Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
Certified: 14
Duration: 95 minutes
Directed by: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Johnny Whitworth, Ciaran Hinds, Fergus Riordan, Violante Placido, Idris Elba, Christopher Lambert
KRS release

What the heck were Mark Neveldine and Brain Taylor smoking when they filmed Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance?

The first Ghost Rider, released five years ago, was a mediocre film, faltering whenever Nicolas Cage was on screen but flaming on when the Ghost Rider appeared.

This one is a shambles: It is disorienting in its approach, Mr Cage is loonier than ever and the character of the Ghost Rider as the flaming spirit of vengeance is reduced to a pin cushion for bullets, rockets and other explosives as he plows through the bad guys.

Mr Cage is Johnny Blaze, the motorcyclist who can change into a flaming skull-headed spirit of vengeance, has gone to Eastern Europe where he has secluded himself from society. Earlier on, he had made a deal with the Devil incarnate, Roarke (Ciaran Hinds In order to save his father he had become the spirit of vengeance who hunts down all those who do evil. Yet Blaze does not want to continue living like this.

Twelve years earlier, gypsy Nadya (Violante Placido) had also made a deal with Roarke: to carry his son and thus spare her life. Now that Nadya’s son Danny (Fergus Riordan) is 13, he is the perfect host for Roarke to inhabit. So Nadya goes on the run and enlists the help of holy man Moreau (Idris Elba), who has a plan of his own.

Messrs Neveldine and Taylor seemed to be the perfect choice to direct this film after they their frenetic and comic-bookish Jason Statham thrillers Crank and its sequel. However, here they commit several missteps.

First of all, they never manage to give character to the Ghost Rider while the plot seems to have been a throwaway from some 1970s grindhouse picture. Secondly, the main character simply laughs and shrugs everything off that would normally blow anyone else to smithereens. Besides, the film never presents a villain worthy of the hero.

Even the one area in which this picture should have excelled – the action – falters, as it seems to lack imagination.

Propelled by bursts of guitar, the score by David Sardy, is a cacophony of sounds, badly edited scenes and overacting.

I used to read the Ghost Rider comic book and loved the character but I really doubt whether the fans will embrace this picture.