In spite of a new writing team, new direction and completely revamped visual style, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” fails to generate excitement.
Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze, a former stunt motorcyclist now possessed after an ill-advised deal with the Devil (Ciaran Hinds). This time around, Blaze finds himself protecting a young boy named Danny (Fergus Riordan), son of the Devil, whose father intends to turn him into the Antichrist.
The script is rife with half-explained details that inhibit the viewer from becoming invested in the story. It’s this underdeveloped script that ultimately transforms an attempt to reinvigorate a franchise into a pointless exercise in visual style.
With Cage’s brand of manic method acting, “Spirit of Vengeance” should at least feel like a noble failure with a distinct personality that justified its creation. Instead, a roundly terrible supporting cast and an uninteresting script leaves this story of a struggling anti-hero treading water.
“Spirit of Vengeance” stumbles as a fresh look on an old character, attempting to pass off visual panache in lieu of an exciting or comprehensible story.