Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Everett J

  
  I really disliked "Ghost Rider", so when the sequel came out, I was like "who cares?" But being the movie nut I am, I decided to give it a chance(it was free, so why not?). First thing's first, this isn't really a sequel. It's more of a revision,… More
  I really disliked "Ghost Rider", so when the sequel came out, I was like "who cares?" But being the movie nut I am, I decided to give it a chance(it was free, so why not?). First thing's first, this isn't really a sequel. It's more of a revision, new take, redo, I dunno what you would call it, but the only thing this and the first one have in common is Nicolas Cage. Cage is back as Johnny Blaze, a stunt driver who made a deal with the devil and became the Ghost Rider. In this movie, he is on a mission to save a boy, who may or may not be the son of the devil, while trying to get rid of his curse. The story is still weak, the acting is horrible, but the effects in this one are good. The Rider looks amazing, not cheesy like the first movie, but actually very bad ass. The villains are over the top, but don't come off like some video game knock off, they seem to fit in this world better. The direction of the movie is pretty bad. Shot with weird angles, and way too much bad music playing throughout, it kind of gets annoying, but its bearable. While not a good movie, it's much better than the first, and should make fans of Ghost Rider happy. Probably won't watch again, but to me, it was worth a watch. Probably not for everyone, but it could surprise ya.

• Al S

  
  An unforgettable high-energy thrill-machine of a movie that totally blows you away. It`s intense, thrilling, hard-boiled and wickedly entertaining. This movie kicks serious ass. A full-throttle, edge of your seat action-packed thriller that roars across the screen with blistering… More
  An unforgettable high-energy thrill-machine of a movie that totally blows you away. It`s intense, thrilling, hard-boiled and wickedly entertaining. This movie kicks serious ass. A full-throttle, edge of your seat action-packed thriller that roars across the screen with blistering suspense and amazing special effects. A spectacular re-birth that totally delivers exactly what Ghost Rider fans want from the character and the film. Directors, Neveldine and Taylor are the perfect team to bring this character back to the screen, with their energy, craft and awesome style, this movie does nothing but rock until the very end. A stylish, well-crafted, heart-pounding and exhilarating movie. Nicolas Cage gives a surprisingly great and gritty performance, he show the characters pain and despair well and does not make a mockery of it like he did in the original. It`s darker, edgier and almost near-perfect comic book adaptation. It delivers a rollar-coaster ride of explosive action that never lets up for a minute.

• Tsubaki S

  
  A new year, a new set of shitty Cage movies. Actually not as bad as you might think, but the flat story, tedious pacing and boring direction will put you to sleep. They got the Crank guys because, i guess, this was suppose to be very over the top. The result? Another timid PG-13 flick… More
  A new year, a new set of shitty Cage movies. Actually not as bad as you might think, but the flat story, tedious pacing and boring direction will put you to sleep. They got the Crank guys because, i guess, this was suppose to be very over the top. The result? Another timid PG-13 flick that never lives to any possible potential. Cage offers some good ol overacting, but it just not enough to save the product.

