Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - 1 smile

I like Nicholas Cage. Too bad he can’t reject some of the bad scripts that come his way. But, fortunately, Cage’s ability to embrace the ridiculous adds an element of fun to a mediocre movie. With his over-the-top delivery and comical facial expressions, he certainly adds that ‘je ne sais quoi’ element to “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.” Still, there’s so little substance to this movie with no character development and minimal plot. Essentially, Cage is Johnny Blaze, a tormented soul living a dual existence. Johnny is Ghost Rider, a fiery demon compelled to destroy any evil he can find. His mission this time is to save a 13-year-old boy who turns out to be the son of Roarke (Ciarán Hinds), the Devil. The rest of the movie has Johnny, the boy and his mother running from the Devil and his minions. Wisely the filmmakers rely heavily on humor and Cage is perfect. There’s no movie without him. But, then, it’s hardly a movie although there are a lot of special effects. 2/23/12