Comic book adaptations can be split into two categories. There are the ones that the studio pushes as big A-list releases, like Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Batman, and Superman, then there are the B-listers, which so far includes Daredevil, Elektra, and now Ghost Rider. This is not a reflection on perceived quality, or lack thereof; you can just tell by the release date and the marketing.
Now, the funny thing is that Mark Steven Johnson has been involved in all three of those B-list films, writing Elektra, and writing and directing Daredevil, and now Ghost Rider. His track record is spotty at best, but there is always some level of entertainment involved. For my money, Ghost Rider is the best of the three, despite it still being rather seriously flawed.
Ghost Rider is about a curse. Every so often, Mephistopheles will approach a troubled person, someone who would be willing to give anything in order to save someone, or some other noble cause. The price is merely a single soul, and in return the person will become something of a debt collector for Hell. The cursed will become the Ghost Rider when he is called upon, a fiery skeleton of vengeance, out doing the bidding of his master, or so the master would like to believe. You see, nothing always works out the way it should.
At some point in the past, a Ghost Rider realized what the result would be if he collected a certain large debt, and decided to take off with it. Jumping to the present, there is something of a power struggle in hell, as Mephistopheles' offspring, Blackheart, is attempting to wrest control from dear ol' dad. To aid him, he has come to Earth in order to find that old, unfulfilled debt collection. Along the way, he calls upon the help of a few elemental demons called The Hidden. It will not be an easy task, especially when Mephistopholes decides to tap his latest Rider.
Article comments
1 - Ian Woolstencroft
Great review Chris. It’s nice to have the perspective of a fan of the character.
As a fellow Ghost Rider fan I have to say I’m looking forward to this, unfortunately we in the UK have to wait a couple of weeks before it gets released over here.
I think you’ll find that Johnson didn’t write Elektra. In fact he had virtually no connection with the film as he’d already moved on to this project when Elektra was being made.