Movie Preview: Ghost Rider – Spirit of Vengance

By Michael Vass | September 14, 2011

For some reason, Marvel Comics felt a need to make a sequel to the Ghost Rider film. Fans of Nicolas Cage will be happy. That’s likely it.

Like the first Ghost Rider film, Cage returns as Johnny Blaze – the tormented man that contains the spirit of Xatharos (the Ghost Rider). As the last film left off, Blaze is traveling, to no exact place, exacting vengence against the evil he encounters.

But the film takes things in a different direction. This version of the Rider is less clean. Literally he looks like he is smeared in oil, or perhaps it’s meant to be the look of charred bones. Either way, it does not come across well. But we expect this is meant to symbolize the battle with Zatharos, who is winning and exerting more control over Blaze.

It also appears that we will see a bit of the backstory on Xatharos, and how he became the Ghost Rider. That backstory will center on the villian of the film, Roarke. Roarke will become Blackout. And the 2 will battle over a mother and son for some mystical reason or another.

Fans of the comic books will note that the original film, featured Blacheart. Except that most of the powers and abilities of Blackout were displayed in that film. Thus it makes what Blackout will be shown to do unknown, and quite possibly repeatative. Moreso, the movie trailer is anything but impressive.

Fans of Nicholas Cage and Marvel Comics might hope that the film will be better than what is being expected, but it is unlikely. The film is scheduled for release in February 2012. That slot is just past the junkyard of January, but clearly denotes that not much is expected from the film.

The best bet for this film is most likely to wait for the discount DVD, or wait for it to hit free cable in 9 months from release.

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