to do with his powers -- give 'em back to Satan or use 'em to fight evil.
Some criticize Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze because Blaze is supposed to be about 30 years old, while Cage was around 41 during filming. Yeah, someone like James Franco would have been better for the role, especially since Franco looks exactly like Mike Ploog's version of Blaze, but Cage does a fine, likable job. Besides, I know guys 25 years old that look older than Cage does in the film. In fact, you'll see that Cage is in incredible shape for a man in his early forties. As for Eva Mendes, who plays Johnny's girlfriend Roxanne, she's ten years younger than Cage and is both voluptuous and adequate in the role, not to mention highly likable.
Some criticize the film as too serious, others as too goofy, but the fact is that "Ghost Rider" has the same general tone as all the other superhero flicks released since 2000. It's a serious story for the most part, although completely unbelievable due to the subject matter, with some humor thrown in for good measure. In other words, it's neither deathly serious nor a campy goof-fest; it rides the line between these two extremes.
If all you want out of "Ghost Rider" is an entertaining supernatural superhero flick "Ghost Rider" delivers and is worth renting or owning for that purpose. But thankfully the film delivers on a deeper level as well. Allow me to throw out to you a smattering of the many noteworthy or fascinating aspects of the film:
-- Note that Johnny is mislead into "selling his soul" to the devil and has to face the negative consequences of his decision. Few people will literally "sell their soul" to Satan as shown in the story but we can all relate to the struggle with the evil that exists within our own hearts. If or when we decide to live according to the inclinations of our lower, destructive, selfish nature are we not, in a sense, "selling our soul" to the devil? (regardless of whether we view the devil as a literal spiritual being or merely as a symbol of potential human evil). Whenever we choose to live according to this lower nature will we not automatically perform evil and, in that sense, fulfill the devil's will? (ditto).
-- Peter Fonda as Satan is perfect and entertaining, as is Sam Elliott as the old Westerner.
-- Love is a strong theme in the story. Johnny "sells his soul" for love of his father. He didn't do it for greed or some other carnal purpose. This is agape love, self-sacrificial love, love in it's highest and purest form. This puts Johnny on God's side (as Elliott's character observes in the film) and makes him a serious threat to the devil's purposes on earth.
-- We also witness Blaze's great love for Roxanne and vice versa, as well as Mack's love for Johnny, etc.
-- This is brilliantly contrasted by the total absence of love in Satan's kingdom. The devil hates his son and vice versa. This is a fitting depiction because God is described as love in the Bible; and since Satan has chosen to separate from God and be His enemy, he has naturally separated himself from love and become love's enemy. Hate in all its ugly manifestations is therefore the essence of the devil's kingdom and relationships.
-- When Blaze first turns into the Ghost Rider and goes for a ride in his flame cycle he causes great havok wherever he goes. You'll note that this is much toned down in his later excursions as Ghost Rider. The explanation? Johnny simply didn't know how to control the supernatural hellfire and "spirit of vengeance" during his initial conversion.
-- Although it's supposed to be amusing, it makes sense that Johnny would listen to The Carpenters in his down time. Blaze's daredevil lifestyle and his problems with the Ghost Rider curse would understandably cause him a great deal of stress. Listening to Karen's ultra-soothing voice would be a great pacifier.
-- There's a great scene of Ghost Rider riding off the top of a skyscrapper, whipping his chain in exulting fury, and then riding full blast down the building smashing into the pavement below as police and onlookers observe in total disbelief.
-- In the comics Blackheart was the only comic character that ever sent literal chills down my spine (in Ann Nocenti's Daredevil). I didn't get this feeling from Wes Bentley's portrayal in the film, although there's a hint of that. Regardless, Bentley does a fine job in the role. And Blackheart's total ugly wickedness is certainly revealed or demonstrated here and there.
-- There's a great musical interlude featuring the Ghost Rider and the Caretaker (Elliott) riding through the night desert for hundreds of miles to San Vengaza. Fittingly, the song is a modern hard rock version of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" (I love that song! Who doesn't?)
-- I saw the theatrical version when it first came out on DVD and recently purchased the director's cut, which adds approximately 10 minutes of extra footage for a total of about 2 hours runtime. Unlike "Daredevil," where the director's cut transformed a mediocre flick into a great one, the extra footage for "Ghost Rider" doesn't make or break the story. In fact, I can't really tell what the extra footage is. It's mostly just extended dialogue, I guess. So, if you don't feel like shelling out the extra cash for the director's cut, you're not missing all that much, if anything the extra footage just slows the film down (but I prefer it).
-- The picture was filmed in Victoria, Australia, and the city of Melbourne.
-- The Ghost Rider himself (itself?) is a triumph of special effects. Needless to say, the film is enjoyable just to look at.