• Mario L M

  
  Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have built their career on wildly over the top, avant-garde action films like the hyper adrenalized Crank series and searing social satire Gamer and with Marvel Studios Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the duo have finally slowed down. The pulse… More
  Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have built their career on wildly over the top, avant-garde action films like the hyper adrenalized Crank series and searing social satire Gamer and with Marvel Studios Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the duo have finally slowed down. The pulse pounding, take no prisoners verve that made the Crank filmstwo of the best films of the 2000's is barely detectable in in this film. Spirits of Vengeance has all the visual sophistication of a YouTube prank and all the edge of a Budweiser commercial. It can't overstated what a crushing disappointment it is to see artists of Neveldine/Taylor's caliber have made product of such low quality. Ghost Rider: Spirits of Vengeance is the sequel to 2007's Ghost Rider and the film wisely ignores the groan all but the very basics of the earlier film. The necessary elements of its plot are recapped in a handsome motion graphics sequence: Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage) made a deal with The Devil (Ciarán Hinds) to trade his soul for the life of dying father, a deal that left Blaze fatherless, possessed by a vengeance demon called Zarathos and generally a train wreck of man. The schematic plot of the film that was crafted primarily by David S. Goyer follows Blaze's quest to save a young boy (Fergus Riordan) from becoming the new host of The Devil. As with most all superhero films, the plot is the least interesting part of the film. It's predictable, graceless and paced like a punk song where the band keeps losing rhythm. This isn't really a major issue since most superhero films pivot their success or failure on the dynamism of their lead actors. This is another area in which Ghost Rider skids into oblivion. Nicholas Cage, who is rarely less than engaging in even the most transparent of cash grabs, is flat here. He has two modes in the film: a barely contained mania or a morose disaffection. The smirking whimsy that made his performance in the first Ghost Rider so diverting is gone and it's not been replaced by anything worthwhile. He's not particularly dark or anger, just tired and mildly desperate which is like spending 95 minutes listening to someone in their mid-twenties complain about the mild difficulties they've elevated to the status of real problems because of their complete lack introspection. That is to say, no fun at all. The supporting is only slightly better. Idris Elba as alcoholic warrior monk Moreau does a rare credible French accent and handles his assigned reams of exposition well but his character is so thin as to not even be a sketch. He's the unmemorable mentor NPC in every action video game ever. Violante Placido as the to-be-possessed boy's mother is stunningly beautiful as you would imagine someone with that name being. Fergus Riordan is the type of little boy that Hollywood casting directors always pick for the role of "evil little boy." Johnny Whitworth is good as the personality free henchman he was born to play and Ciarán Hinds is epitome of Eastern European malice. Collectively they make up one of two reasons why Spirit of Vengeance is a better film than its predecessor. The other reason is the level of crafted brought by Neveldine/Taylor. Even at their neutered worse, which this film absolute is, they are true cinematic visionaries. They don't make movies that are meant to be watched on a smartphone. They think big and fill every inch of the screen with the scope and breadth of their imaginations. Their Ghost Rider is an oddly still monster, never is a hurry to turn his opponents into fiery ash. His charred skull always swaying to the hypnotic drone of an unheard soundtrack and when Neveldine/Taylor really let loose with Rider, when he spits bullets back at goon or when he spins his chains and turns an auditorium full of devil worshipers into wisps of black smoke or when he uses his hellfire to turn a piece of construction equipment into the embodiment of being sixteen and listening to a heavy metal album for the first time the film sings. But those bass drops are few and far between in a movie that often feels like it's going to suddenly morph into a happy meal commercial. Neveldine/Taylor can't be anything other than the sum of their interests, perversity and boundless need for visual innovation but they never should have taken on work that so strenuously limited their ability to color outside the lines. Because Ghost Rider: Spirits of Vengeance is a licensed property, it was never going to match the dizzying highs and lows of their original work. There are just too many layers of approval and too ridged a formula for a big budget superhero movie for it ever reach the realm of art but its needless frustrating to have two incredibly talented filmmakers work this hard to be that forgettable.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"This thing... There's no conscience, just hunger. The Rider's gonna come out. And when he does, he'll destroy whoever's got it coming."</i> As Johnny Blaze hides out in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to… More
  <i>"This thing... There's no conscience, just hunger. The Rider's gonna come out. And when he does, he'll destroy whoever's got it coming."</i> As Johnny Blaze hides out in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to take human form. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Johnny Blaze did a deal with the Devil whereby, in order to save his father's life, he took on board a demonic persona which turns him into this fellow with a blazing skull who rides about on a blazing motor bike, dealing out poetic justice to people who have done wrong (has father died anyway: the Devil is a tricky sod). After deciding to keep the Ghost Rider persona at the end of the first film, Johnny is now finding the burden a bit heavier than he expected, when he is called upon to help preserve the life of a small boy, the Devil's son, who the Devil intends to pour his essence into. This is going to be bad news all round, so Johnny chucks in his five penn'orth. The original Ghost Rider movie was not the success it was hoped it would be: this one goes about things in a somewhat different matter. Directed (but not written) by Neveldine/Taylor (the Crank movies), Ghost Rider 2 shows clear evidence of their hyper-kinetic style and love of the outrageous. Blaze is portrayed as a man on the age of sanity or, perhaps somewhat on the other side of it. One can understand how this might have happened to the character in the years since he acquired his lodger, and it is an interesting and entertaining development for the character - Cage has a ball when mad cackling is called upon. Ciaran Hinds (standing in for Peter Fonda as the Devil, known here as Roark) plays broad, but never quite achieves the level of sinister which would have helped. Idris Elba lends charisma to a part which requires little else of him. So - is it any good? Well, I suggest that anyone who expects films about a bloke with a burning skull riding a flaming motorbike to be anything other than popcorn movies has got unreasonable expectations. Ghost Rider 2 has an adequate story, adequate performances, several terrific action set pieces, excellent visual effects, and some sequences - the opening motor bike / car chase where the 3D is amazing. The hand-held Bourne camera work has got really old now, but I suppose it is one of the things Neveldine/Taylor do. It's fine for long shots but I still hate it close up.

