GHOST RIDER:

SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE
FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Stan Lee, who was involved in the first film, was smart enough to stay away from the sequel.  The cast of the first installment of the film series was what kept the movies above water.  Nicholas Cage (Johnny Blaze) brings his usual over-achiever actor persona to the screen, and comic book characters need over-the-top performances that breathe life into the film conversions.

Idris Elba (Moreau) builds a stairway to the audience with an amazing performance.  Moreau is a strong character who requires an equivalent and they found the perfect portrayer.  Elba could be a Wayne Brady look-a-like with an accent that can draw everyone into his web.  Sadly, he is not the main character. Neither Scott Gimple, Seth Hoffman or David  Goyer (the screenplay writers) could see into the future and know who would be cast as Moreau.  If the casting had any idea of using Elba, communication to the writers would have embarked them on a vigorous connection between Blaze and Moreau.

The opening scenes involved the one and only Anthony Head (Benedict), known to most in America as Rupert Giles from the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."  Nobody can kill Giles and expect a great review, unless they can shock & rock us.  That did not happen.  Some of the photos that appear in the film have Nikki Sixx written all over them.  Dark and frightening, covered in an off beat style with no sweet tones, they can only be endearing to the underground photography fanatics. 

Ciaran Hinds (Roarke) could have body doubled as the devil in "Angel Heart" played by the great Robert De Niro.  His natural look mirrors De Niro, then he gives the audience an added bonus of the style of the devil personified.  There are moments when he is more creepy than believable, but still, in the comic book idiosyncrasy, it works. 

The endowment of the second film to the first can be the only reason anyone decided to go forward with "Spirit of Vengeance".  The visuals again did not advance the technology and possibly did not even use up to date technical graphics available.  The "3D" aspect of the film was unnecessary, and was a waste of the extra money that the ticket cost. The three-dimensionality was only evident in a few scenes and did not make the movie any better.

RUSTY
2/17/12