Made back in 2007, Ghost Rider is a weird mix of bad dialogue, nonsensical story, good special effects, and Nicholas Cage. So, how does it stack up? It's bad. Like most Nicholas Cage movies just saying it's bad isn't enough. There's a curve here. Ghost Rider falls in between the irredeemably bad and the campy/fun bad.
On the one hand, the villians are just no real threat. Blackheart is beaten in a very unsatisfying way and his henchmen are also beaten with very little effort. And then there's the Devil. The personification of evil is just powerless. I know it goes into the whole story about how the Ghost Rider is the Devil's bounty hunter, but I do question why the Devil needs a bounty hunter? He's the Devil! Come on! Just like in Star Trek V: Why does God need a starship?
Many of the characters in this movie are just not needed. Sam Elliott is completely wasted playing the Caretaker. He's supposed to be Johnny Blaze's mentor. The seasoned veteran who knows how to control his power and teaches him to be the Ghost Rider. But other than being the exposition fairy he has no role in the movie. He doesn't teach Johnny to do anything. He just talks. Nothing more.
Then there's Roxanne. (Eva Mendes) Pure, cookie cutter love interest. There is nothing special about this character. Her only role is to give Ghost Rider a love interest. Just a little more emotion thrust in just because that's how these superhero movies go.
It's loud, it's campy, but it's still a watchable movie. I wouldn't ever sit down and think, "you know what movie I haven't watched in a while and was a lot of fun... Ghost Rider." But if there wasn't anything else on tv, yeah I'd watch it.
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