Ghost Rider (2007)

Director:

Mark Steven Johnson

Writers (WGA):

Mark Steven Johnson (screenplay)
Mark Steven Johnson (screen story)

Release Date:

16 February 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Long ago he made a deal to save someone he loved.

Plot:

Based on the Marvel character, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze gives up his soul to become a hellblazing vigilante, to fight against power hungry Blackheart, the son of the devil himself.

Plot Keywords:

Mephistopheles | Blackheart | Devil | Motorcycle Accident | Biker

Awards:

5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 6	5:30 PM	FX
Mon. Dec. 7	2:30 PM	FX

Cast

Matt Long	...	Young Johnny Blaze
Raquel Alessi	...	Young Roxanne Simpson
Brett Cullen	...	Barton Blaze
Peter Fonda	...	Mephistopheles
Nicolas Cage	...	Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
Donal Logue	...	Mack
Tony Ghosthawk	...	Team Blaze
Hugh Sexton	...	Team Blaze
Marcus Jones	...	Team Blaze
Matt Norman	...	Team Blaze
Kenneth Ransom	...	T.V. Reporter
Lawrence Cameron Steele	...	X Games Announcer (as Cameron Steele)
Wes Bentley	...	Blackheart
Eddie Baroo	...	Motorcycle Gang Member
Jessica Napier	...	Broken Spoke Waitress

Also Known As:

Spirited Racer (Philippines: English title) (review title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for horror violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

114 min | 123 min (extended cut)

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Cinevex)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Hong Kong:IIA | Norway:11 | Germany:12 (f) | Brazil:14 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Italy:VM14 | Malaysia:U | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (UMD rating) | Ireland:12 (UMD rating) | UK:15 (DVD rating) | Ireland:15 (DVD rating) | Peru:14 | Japan:U | New Zealand:M | Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Johnny Depp was interested in playing the title role. Eric Bana was also in heavy contention for the title role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Ghost Rider gets the leather jacket with the spikes on the shoulder you can see his chain pass through one of the spikes in scenes where he wraps his chain around himself, revealing the CGI effect.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Caretaker: [voiceover] It's said that the West was built on legends. Tall tales that help us make sense of things too great or too terrifying to believe. This is the legend of the Ghost Rider.

Movie Connections:

References The Big Lebowski (1998)

Soundtrack:

Kingdom of Soon

So bad...

Oh where to begin. How could they screw up a movie with a premise like this.

The acting and the dialogue was awful even with actors like Cage and Peter Fonda delivering them, and the set up was rushed, like most of the rest of the movie. The FX ranged from OK to GOOD with the first transformation scene of Blaze to Ghost Rider being pretty well done but every change from there on in is in cheap and nasty morphovision and the morphing motorcycle looked stupid even if the flaming bike itself looked cool. The bad guys were non-entities and although they were supposed to be really powerful etc they don't do anything threatening through most of the movie and Ghost Rider eventually offs them with ridiculous ease, even the main dude at the end.

Honestly this movie has so many clichés you'll be bored less than half way in and after waiting about 30 minutes for Ghost Rider to appear you just want him to get off the screen straight away since apart from looking cool he comes across as a complete dork and his dialogue consists of really bad corny one liners. Every time he comes on screen you just hope to hell he doesn't say anything and when he does you'll be so embarrassed for the poor bloke.

Go get the comics instead.