There was so much speculation over whether or not the CGI transformation of a man into a burning skeleton would look good that it’s not surprising the story seems like an afterthought. So why did I watch it? Ghost Rider was one of my favorite comics as a kid, and Nic Cage usually provides enough quirk value to make even a bad movie fun. Unlike The Hulk, reinventing Ghost Rider for film has little risk of alienating core fans since the character’s motives and back-story shifted so often in the pulp series. The film takes bits and pieces from throughout the book’s various cycles to create a solid enough setting. That is, if any bit of it was original. The comic was compelling because of how different the hero was from the spandex-clad mutants sharing shelf space. Unfortunately director Mark Steven Johnson must think borrowing trademarks from several different genres equals something new. We’ve got a guilt-laden loner seeking redemption, a Faustian deal at the crossroads, multiple father issues, disposable demonic villains, and religious symbolism galore. There are so many constant clichés that I don’t know if it’s meant to be a spoof, especially given Cage’s earnest acting. In Johnson’s commentary track he repeatedly brushes off high-brow critics with the excuse “it’s a movie about a guy with a flaming skull!” Who would have guessed that could be so boring? Pretty sucky.

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