Screenplay by Scott Gimple and Seth Hoffman and David S. Goyer, story by David S. Goyer, based on the Marvel comic.
Running Time: 95 minutes (1h, 35 mins.)
Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, and language).
Distributor: Sony (Columbia Pictures)
There are times in every professional/amateur critic's life where they have to watch a sequel to a film they didn't really like. Or hated. In this case, it's Ghost Rider, the 2007 film based on the Marvel comic and definitely not one of the best superhero films of that year or any year. Then again, it could have been worse. It could have been the next Catwoman. Five years later, after a lot of tweaking, the anti-hero with the flaming skull is given a whole new vision, thanks to Neveldine/Taylor, the directing duo behind the Crank movies. The trailers promised to deliver an over-the-top, action-packed film, basically what the first one could've or probably should've been and after watching the film in its entirety, I couldn't help but feel a little, just a little, mislead. I'm going to post up the trailer. It's a simple story, so there's probably no point of giving a brief synopsis.
Don't get me wrong, I knew what I was getting into and in some cases, this was a slightly better film than the first, but there wasn't as much action as I hoped and there were times where it went too-over-the top, probably thanks to Nicolas Cage. It was inevitable, I knew that for sure, but Cage goes on with it too long, that by a hour in, it's not that funny. Or in a weird sense, engaging. I even thought for a moment, he was taking it way too far. But then I remembered Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. But he was actually good in that movie, though. Here, he just isn't. Let's face it, he sucked.
By the way, if you haven't seen Bad Lieutenant: POCNO, then watch it. This clip from the film gives you a clear idea of how wack he was in that film. Beware though, it's a little disturbing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiGsS5JIJ-M&feature=related. Despite Nic Cage, there are some redeeming moments, mostly coming off of Idris Elba and Johnny Whitworth's performances. They're both having fun with their roles. Elba has a French accent and Whitworth plays a bad guy well. Ciaran Hinds and Violante Placido are okay. I forget who the kid is, but I don't really care. He sucked.
I talked about Neveldine/Taylor, the directors of the film. They know how to make edgy, over-the-top films and it was there, in some cases. I know this is a PG-13 film and that will kinda bog down their edginess. Had it been a R-rated film (because they make R-rated films), maybe it could have been better. I don't know where to go from here. I think I pretty much said everything I needed to say about the film and strangely, I'll give it **1/2 (2 and a half stars). Some people might hate me for this, but trust me, I've seen way worse. I can't say this is a bad movie, but it certainly ain't a good one. Sure, it has some bad moments, but it wasn't irritating and as I said before, this is a slightly better film than the first. So, yeah, **1/2.
(Editor's note: After watching the film the second-go-around, I still stand by what I said before. It is a slightly better film than the first, but it's definitely not enough for me to fully recommend. This review is actually the reason I gave up the star ratings because I felt it was limiting me. I felt like I was being too nice on the film only because I knew what I was getting into. When it comes to the numerical ratings I use now, it would probably get 3 out of 10. Like I said, slightly better but it still kinda sucks.)
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