I appreciate the fact that Marvel are appealing to a more diverse audience of readers by turning their more dynamic characters in to alternate versions more interesting and complex. Surely, there will always be a place for the eighties Ghost Rider, but “All New Ghost Rider” is pretty fantastic in its own right. It dares to change the entire mold of Ghost Rider and manages to build a titillating and complex look at a corner of the Marvel Universe rarely explored: The lower class struggling to get by. Mostly though I appreciated Felipe Smith’s writing abilities, as he touches upon a lot of elements growing up in inner city neighborhoods. Robby Reyes is a high schooler caring for his disabled little brother alone, and in one scene there’s gun fire in the distance, followed by police sirens. “Remember, we never go outside when we hear firecrackers,” Robby tells his brother Gabe, after convincing him the gun fire was firecrackers.
Tag Archives: Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)
If this sequel had any balls, they’d take the reins of Johnny Blaze and hand the character over to someone talented like Idris Elba. At least then there’d be an interesting angle to this wretched sequel to a painfully mediocre movie that barely anyone remembers. Nicolas Cage once again proves he has no business being in film, reclaiming the role of Johnny Blaze, the balding mid-fifties biker who was cursed as Ghost Rider after making a deal with the devil. In case you didn’t know that, there’s five minutes of bad exposition along with Cage narration explaining the entire mythology of the Rider and what he does in particular, cue terrible animation. Most of the time during the opening animation, Cage sounds like even he doesn’t take this garbage seriously, and spend most of it making light of what is supposed to be a terrifying and mystifying character in the comic book universe.
Ghost Rider (2007)
I tell you. I tell you. “Ghost Rider” had potential, friends. “Ghost Rider” under the right set of creators, competent direction, and writers it could have been one hell of a violent horror thriller with Ghost Rider not only serving as a horrifying anti-hero, but also a potential villain if not careful. With someone like maybe Clive Barker, along with a hard R and zero camp, “Ghost Rider” would have been a horror fan’s wet dream, but alas, we’re left with this. One of the most brutal crimes from Johnson’s screenplay is that he shamelessly cribs from the “Spawn” film. And if you’ve ever seen it, you’ll know that it’s hardly the source material capable for a competent film to begin with.