• Phil H

  
  Always thought the casting of Cage for this film was wrong, a complete misfire really, a younger unknown actor may have been better I think. He certainly fits the bill with the manic possessed tortured inner-demon issues that's for sure but the guy is too old lets face it. So… More
  Always thought the casting of Cage for this film was wrong, a complete misfire really, a younger unknown actor may have been better I think. He certainly fits the bill with the manic possessed tortured inner-demon issues that's for sure but the guy is too old lets face it. So they have another crack at this and basically its slightly better than the first, not much, but it does have an edge. For a start the cgi and effects overall are better than the first, the GR looks darker and more burnt with ash and grim rather than the terrible cartoon look he had before. The action is BIG as you would expect, cgi in your face boy! as flames leap around and henchmen get turned into crispy toast, nothing you haven't seen before really so I don't have to explain anymore. A few plot queries arise for me...why does the devil require a young boy to gain human form when he already has a human form? and why not use any boy instead of going crazy trying to nab one particular boy?. Why didn't the devil just make lots of guys like 'Blackout'? and why not just do that from the start? My original thought with 'Blaze' (not being up on the mythos) is why does he turn into the Ghost Rider in the presence of evil? surely the devil likes evil? is it because the devil wants evil souls and the GR gathers them for him? can't the devil just do this himself? Anyway its totally popcorn overdrive and completely daft as you would expect, I think the franchise is now officially dead seeing as this has flopped even more so than the first. Solution? make it like it should be...an adult venture with an 18/R rating, simple. So end of the day if you wanna see lots of idiotic henchmen that never learn the simple premise of 'bullets don't harm the man/creature your firing at no matter how long you hold the trigger for, so just stop damn firing and run away you utter utter morons'...see this.

• Jose Z

  
  When I knew that there was going to be a second Ghost Rider movie I really expected to be better than the first one. Now I realize that I was completely wrong and I feel so disappointed. The movie is a completely waste of time, with a lack of content and story. Although the CGI and… More
  When I knew that there was going to be a second Ghost Rider movie I really expected to be better than the first one. Now I realize that I was completely wrong and I feel so disappointed. The movie is a completely waste of time, with a lack of content and story. Although the CGI and the FX are really good, they depend and abuse on them. What can I say about the cast. Nicolas Cage is definitely awful, the only thing he does is laugh and scream all his lines. Violante Placido's performance was really weak, Ciaran Hinds as Roark is way overacted, maybe the only good performance was the one of Fergus Riordan as Danny. In conclusion, if you are one of the people that thought the first one was bad (not including me) well I recommend you not to go and watch this one andif you still want to watch it well, it's under your own risk.