-- On the extra features disk (director's cut only) there's a great 4-part documentary called "Sin and Salvation" on each of the comics incarnations of Ghost Rider up to the present, which runs approximately 45 minutes. It features such comics notables as Roy Thomas, Mike Ploog, J.M. DeMatteis, Howard Mackie and many more.
If anything I've mentioned here trips your trigger be sure to check out "Ghost Rider."
Mark Steven Johnson's "Ghost Rider" (2007) combines Faust and Spider-Man and mixes in elements of all the variations of the Ghost Rider comics up to the present, including the 50's Western hero, but it's main inspiration is the 70s-80s comic featuring Johnny Blaze as the protagonist.
What makes Ghost Rider appealing? Well, the only thing cooler than a guy in black leather and chains driving a Harley is a flaming skeleton in black leather and chains driving a supernatural flaming Harley. That pretty much explains it.
THE PLOT: Johnny Blaze and his father make a living as Evel Knieval-like stunt riders in a carnival. When Johnny's dad is diagnosed with cancer he is mislead into making a deal with the devil. His father is healed of the cancer but Satan makes sure he dies in a stunt accident. Johnny ultimately discovers that, because of his foolish deal, he is cursed to become the nigh-invincible Ghost Rider -- a supernatural flaming skeleton -- whenever he comes face to face with evil. Satan then enlists him as his "bounty hunter" to capture his prodigal son, Blackheart, who naturally hates his father and is intent on getting the "contract of San Vengaza" for the purpose of starting some kind of hell on earth. Ultimately Johnny must make a decision about what to do with his powers -- give 'em back to Satan or use 'em to fight evil.
Some criticize Nicholas Cage as Johnny Blaze because Blaze is supposed to be about 30 years old, while Cage was around 41 during filming. Yeah, someone like James Franco would have been better for the role, especially since Franco looks exactly like Mike Ploog's version of Blaze, but Cage does a fine, likable job. Besides, I know guys 25 years old that look older than Cage does in the film. In fact, you'll see that Cage is in incredible shape for a man in his early forties. As for Eva Mendes, who plays Johnny's girlfriend Roxanne, she's ten years younger than Cage and is both voluptuous and adequate in the role, not to mention highly likable.
Some criticize the film as too serious, others as too goofy, but the fact is that "Ghost Rider" has the same general tone as all the other superhero flicks released since 2000. It's a serious story for the most part, although completely unbelievable due to the subject matter, with some humor thrown in for good measure. In other words, it's neither deathly serious nor a campy goof-fest; it rides the line between these two extremes.
If all you want out of "Ghost Rider" is an entertaining supernatural superhero flick "Ghost Rider" delivers and is worth renting or owning for that purpose. But thankfully the film delivers on a deeper level as well. Allow me to throw out to you a smattering of the many noteworthy or fascinating aspects of the film:
-- Note that Johnny is mislead into "selling his soul" to the devil and has to face the negative consequences of his decision. Few people will literally "sell their soul" to Satan as shown in the story but we can all relate to the struggle with the evil that exists within our own hearts. If or when we decide to live according to the inclinations of our lower, destructive, selfish nature are we not, in a sense, "selling our soul" to the devil? (regardless of whether we view the devil as a literal spiritual being or merely as a symbol of potential human evil). Whenever we choose to live according to this lower nature will we not automatically perform evil and, in that sense, fulfill the devil's will? (ditto).
-- Peter Fonda as Satan is perfect and entertaining, as is Sam Elliott as the old Westerner.
-- Love is a strong theme in the story. Johnny "sells his soul" for love of his father. He didn't do it for greed or some other carnal purpose. This is agape love, self-sacrificial love, love in it's highest and purest form. This puts Johnny on God's side (as Elliott's character observes in the film) and makes him a serious threat to the devil's purposes on earth.
-- We also witness Blaze's great love for Roxanne and vice versa, as well as Mack's love for Johnny, etc.
-- This is brilliantly contrasted by the total absence of love in Satan's kingdom. The devil hates his son and vice versa. This is a fitting depiction because God is described as love in the Bible; and since Satan has chosen to separate from God and be His enemy, he has naturally separated himself from love and become love's enemy. Hate in all its ugly manifestations is therefore the essence of the devil's kingdom and relationships.
-- When Blaze first turns into the Ghost Rider and goes for a ride in his flame cycle he causes great havok wherever he goes. You'll note that this is much toned down in his later excursions as Ghost Rider. The explanation? Johnny simply didn't know how to control the supernatural hellfire and "spirit of vengeance" during his initial conversion.
-- Although it's supposed to be amusing, it makes sense that Johnny would listen to The Carpenters in his down time. Blaze's daredevil lifestyle and his problems with the Ghost Rider curse would understandably cause him a great deal of stress. Listening to Karen's ultra-soothing voice would be a great pacifier.
-- There's a great scene of Ghost Rider riding off the top of a skyscrapper, whipping his chain in exulting fury, and then riding full blast down the building smashing into the pavement below as police and onlookers observe in total disbelief.
