Buy Ghost Rider on DVD

Ghost Rider

DVD Widescreen 2-disc Extended Edit More Info 2-disc extended cut Close Caption: Yes Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396196643 Catalog #: DL2451232 Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), French Dolby Digital 5.1, French DTS 5.1, English subtitles, French subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$31.49 (10% off) List Price: ~~$34.99~~
DVD Widescreen Theatrical Cut More Info Theatrical Cut Close Caption: Yes Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396163119 Catalog #: DL2451233 Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), French Dolby Digital 5.1, French DTS 5.1, English subtitles, French subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$9.99
Blu-ray More Info Close Caption: Yes Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396185197 Catalog #: DB2451234 Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), French Dolby Digital 5.1, French DTS 5.1, English subtitles, French subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$35.49 (8% off) List Price: ~~$38.99~~

When new special editions or price reductions are announced.

From the liner notes

Based on the Marvel Comics character, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze gives up his soul to become a hell-blazing vigilante, to fight against power-hungry Blackheart, the son of the devil himself.

Review

The Spirit of Vengeance makes the leap from the comic page to the big screen in this high-concept guilty pleasure of a superhero film. It's familiar ground for writer/director Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil) and star Nicolas Cage, who proudly sports a tattoo of his character's demonic alter-ego in real life. However, the filmmakers don't seem to fully grasp the absurdity of a leather-clad, motorcycle riding skeleton, delivering an uneven film that is often boring, infrequently thrilling, but consistently bizarre.

Johnny Blaze (Cage) is a modern-day Evel Knievel, thrilling unbelievably large audiences with his impossible motorcycle stunts. You'd be hard-pressed to find stranger characterization: Blaze sips jellybeans from martini glasses, watches Lancelot Link-styled television programs and has an intense admiration for the music of the Carpenters. In a different film this would spell disaster, but Cage embraces these oddities with a degree of seriousness that is effectively compelling and perfectly complementary to the subject matter. Life would be fine for Blaze if only he hadn't sold his soul to the Devil (played with pizzazz by, of all people, Peter Fonda) during his formative years in order to save his ailing father's life. Since then, Blaze has been forced to live a Jekyll/Hyde (or, more appropriately, Banner/Hulk) existence as a literal Hell's Angel. Ghost Rider speaks in bad one-liners and isn't afraid to flip the bird at the authorities. Once introductions are out of the way, the film becomes an uneven mess. RPG-like villains who spout appropriately geeky lines like "Your Penance Stare doesn't work on me!" are introduced in the blink of an eye, coming across as mere script necessities. The same goes for Blaze's childhood beau, returning in the form of newscaster Eva Mendes, who seems to be vying for the title of worst actress in Hollywood...and by film's end, we may have a winner. Everything slows to a crawl during scenes involving the enigmatic Caretaker (Sam Elliott) who seems to know a bit too much about Blaze's inner demon. The character redeems itself though by surprisingly providing the film's greatest thrills during its third act as it transforms into an old-styled Western complete with a trek across the desert and a showdown at dawn. Great fun for genre fans, but serious filmgoers beware.

No complaints when it comes to the special effects used to create the title character. Ghost Rider appears in all of his flame-headed glory, his whip-like chains have a life of their own as he lassoes everything from bad guys to helicopters. The "Hellcycle" itself may be impressive to gear heads, but to the uninformed it looks more like an easily marketable wind-up toy. The villains, who range from slimy to dusty, are fun to look at, but are forgotten just as quickly as they appear, which is to be expected from such two dimensional characters.

Odd characters, inexplicable happenings, eye-popping visuals, bad script writing...these are the things a cult film is made of. It may just take a few years for Ghost Rider to be appreciated as such.

-- Eric Bresler

Product Format Information

DVD Widescreen: $31.49 (2-disc extended cut)

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Running Time: 123 minutes
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396196643
Catalog #: DL2451232

Studio : Sony

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary) , French Dolby Digital 5.1 , French DTS 5.1 , English Subtitles , French Subtitles , Spanish Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 2.4
Features:
Audio commentary: with Nicolas Cage and Director Mark Steven Johnson
Audio commentary: with Producer Gary Foster
Sin & Salvation: 4-Part Ghost Rider Comic Book History
Featurette: Spirit of Vengeance: 2-Part Making of Ghost Rider Featurette

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DVD Widescreen: $9.99 (Theatrical Cut)

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396163119
Catalog #: DL2451233

Studio : Sony

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary) , French Dolby Digital 5.1 , French DTS 5.1 , English Subtitles , French Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 2.4
Features:
Featurette: Spirit of Vengeance: 2-Part Making of Ghost Rider Featurette

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Blu-ray : $35.49

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Running Time: 123 minutes
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396185197
Catalog #: DB2451234

Studio : Sony

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary) , French Dolby Digital 5.1 , French PCM 5.1 , Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 , Korean PCM 5.1 , English Subtitles , French Subtitles , Korean Subtitles , Mandarin Subtitles , Portuguese Subtitles , Spanish Subtitles , Thai Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 2.4
Features:
Listed at 123 minutes so we're guessing this is the extended cut?
Audio commentary: with Nicolas Cage and Director Mark Steven Johnson
Audio commentary: with Producer Gary Foster
Featurette: Spirit of Vengeance: 2-Part Making of Ghost Rider Featurette