• E.J. B

  
  The makers of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance have pulled off quite a feat; they managed to make a film worse than the first Ghost Rider. It is quite obvious that Sony didn't give a rat's behind about this movie and that the only reason it exists is so they don't have… More
  The makers of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance have pulled off quite a feat; they managed to make a film worse than the first Ghost Rider. It is quite obvious that Sony didn't give a rat's behind about this movie and that the only reason it exists is so they don't have to give up the rights of the franchise. There's no excuse for a studio effort of a comic book movie to be this incompetent, poorly planned, and of the "direct to DVD sequel" quality. Directors Neveldine/Taylor made a cool little flick called Crank almost six years ago. That movie was a kinetic, over the top thrill ride that felt like a video game, and it worked. Yet all Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance shows is that they can't make any other kind of movie. This movie is shot as if the tripod didn't exist. The camera continuously zooms in and out, almost always on an awkward tilt or angle, and the shots are edited together in such a frantic pace all the time that it comes off as completely amateurish and unable to set a consistent tone for the story. It's hard to care about the drama when you're feeling nauseous. The animation is equally as awful. Most of the CGI is unintentionally cartoony. There is barely any detail on the images, and it's made worse that the camera is rarely ever focused on less than five things at a time. Nicolas Cage clearly just needed the paycheck as he puts no effort into his second portrayal as cursed stunt driver Johnny Blaze. His only one freak out moment isn't even funny in the way audiences have become accustomed to laugh at. In keeping with the comic book, Cage opts for a darker, angrier, and more anti-hero portrayal of the character, but that just means he shows less expression and speaks with longer pauses. It's a shame really because as Cage continually takes these kinds of roles that make a joke out of his career, audiences are more likely to forget what a great actor he really is. Last year, Cage starred in three massive flops - Season of the Witch, Drive Angry, and Trespass. The only thing that might put people in the seats this time around is that Ghost Rider has a comic fan base who will claim to watch this out of obligation. There is only one scene in this movie that I actually liked. The villain of the film has the ability of decay. As he's trying to find something to eat, he picks up a slice of bread, which goes moldy before his eyes. Next, he picks up an apple, which rots just as quickly. The third thing he picks up is a twinkie. And of course, nothing happens; great meal. This scene shows that Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance at least had the aspiration to be trashy fun. Unfortunately, the film is so shoddy, badly written, and devoid of anything resembling entertainment that the experience is just plain trashy.

• Nick D

  
  A fantastic movie no matter what critics may say! Full throttle action scenes and some fantastic acting. Some lines may be cheesy but hey, what the hell, its a superhero movie! This movie is definitely worth seeing, and a great opening to the Comic Book Movie season of 2012

• paul o

  
  Frickin Nick Cage! I am such a big fan of Crank and Gamer but this film fell short of that greatness. His acting was as subtle as as bear at a picnic. He's literally all over the place! In the end, you can either love it for being stupid or hating it for being just so bad!

• Matt G

  
  Johnny Blaze: Roadkill. How can you screw up the same thing twice? I can acknowledge that Ghost Rider may not be the finest character in the Marvel cosmos, but to have made two disastrous attempts in creating a well-intentioned Ghost Rider film is truly disgraceful. What is even more… More
  Johnny Blaze: Roadkill. How can you screw up the same thing twice? I can acknowledge that Ghost Rider may not be the finest character in the Marvel cosmos, but to have made two disastrous attempts in creating a well-intentioned Ghost Rider film is truly disgraceful. What is even more disgraceful is how my favorite directing duo, Neveldine/Taylor, managed to present the first film of theirs that I even moderately ostracized. Also, Nic Cage further convinces me that he's one of the worst working actors on film. The film is a Marvel Knights production, so the story is a bit darker than the last one, which did not imply anything remotely different from something like Punisher: War Zone. Avoid Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance at all costs. Read the whole review at CreedsDelight.com