-- In the comics Blackheart was the only comic character that ever sent literal chills down my spine (in Ann Nocenti's Daredevil). I didn't get this feeling from Wes Bentley's portrayal in the film, although there's a hint of that. Regardless, Bentley does a fine job in the role. And Blackheart's total ugly wickedness is certainly revealed or demonstrated here and there.
-- There's a great musical interlude featuring the Ghost Rider and the Caretaker (Elliott) riding through the night desert for hundreds of miles to San Vengaza. Fittingly, the song is a modern hard rock version of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" (I love that song! Who doesn't?)
-- I saw the theatrical version when it first came out on DVD and recently purchased the director's cut, which adds approximately 10 minutes of extra footage for a total of about 2 hours runtime. Unlike "Daredevil," where the director's cut transformed a mediocre flick into a great one, the extra footage for "Ghost Rider" doesn't make or break the story. In fact, I can't really tell what the extra footage is. It's mostly just extended dialogue, I guess. So, if you don't feel like shelling out the extra cash for the director's cut, you're not missing all that much, if anything the extra footage just slows the film down (but I prefer it).
-- The picture was filmed in Victoria, Australia, and the city of Melbourne.
-- The Ghost Rider himself (itself?) is a triumph of special effects. Needless to say, the film is enjoyable just to look at.
-- On the extra features disk (director's cut only) there's a great 4-part documentary called "Sin and Salvation" on each of the comics incarnations of Ghost Rider up to the present, which runs approximately 45 minutes. It features such comics notables as Roy Thomas, Mike Ploog, J.M. DeMatteis, Howard Mackie and many more.
If anything I've mentioned here trips your trigger be sure to check out "Ghost Rider."
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By Imsimplyhere
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie was surprisingly good. I went into it, not expecting much after recently watching the Fantastic Four movie. Ghost Rider starts off with a young Johnny Blaze, teamed up with his father, who is sick. He makes a deal with the Devil and sells his soul to heal his father. Unfortunately, the Devil never strikes a bargain with fairness in mind and Johnny is left to wait for the Devil to call. When the Devil calls, the special effects were actually amazing. The story was a bit on the short side with an ending that left a bit to be desired. Overall, this IS a fun movie to watch and the action is consistent throughout. This one will be added to my library when it's released. Enjoy.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Amazon Instant Video
Comic book movies are always touch and go. They could be great (X-men, Batman, Spiderman, Hellboy, V For Vendetta), they could be awful (Hulk, Skycaptain, Judge Dredd, Ultraviolet). This one gave me what I wanted out of it and adequately told the story of the Ghost Rider, though I never really followed the comic that much, so if there are plot holes I wouldn't know about them. Basically, Nicolas Cage makes this movie. The man is a great actor and can turn S*** into gold (with the exception of the unsalvageable Wickerman). In this case the story is well-written though most of the other actors are B-rated. The girl/love interest Eva Mendes, can barely act, though has nice bouncy breasts and therefore satisfies as eye candy, but little more. Overall, a successful and enjoyable movie.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Science Fiction
Nicolas Cage delivers a terrific performance in this Science Fiction movie. I've seen it several times and knew it was a must for my video library.
Published 2 days ago by William Gursky
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ghost Rider
I loved this movie and I never read the comic I didn't even know there was one. It was fun to see and so highly unbelievable that I enjoyed watching it. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Joan Vincent
5.0 out of 5 stars
entertaining film
Great portrayal on the origins of the character and his adventures later on. Also nice cleavage shots from Eva Mendes to keep the movie even more interesting. 2 thumbs up!!!
Published 5 days ago by D.C.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really HOT!!!
The movie was great. However, too many previews of coming attractions at the begining. The kids can watch it, a little violent in a funny scary way. Read more
Published 10 days ago by FAR OUT!
2.0 out of 5 stars
EXTENDED CUT IS AN IMPROVEMENT, BUT SEPARATE RELEASES IS GREEDY!
Being a huge Marvel comics fan from the 60's through 70's, it is really disappointing for me to see such a great comic hero get such a mediocre movie. Read more
Published 12 days ago by DR SHOCK
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay but could have been better
Ghost Rider is not one of Marvel's more well known properties, so I was excited when the movie came out. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Jacqueline
2.0 out of 5 stars
could have been much better
I can't find too much to say about ghost rider that is positive but I will try anyways. The bike cage's character rides is very nice both before and after transformation. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Joshua Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars
i like this moive so much
that i had to spend very little to get it. i love the prime videos. it will alway be there when i want to watch it.
Published 23 days ago by scout
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie
Purchased as a gift for a family member and they love the movie. Not sold in any local stores so MUST have for online ordering.
Published 1 month ago by Rebecca J. Crowder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ghost Rider
Its greatA young man makes A deal with the devil to save his fathers life from cancer.Except all deals have small print people do not notice. Read more
Published 1 month ago by john ward
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