Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - Thoughts

I saw a trailer of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance a couple of months ago and thought it was okay. I don’t remember it being memorable, and the plot wasn’t very evident from it either. From having seen it recently, the sequel starts a few months/years after the first installment, and sees Johnny Blaze being recruited to help prevent a sinister plan, which has something to do with a little boy, and his kidnapping.

From what I remember of the first installment, while I found it simplistic yet fun, most people criticized it, and deemed it a waste of time. That backdrop coupled with the average trailer didn’t set much in terms of expectations for the sequel. Surprisingly Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance did pretty well, succeeding in coming across a lot more serious. The first movie had a very casual feel to it, while this one was a lot more gripping, allowing for the darkness of the Ghost Rider character to come through well. The inner struggle that Johnny Blaze was dealing with was a lot more evident. Right from the get go, the plot was riveting, with a certain amount of suspense as the story unfolded. Needless to say in true Ghost Rider fashion the action sequences and special effects were pretty cool; a department that the franchise has consistently succeeded in. While my friends who watched the movie with me did talk of a few glitches in the narrative, none of them were overly glaring. On the whole an entertaining comic book action flick!

Nicholas Cage who played Johnny Blaze, a.k.a. The Ghost Rider did a good job, certainly taking things a few notches up since the first movie.  He came across as lost, consumed, and having to deal with an inner battle, as the days passed. Violante Placido played Nadya, the female lead and mother of the little boy whom the plot revolved around. While she wasn’t nearly as hot as Eva Mendes, she did make up for it, looking and acting the part of an everyday caring mother. Fergus Riordan played Danny, the central character to the plot. His portrayal was pretty decent; acceptable though nothing special to talk about. Idris Elba played Moreau, a vital addition to the team, contribution nicely to the overall narrative, while making a strong and convincing showing.

I watched Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in the theatre, video being clear and impressive. Colors were vivid, with the black of the Ghost Rider coupled with the orange flames appearing onscreen contrastingly. The implementation of 3D in the movie was quite limited, and though noticeable from time to time, it was largely forgettable. Watching a 2D version would work just as well. Sound was presented by means of a multi-channel surround soundtrack and was on point. Dialog was clear, but a little on the softer side, which made it difficult to hear every word when annoying folks in the audience would talk amongst themselves. Positional sound was decent, and sound effects were pretty good.

My Recommendation: Watch It - (A gripping dark Ghost Rider!)