Cinema review
Directed by Mark Steven Johnson
Starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, Wes Bentley, Donal Logue, Sam Elliott
Release date 2 March 2007

Motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze sells his soul to save his father's life, but the buyer has despicable plans for our freewheeling hero…

Arriving in a blaze of bad reviews and rumours of production difficulties, this much delayed Johnny-come-lately has every indication of being a saddle-sore no-hoper. There’s no doubt that it's an unadulterated slice of schlock, but Ghost Rider's appeal has already set the American box office alight.

Much like the comic, there's no attempt to compete with flagship Marvel heroes such as Spider-Man, Hulk or X-Men, and the film wisely treats its lead character as a B movie hero rather than a mainstream icon. To that end, there are some nasty scares along the way, and Nicolas Cage's initial transformation into the flaming Ghost Rider is pretty intense.

The look of the character translates beautifully to the cinema. The flaming skull and the skeletal hands (wrapped in leather and clutching a helicopter-snaring chain-whip) look wholly convincing, with only the fiery character's bike scenes bearing the tell-tale marks of CGI. Cage himself treads familiar ground as the reluctant hero, alternating his usual hangdog expression with a mad-eyed stare that works wonderfully as his dark side takes hold.

The supporting players are equally at home with the material, and, as Blaze's ridiculously pretty girlfriend, Eve Mendes makes for a spirited heroine. Distinct from the likes of Spider-Man's Kirsten Dunst, Mendes manages to do more than just get kidnapped and rescued for the duration, and emerges from the movie in no disgrace.

Towering above the likes of Fantastic Four and The Punisher, Ghost Rider is perhaps best compared to Mark Steven Johnson’s previous stab at the superhero genre, Daredevil. An entertaining movie that's not quite the leader of the pack, it's still a long way from being road-kill. Jonathan Wilkins

VERDICT: 7/10
First-rate effects, exciting action and a story that’s true to its comic book roots make Ghost Rider devilish good fun!