• KJ P

  
  It takes a lot of energy to hate a superhero movie. There is always something fun, inventive, or unique about them, but "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is one of the worst attempts at making an exciting marvel film in the last decade. Never have I laughed at acting, CGI,… More
  It takes a lot of energy to hate a superhero movie. There is always something fun, inventive, or unique about them, but "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is one of the worst attempts at making an exciting marvel film in the last decade. Never have I laughed at acting, CGI, camerawork, style, and story, all at once. The first instalment paid some tribute to the comics, creating a dark tone with some cool jump scares and a plot that is easy to follow and you are actually looking forward to seeing what happens. This time, the directors of the "Crank" series helmed this film and made it so commercially friendly that it feels like a music video on steroids. Maybe that is cool for some movies, but the random fade to black moments of pissing fire, spitting bullets, and Nicolas Cage's acting, just completely place this film on a new level of weird. I was laughing my ass off, scratching my head, and wondering how this could even been passed during the first stages of writing. There are some scenes in this film that cannot be put to words. Overall, the look of Ghost Rider is a severe inmprovement on an otherwise cartoonish attempt in the original, but when the film ends, you will find yourself setting fire to the cinema screen. No pun intended. "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is one of the worst superhero film experiences of my life!

• Aaron N

  
  Johnny Blaze: This thing... There's no conscience, just hunger. The Rider's gonna come out. And when he does, he'll destroy whoever's got it coming. Let's start off with an obscure reference - The tagline for the mid-90s comic book film, The Phantom was… More
  Johnny Blaze: This thing... There's no conscience, just hunger. The Rider's gonna come out. And when he does, he'll destroy whoever's got it coming. Let's start off with an obscure reference - The tagline for the mid-90s comic book film, The Phantom was "Slam Evil". In Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny Blaze, aka The Rider, doesn't just slam evil, he literally sucks it in, chews on it, spits it out, then gives you the finger, as he drives off on his Hellcycle. Let it be said right now, if you're seeking a film full of constant clarity and touches of nuance, this sequel to (the inferior) Ghost Rider will not be for you. However, if you want a film that has Nic Cage dialed to 11 and pissing fire, Idris Elba as a drunken French priest going on shooting rampages, and the Highlander himself - Christopher Lambert as a tattooed monk with a long scimitar, then this new Ghost Rider film, from the directing duo behind the Crank films, is one you may want to check out. read the whole review at thecodeiszeek.com

• Shawn M

  
  the last twenty minutes was extreme but the rest of the movie was really cheap and boring.

• George F

  
  Oh Man. The fun of watching Nicolas Cage do his Nicolas Cage thing fades so fast. Its hilarious for a minute, then it's just depressing. Not to mention the fact that the Nevaldine / Taylor school of cinema just makes you want to vomit every 10 seconds. Really David S Goyer?… More
  Oh Man. The fun of watching Nicolas Cage do his Nicolas Cage thing fades so fast. Its hilarious for a minute, then it's just depressing. Not to mention the fact that the Nevaldine / Taylor school of cinema just makes you want to vomit every 10 seconds. Really David S Goyer? Really? You helped write BATMAN! Be ashamed. Be very ashamed.

