5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Long ago, superstar motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze made a deal with the devil to protect the ones he loved most: his father and his childhood sweetheart, Roxanne. Now, the devil has come for his due. By day, Johnny is a die-hard stunt rider... but at night, in the presence of evil, he becomes the Ghost Rider, a bounty hunter of rogue demons. Forced to do the devil's bidding, Johnny is determined to confront his fate and use his curse and powers to defend the innocent.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott, Donal LogueAction | 100% |
Fantasy | 50% |
Comic book | 50% |
Thriller | 43% |
Supernatural | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
48 kHz, 20-bit: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The thing about legends is, sometimes, they're true.
The thing about legends is, sometimes, they're overshadowed by far more interesting ones. Such
is the case with Ghost Rider, a late-model motion picture cobbled together from the inky
pages of the Marvel Comics and victim of the decade-long influx of superhero-themed motion
pictures. The fan-favorite comic's filmed adaptation both failed to live up to expectations and has
subsequently been reduced to something of a mere afterthought in the wake of the success of
films like The Dark Knight, not
to mention other and more popular Marvel franchises-turned-superior-pictures, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.
Nifty special effects aren't enough to save Ghost Rider from a bland story with an inflated
runtime and poor acting; the film is simply not in the same league as its aforementioned Marvel
cousins, an unfortunate fate for a character and series that, particularly in this day and age of
surprising good superhero/comic book filmed adaptations, deserved far better.
Burnin' up the road.
Ghost Rider pulls onto Blu-ray with a high quality and film-like 1080p, 2.39:1-framed transfer. Though an earlier release in the format's history, this one holds up well and contends with even the newest releases as a pristine example of a transfer done right. Colors are amazingly rich and vibrant at the opening carnival sequence; dominated by bright yellows, supportive hues also dazzle. While much of the film takes place at night or in dark locales, colors never feel under- or over-saturated, the transfer maintaining just the right balance in every lighting condition. Detail is generally exceptional; Johnny's leather jackets in particular offer stunning texture in close-up shots, and the usual suspects in outdoor scenes sparkle both during the day and at night. The transfer also delivers an exceptional sense of depth and sports strong clarity across the entire field of view, both near and far. Blacks aren't impeccable, but only falter in a few scenes where they veer towards a very dark shade of gray. Flesh tones retain a natural and neutral shade. With no visible artifacts, unsightly digital manipulation, and only a hint of banding in one or two shots, Ghost Rider makes for a wonderful visual presentation that's completed by a thin layer of natural film grain. This is another winning transfer from Sony.
Ghost Rider revs up on Blu-ray, spewing out two fine soundtracks from its dual exhaust ports: one of the PCM 5.1 uncompressed variety and the other a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix. It seems somewhat superfluous to include two such tracks, and both provide a room-shaking and completely immersive listening experience. Ghost Rider delivers a full-out surround sound extravaganza; barely more than a few seconds go by where either an eardrum-busting sonic assault or subtly pleasing supportive atmospherics aren't pouring from the back channels. An amusement park scene at the beginning of the film features the general din of the park flowing through the soundstage and effectively placing the listener in the midst of the fun, and a gentle breeze during an early romantic interlude between the young Johnny and Roxanne practically blows a cold chill through the listening area. Likewise, music engulfs the soundstage, its presence focused across the front but with strong rear-channel support. Every note is sharp and crisp, the harder rock beats mixing well with the more aggressive sound effects, particularly the rumbling of the motorcycles seen throughout the film. Indeed, the bikes make for the sonic highlight of the show; whether cruising down blacktop or idling at full-stop, the unmistakable rumble is a pleasure to the ears, the effect supported by a strong low end. Indeed, bass is solid, deep, and even foreboding throughout the picture. Also featuring the expectedly clear and precise dialogue reproduction, both of Ghost Rider's soundtracks deliver a practically reference-quality listen.
Ghost Rider zooms onto Blu-ray with a healthy collection of bonus materials. The disc
contains a pair of commentary tracks; track one features Writer/Director Mark Steven Johnson
and Visual Effects Supervisor Kevin Mack. Though focused heavily on some of the gritty visual
effects requirements of the picture, the participants also speak on the usual array of commentary
fodder, including shooting locations, the film's tone and themes, the performance of the actors,
some of the tongue-in-cheek moments in the film, shooting techniques, story elements created
specifically for the movie, and much more, but much of the discussion always comes back to how
effects are
integrated into many of the scenes. Track two features Producer Gary Foster who covers a
myriad of topics, including the controversy surrounding the film's prologue, shooting locations,
assembling the cast and the involvement of Nicholas Cage and Peter Fonda in particular, the
exhausting work
of a Producer, and more.
Next up is The Making of 'Ghost Rider', a three-part documentary that chronicles the
production of the film. Spirit of Vengeance (1080i, 29:03) takes viewers to Melbourne,
Australia for a peek into the filmmaking process. The piece features a plethora of cast and crew
speaking on the history of the project, the similarities and differences from the comic, the story
developed for the film, the work of particular cast and crew members, films and styles that
influenced the look and feel of Ghost Rider, and much more. The piece offers plenty of
fascinating and raw behind-the-scenes footage intercut with the interview segments. Spirit
of Adventure (1080i, 29:56) is a continuation of the first piece, looking in-depth at the
construction of several scenes. Again, the piece combines interviews with good on-set footage
that effectively places the viewer in the midst of the production. Finally, Spirit of
Execution
(1080i, 22:55) takes an extensive look at the making of some of the film's digital effects, the
creation of various sound effects, the formation of the final audio mix, and concluding with a brief
text summary of the film's box office performance. Also included are 1080p trailers for The Messengers, Blood and Chocolate,
Premonition, and Hellboy.
An overly long, cliché-ridden disappointment of a movie, Ghost Rider is a victim of the recent craze of translating comic book heroes to the big screen, this effort one of the unfortunate outings destined to flop next to the giants of the genre. Also hindered by stiff acting and a meandering script, Ghost Rider delivers only good special effects, moderately interesting action scenes, and a solid performance from the underutilized Sam Elliot. Nevertheless, the quality of the movie hasn't prevented Sony from going all-out for the film's Blu-ray release. Boasting nearly reference-grade technical qualities and some lengthy extras, Ghost Rider makes for a good demonstration disc but little more. Worth a rental for those so inclined to check the movie out.
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