Real Review - Ghost Rider - Blu-Ray

When a movie sports a cliched plot and bad acting, is there anything that can redeem such a film? In the case of Ghost Rider there is. Based on the Marvel comic book, Ghost Rider makes sense when viewed as such.Though there is nothing original about the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil and wants to get it back, in the case of Ghost Rider, the fun begins when you just accept the film for what it is: a comic book character in an action/adventure flick. So, pop-up some popcorn, turn-down the lights, kick-off your shoes, and crank-up the audio.

Johnny Blaze, played by Nicholas Cage, tries to help his dying father by selling his soul to the devil, played by Peter Fonda. In exchange, Johnny becomes the best motorcycle stunt-rider and cannot die. But, Johnny soon becomes the devil’s ghost rider and is made to try and stop the devil’s son from taking control of the Earth. Will the ghost rider stop the soulless son of the devil and regain his own soul? Or will Johnny be consigned to ride throughout eternity as the devil’s ghost rider?

There are many problems with the plot, and Nicholas Cage is miscast as the lead. With obvious black-dyed hair to make Cage look twenty years younger, the result is that he just can’t pull-off the part of a twenty-something Johnny Blaze. Also there is absolutely no chemistry between Blaze and his girlfriend, played by Eva Mendes. Their scenes together are flat and without sparks. Passion should be smoldering in her eyes, and he should be fit-to-be-tied in her presence. Alas, they seem as strangers meeting for the first time, uncertainty and a certain degree of aloofness between them.

So, what exactly is the redeeming feature of Ghost Rider? In a word: the special effects. And what fun! The CGI effects are simply awesome. When Johnny Blaze changes into the ghost rider, his flaming skull and fiery chain lights up the screen. Coupled with a bombastic soundtrack, the action is top-notch and non-stop. As I’ve said before, switch attitude to action/adventure about a comic book character and enjoy the mayhem.

I watched Ghost Rider on Blu-ray disc and this is one colorful HD picture. Bright, vivid colors and deep, dark blacks contrast well with the fire effects. This is demo material for a home theater. Couple the great PQ with a top-tier 5.1 PCM uncompressed audio track, and you have the makings of a great HD disc. The sound design was totally immersive with plenty of LFE rumblings and surround sound pans. The disc also includes a couple of commentary tracks and three documentaries.

Rating: 7

Source Chuck’s Movie Reviews

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