Ghost Rider Preview

[Sick Boy]

I've found this review of Ghost Rider, alongside an interview with Cage and Mendes:

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/reviewsnews.php?id=18778

What do you think?

[AnarchyRabbit]

I think Cage sounds a lot like Elvis.
Creepy.

[Tom Brazelton]

Actually, the interview with director Mark Steven Johnson over at Newsarama gave me a little bit of hope about Ghost Rider. He seemed to have a real affinity and understanding for the character. We'll see if that bites me in the ass later.

I mean, I've read interviews with Eva Mendes where she said the script was "mundane." Not a good sign.

Say what you will, though - I think the effects on this one look great. GR looks like he's supposed to. Much more than Daredevil ever did. Pretty much that's the only reason to see it.

[trevor]

Yeah, but Daredevil also had terrible dialogue ("I want a fuckin' costume"...come on!) and characterization...and I fear GR might also.

Visually, it looks pretty sweet though. How close is the story? I don't recall GR being a stunt driver like Evil Kinevil (sp), but then again I never read the originals. Only occasionally picked up the new ones, because my friend Cory liked them so much.

[Tom Brazelton]

Actually, it kind of splits the difference between the original 1970's GR and the 1990's retread.

The original GR was a motorcycle stunt man in a traveling circus who made a deal with the Devil to save his father.

The 90's Ghost Rider had a more complicated origin, but they use elements from his telling including a character called The Caretaker who looks after those who are host to the Spirit of Vengeance. In addition. GR's look for the film was taken from the 90's version, except for the hellcycle, which is an original invention.

[trevor]

Yes, the 1990's version is what I remember. He was a biker gang member or something, and I recall a fight between him and an evil priest with no shirts on - because you had never seen GR without his jacket on before then, and his body was just a skeleton.

I remeber bits of that.

[opie301]

It's the puns, Marty. Something's gotta be done about the puns.

"Feels like my skull's on fire." Why, writers, why?

[joerules]

Actually, the interview with director Mark Steven Johnson over at Newsarama gave me a little bit of hope about Ghost Rider. He seemed to have a real affinity and understanding for the character. We'll see if that bites me in the ass later.

I mean, I've read interviews with Eva Mendes where she said the script was "mundane." Not a good sign.

Say what you will, though - I think the effects on this one look great. GR looks like he's supposed to. Much more than Daredevil ever did. Pretty much that's the only reason to see it.

Him being excited abo it is a good thing but he was also really excited about Daredevil, and that movie is flawed. wathcing to the directors cut and listening to his commentary with Avi Arid gives more hope though ebcause as flawed as DD is, he knows it's flawed. He was cringing at shots that he jsut didn't have the budjet to do correctly.

He was trying to make the perfect DD movie but the moey jsut wasn't there.

Did she seriously call the script mundane? That sucks.

[Tom Brazelton]

It's the puns, Marty. Something's gotta be done about the puns.

"Feels like my skull's on fire." Why, writers, why?

From what I understand, Nicolas Cage did a lot of improving on the set (which seems weird for a big effects movie like this) so I wouldn't be surprised if that line was his own invention.

Regarding Joe's post, I really want to get my hands on the DD Director's Cut. I've heard it's a completely different movie.

In the Newsarama interview, he talked about his budget limitations on that film and how the requirements to make GR look correct on screen precluded those same problems on this production.

In other words, he had money this time around.

In my opinion, the only thing that is going to sink this movie is Cage's over-zealousness.

[Sick Boy]

Some warning signs, just so you don't get your hopes up:

Cage on the script:

"Mark found a way to make it more palatable to larger audiences. It became more of a spooky ride. You know you go to the amusement park and you have a rollercoaster and then you have the Haunted Mansion. This is just the right amount of scares to get your adrenaline up, but not so much that you can't finish the ride. It's something for the family.!"

Cage on the character:

"It's a deeply personal character and I was trying to find a new way of presenting how he would keep dark spirits at bay. I didn't want him being a heavy drinker or a chain smoker. I wanted him eating jellybeans so he wouldn't invite the devils in. And I wanted him listening to Karen Carpenter to help him relax so he wouldn't allow the devil with satanic Goth rock or something. Or, he's watching chimpanzees do karate instead of 'The Exorcist." And all three of those things I was doing in my own life. I was eating jellybeans out of a martini glass and listening to Karen Carpenter and on the Internet watching chimps do karate. And I thought, "Well this is funny, let's put it in the movie." But it's also true."

The review is quite flattering, though.

[gerbo321]

I don't think those quotes paint a bad picture at all. I mean, for god's sake htis is a character that has a flaming skull and fights demons on a mystical motor cycle. It should be fun, not scary. The people that could find that kind of stuff scary would never see a real true to comics, hardcore Ghost Rider. This is mainstream GH, and it should be light hearted, actoin packed, and fun.

[LincM]

I don't know much about GR in general, but I do remember the comics I read as a kid were all about how he dealt with the devil to save his father, the ringmaster of a circus or something.

Has anyone seen the Australian TV spots for it? They have the chick from the wedge (the heavy one)? How funny is it hearing her with an American accent? Hahaha.

[cooljammer00]

It's the puns, Marty. Something's gotta be done about the puns.

"Feels like my skull's on fire." Why, writers, why?

From what I understand, Nicolas Cage did a lot of improving on the set (which seems weird for a big effects movie like this) so I wouldn't be surprised if that line was his own invention.

Regarding Joe's post, I really want to get my hands on the DD Director's Cut. I've heard it's a completely different movie.

In the Newsarama interview, he talked about his budget limitations on that film and how the requirements to make GR look correct on screen precluded those same problems on this production.

In other words, he had money this time around.

In my opinion, the only thing that is going to sink this movie is Cage's over-zealousness.

From what i hear, the Directors Cut of DareDevil had more action and violence, and less love story. Or something.

Doesnt matter, though. It still has the park fight scene.

[Silv3r]

Has anyone seen the Australian TV spots for it? They have the chick from the wedge (the heavy one)? How funny is it hearing her with an American accent? Hahaha.

If anything is going to turn me off watching that movie its her. And possibly Eva Mendes.

Of course, I'm going to see it tonight anyway, so looks like my words don't really mean much.

[LincM]

Why? She's a great actress? Well, she's a great comedian who's trying to be an actress. I just hope she gets more of a chance to act in this so we can actually see if it's just kitchy sketches she can do, or if she's actually a talented actress.

Time will tell.

if she doesn't get much screen time, I'm sure over time she will.

Time WILL tell!

Anybody got the time?