• Bradley W

  
  Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is such a mess of the film that it has made the first film look like a work of art. This is not the most memorable superhero in the Marvel Universe, but its one I enjoy and both these movies have given Ghost Rider a bad name and this new film directed… More
  Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is such a mess of the film that it has made the first film look like a work of art. This is not the most memorable superhero in the Marvel Universe, but its one I enjoy and both these movies have given Ghost Rider a bad name and this new film directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor is just simply not good. I don't know exactly where it went wrong, maybe it was the pathetic action, weak acting, or just ruining a great superhero but they do not bring a great film here. Its safe to say it makes its predecessor look like The Dark Knight in comparison. If you are lookig for a great superhero movie, save your cash for The Dark Knight Rises or The Avengers. Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) is a man who a few years back made a deal with the devil to save his fathers life, but his father still died so Johnny has vowed to kill the Devil (Ciaran Hinds) one day. When a man named Moreau (Idris Elba) offers to cure Johnny of his curse, he agrees. But what he must do is save a boy from the Devil, which obviously is a lot more complicated than Johnny believes it will be. The plot is too weak to even explain, I mean from the reviews I expected a weak story but weak cannot even begin to describe how lazy they were making this. They thought of the first idea they could think of and one of the biggest cliches a sequel can do, bring a kid into the mix who everyone has to save because he is the chosen one or something. This happened a few months back with Underworld: Awakening, and it just makes me mad whenever a writer feels that the only way to keep a story going is to add a boring child to the film, and that is only part 1 on my list of reason this film was bad. The film uses boring and unintentional jokes, one in particular where his genitals are a flamethrower that I found to be incredibly stupid. Wort of all they seem to make Johnny Blaze such an annoying character that it makes me mad how weak he is in this film. Way to go guys, you have managed to create a sequel worst than the first. The cast was pathetic in their roles I honestly want Nicolas Cage to get back on his feet as much as the next guy, but doing films like this is not helping him at all. Nicolas Cage has come a long way over the years, from incredible films like Leaving Las Vegas to other great films like Face/Off, but I wish to see him be that same actor again but not with films like this where he is playing such a bad role it makes me pity him, I mean just the sight of him angry in this film made me cringe. As for the rest of the cast like Idris Elba, Fergus Riordan, and Violante Placido, nobody here played a performance worth mentioning and I can honestly say this is so far one of the weakest casts of 2012. Ghost Rider 2 is a film that takes huge cliches and puts them into a feature length film. I can honestly say this may be one of the worst superhero films since The Punisher was released, and I have a much higher respect for the first ghost rider now that I realize how bad it could've been. I mean I rarely ever mock action in a film, but this is a exception with how sloppy and pathetic these action scenes were. The special effects were honestly the films high point, and I say that with pity as these effects are nothing spectacular but after seeing the Last Airbender a few years back I know realize how bad special effects can really be. If you told me you enjoyed this film than I would ask you either "what the hell is wrong with you" or "have you ever seen the first film" because if you enjoy a movie this bad then something has got to be wrong with you. I would not say this if others enjoyed it, but apparently from the reviews I am not alone when I say this film is a pathetic waste of time and Nicolas Cage needs to do better.

• Andy S

  
  Let me get my opinion of the first Ghost RIder out of the way first: it was an okay film. Great effects, slightly-above-average acting, some crappy writing, and an okay story. It was not as bad as the Tomatometer would have you believe. There were some undeniably cool moments in the… More
  Let me get my opinion of the first Ghost RIder out of the way first: it was an okay film. Great effects, slightly-above-average acting, some crappy writing, and an okay story. It was not as bad as the Tomatometer would have you believe. There were some undeniably cool moments in the first film, such as the skyscraper scene and the battle in the ghost town. It was not the greatest comic book movie, but it was far from the worst. The same cannot be said of Spirit of Vengeance. Virtually nothing that made the original any good has remained intact over the four intervening years. I hardly know where to begin. Ah, I know. The one area that, if anything, should have been improved from the first: the special effects. In the first film, the effects had flair; they looked cool, and were often quite entertaining to watch in motion. The directors (Neveldine/Taylor, who directed the Crank films and Gamer) carry over their gritty looks from their prior films, and what results is almost hellishly ugly. The effects lack any charm or cleanliness; everything looks dirty, messy, and boring, rather than spectacular. As a result, the many action scenes lack any sort of punch or exhilarating qualities. There are not many effects-based action flicks that I can say have truly bad CGI, but here's one. Oh, and I hate the 3D gimmick as much as the next guy, but this is an insult to it. Almost every 3D movie is better in 2D (with one obvious exception), but the magnitude to which that is true here is unimaginable. The characters are all moronically written (more on that later), to such a degree that I actually found myself wanting some of them to die. Nadya (portrayed by the fairly attractive Violante Placido) is an annoying bitch who was on my nerves halfway into her first scene. Danny (Fergus Riordan) is thoroughly unlikeable as Satan's son, and if I have to talk about Carrigan/Blackout or Satan himself, I'll be laughing too hard to keep writing. The writing could also have used a facelift. Granted, the first film occasionally took itself too seriously, but the tone worked most of the time. The writers seemed to agree a bit too eagerly. Ghost Rider himself takes the brunt of this criticism. Nicholas Cage clearly tries to go along with it, and at times succeeds admirably. However, the constant groans ("When I saw you I thought I was still dreaming." "Are you having hallucinations?" "No. I'm flirting with you.") will grate on your nerves constantly. Even worse is the shattering of the fourth wall. The winks at the camera (or they would be, if Ghost Rider had eyelids) and accusations toward the audience of wrongdoing are neither funny nor necessary. By his very nature, Ghost Rider is a hero meant to be given a dark film, violent and grim. Tongue-in-cheek and flat-out stupid are not what should have been. I'm not even going to bother mentioning the story, with its total predictability and ending you could see for miles, or why Ghost Rider ends up in the hospital for being shot at. This movie is bad enough as it is.

