Published Feb. 22, 2007 in Kansas City’s Sun Tribune, Sun Gazette and Liberty Tribune newspapers. 

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By Steve Crum 

Ghost Rider is the perfect movie for middle school and high school-aged kids. Let me amend that to include MOST teen males. They will absolutely love it. Being five times removed from that demographic, this critic liked the movie very much.

Ghost Rider is definitely a comic book movie with dialogue and pop morality to match. No mind stretch here, but what hot visuals: a flaming skull, blazing cycle, and a three-alarm, 20-yard chain used like a whip.

This is the good guy battling not only the devil (Peter Fonda), but his snarling son and cohorts. It looks, especially at first, like a not-so-obvious hero versus obvious villains. Not far into the story however, we get used to the scary, smoldering skull guy (Nicolas Cage) and discover his humane side. He only snuffs out dangerous criminals while protecting innocent citizens.

Here is a classic example of style over substance, a usually negative criticism that works fine here. The flick is packed with visual fun. Just do not expect introspection like in the A-Class Marvel adaptations Spider-Man and X-Men. 

Ghost Rider is second-tier Marvel, played fast and flashy. Do I sound like a 13-year-old or what?

Director/screenwriter Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) opens the saga in flashback as 20-ish Johnny Blaze (Matt Long) makes a deal with Mephistopheles (Fonda) to cure his ill, motorcycling dad (Brett Cullen) of cancer. Both Johnny and his father are teamed in an Evel Knievel-type stunt act. Things do not turn out as promised, and Johnny’s plans to marry his girlfriend Roxanne (Razuel Alessi) are thwarted.

Jump to present, and Cage’s mature Johnny has stayed with daredevil cycling, even jumping over blade whirling, parked helicopters. He tries to hook up again with Roxanne (now played by Eva Mendes), who is a TV reporter. Satan reappears, demanding Johnny do his bidding as the avenger, Ghost Rider. He is to flame-on and rid the world of rogue demons, particularly the devil’s son, Blackheart (Wes Bentley), and sidekicks. Even Johnny’s cool motorcycle transforms into a sleek bomber bike aka the Hellcycle. Awesome scenes include Ghost Rider gunning his chopper through city streets and across the desert in blazing glory. 

However, our hero is careful not to injure innocents; he will often stop in pursuit of bad guys to help the needy. Oh yes, the transformations always occur at night, no doubt because it is much more spectacular. 

A neat plus is Sam Elliott’s Caretaker, who has his own reason to link with Johnny and his Ghost Rider persona. Without spoiling too much, just think more fire and retribution.

Definitely think Kevin Mack, whose pyro-wild special effects pretty much steal the picture. Cage and crew obviously enjoy their campy work, as will most audiences. 

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GRADE on A-F Scale: B