The unrated cut is better as well.

In regards to Spiderman, you’re missing the ENTIRE point of the character. He was a geeky, picked on teenager who suddenly came upon these awesome powers. He was not a military trained guy, taught how to act in, and how to handle combat situations. In the comics and in the movies he had all these awesome powers yet he could barely afford to pay the rent in a cruddy slum apartment and had no friends to speak of. It’s a testament to his character that he didn’t turn into a super-villain.

It’s probably a good thing you don’t read comics these days because they’re now chock full of superheroes with “feelings and relationship challenges.” Actually it’s at a point in the comics that I wish they WOULD get back to just punching out the bad guys.

Vic

Well said! One of the main reasons I found the film boring was that it didn’t make me CARE about the characters. They were empty shells. As far as I’m concerned the most fleshed-out character in the movie (pardon the pun), was Johnny Blaze’s best friend. He seemed like the most human character in the film, with at least some depth of emotion.

Vic

1.) They didn’t explain the ‘rules’ of the Ghost Rider universe nearly well enough so that one could understand what was going on beyond “good guy fights bad guy”. It kills audience involvement if you can’t explain what the limitations are of the characters are, and why.

2.) Sam Elliot was one of the best parts of the film and the director starts to make out like he’s going to play a significant role in the film’s finale. It would have only made logical sense. What happens? He “rides” alongside Cage’s character until they reach their destination, heads aflame (cool scene by the way), then turns tail and disappears as if to say “Well, I got you here, now you’re on your own!” Well, what the heck did you bother riding with him for? Singing traveling songs? Apparently Elliot was hired only as a wellspring of exposition for Johnny, which while it was delivered as eloquently as Elliot is capable of doing, give the guy something to actually contribute to the events going on!

3.) Peter Fonda and Eva Mendez going through the motions with as little acting effort expended as is humanly possible.

There were moments of opportunity in the movie, where it seemed like enough things might go right with it that would justify the expense you know had to go into it, but by the end, I just didn’t care about the characters, and you can’t make a movie where you can’t identify with the leads. It’s film-making death. And you can’t let the audience not know what’s going on – especially in a movie that deals with science fiction or the supernatural. Fantastic events need a solid foundation as to how the fantastic elements work, or everything falls apart because of lazy storytelling. This movie acts as exhibit A in the case to prove it.

Another issue is Batman and Spiderman are so tough in my mind, and so woosified on screen. I am a combat vet. I read these comics to divert my mind from the horrors of reality when I was deployed to the world’s butt crack. They don’t have the right to be so vulnerable to thier feelings and relationship challenges. My ex-wife divorced me while I was fighting terrorists in the Middle East. Am I really supposed to feel sorry for a super hero and his girl problems? You know the answer is no.

Ghost Rider kicked butt. I was never expected to feel sorry for him.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ghost_rider/

And as it happens, one of the biggest comic book and movie geeks online, Harry Knowles of Ain’t it Cool News, who IS a huge fan of the Ghost Rider comic book character absolutely hated it:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31609

Best regards,

Vic

1. I didn’t think it would be that great, based on the trailers.

2. Vic would poo poo on it because he has his beloved comic book characters, and Ghost Rider ain’t one of ‘em.

Being a biker, I went to see it. I had three complaints. I didn’t understand why anyone would pay Sam Elliot to be in a movie and not really do anything. I also thought that the Little Grasshopper guy (the Devil) was about the worst show of acting since they cancelled Kung Fu like three decades ago.

Otherwise, it was surprisingly good. It moved along nicely. The effects were great. Mine and my girlfriend’s daughters were sufficiently scared, holding onto us tightly for the whole show. Vic is substantially off base on this one.

Frankly, it was refreshing after the preceding incredibly disappointing comic book to live action films. That’s right; I’m talking specifically about Batman and Spiderman. Great comic books, but the movies were nothing but hype.

Brian