• Dann M

  
  Nicolas Cage has made the same film three or four times now, and it keeps getting worse; this time it's called Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Inexplicably the film tries to be both a reboot and a sequel, and doesn't pull off either. The story is incredibly awful and the… More
  Nicolas Cage has made the same film three or four times now, and it keeps getting worse; this time it's called Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Inexplicably the film tries to be both a reboot and a sequel, and doesn't pull off either. The story is incredibly awful and the acting is worse. However, the special effects are amazingly well done. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is riding on fumes and maybe Cage's worst film yet.

• Jeff B

  
  More than just an unbearable, unwarranted, unnecessary, unimaginative, and generally unwanted sequel, this unspirited deus is just a white hot mess. Granted, there were a lot of high concept, high caliber, and highly anticipated Marvel Comic movies coming to theaters this year...Ghost… More
  More than just an unbearable, unwarranted, unnecessary, unimaginative, and generally unwanted sequel, this unspirited deus is just a white hot mess. Granted, there were a lot of high concept, high caliber, and highly anticipated Marvel Comic movies coming to theaters this year...Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, however, was definitely not one of them. The first movie, after all, was a B-Movie wrapped in a high-budget sugary candy shell that seemingly turned the funny book on which it was based into a flaming bag of dog poo. Mercifully, the edgier follow-up ups the action and darkness quotient but lets the cornball factor simmer. Unmercifully, the over-the-top style and seen-it-before story makes for a trail of tears that'll have the audience wanting vengeance. In this PG-13-rated fantasy adventure sequel, a former stunt driver and bounty hunter of demons (Cage) leaves a self-imposed exile to protect a mother (Placido) and son from a man who may actually be the devil (Ciaran Hinds). Oftentimes, when a Marvel superhero is handed over to directors of vision, moviegoers get an X-Men (Bryan Singer), Spider-Man (Sam Raimi), or Iron Man (Jon Favreau). However, when handed over to the ADD-addled high-octane directors of Crank and its sequel, High Voltage (Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor), they get taken for a headache-inducing ride. Oscar winner Cage takes a page from the Bobcat Goldthwait School of Acting, grunting and mugging his way through such brilliant dialogue as: "You're the Devil's baby mama." After 2 needlessly bad chapters, this franchise is officially ridden hard and left for dead. Bottom line: Flame retarded.

• Jin M

  
  After blazing through a fusillade of comparatively igneous stunts in "Ghost Rider", the flaming motorcyclist grovels back in "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" with an extinguished storyline and spiritless confrontations that defuse the spark of interest ignited by… More
  After blazing through a fusillade of comparatively igneous stunts in "Ghost Rider", the flaming motorcyclist grovels back in "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" with an extinguished storyline and spiritless confrontations that defuse the spark of interest ignited by the first installment. The clashes witnessed in this continuation culminate in lifeless chain lashes that obliterate enemies into bright ashes within a few seconds after they have been spawned on screen. The final showdown displays a more creative approach to the vapid fighting sequences initiated erstwhile but unfortunately fulminates into an all too ephemeral explosion given away prematurely in one of the trailers. Additionally, the comical flare that attempts to shine brighter than the dim glint of action sequences is quickly burnt out with Nicolas Cage`s rather acerbically torched jokes. Overall, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" torrefies the quality potential it lit previously with tediously charred CG craftsmanship, action scenes and humor.

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