Two Superhero Movies from Sony
Ghost Rider (February 15/07)
Thoroughly dull from start to finish, Ghost Rider is undoubtedly one of the worst comic book adaptations to hit theaters since the genre's recent resurgence - as writer/director Mark Steven Johnson is ultimately unable to offer the viewer anyone or anything worth caring about over the course of the film's interminable, egregiously drawn-out running time. Nicholas Cage stars as Johnny Blaze, a showboating stunt motorcyclist who - having signed away his soul to the devil (Peter Fonda) in exchange for his father's health - must periodically assume the guise of the title character and perform Mephistopheles' evil bidding. Johnson has infused Ghost Rider with a relentlessly campy vibe that's reflected in virtually every aspect of the production - from the laughably overwrought dialogue to the superficially-developed characters to the flat-out silly look of the central character - with the end result a film that's destined to provoke unintentional laughter and Mystery Science Theater 3000-style mocking from audiences. That Cage delivers virtually the same tired, ultra-quirky performance that he's long-since cornered the market on certainly doesn't help matters, nor does the inclusion of several seriously illogical plot holes - with the most glaring example of this undoubtedly the age difference between Cage and co-star/love interest Eva Mendes (their respective characters are portrayed as teenagers in a prologue, and yet they somehow grow up with a 10+ year difference between them). Ghost Rider is nothing short of a complete mess, and it seems highly unlikely that even the most forgiving comic book buff will find much of anything worth embracing here.
out of
Zoom: Academy for Superheroes (February 15/07)
Much maligned but basically entertaining, Zoom: Academy for Superheroes casts Tim Allen as Jack Shepard - a washed-up former superhero who finds his services needed after his evil brother emerges from a 30-year sabbatical. Assisted by a clumsy scientist (Courteney Cox), Jack reluctantly sets out to train four youngsters (including Spencer Breslin's Tucker Williams and Kate Mara's Summer Jones) with preternatural abilities in the proper use of their powers. While there's certainly no denying that Zoom: Academy for Superheroes has been infused with more than a few unreasonably puerile jokes and gags, the film does benefit substantially from Allen's funny, expectedly charismatic performance - which, along with with quirky supporting turns from folks like Rip Torn, Chevy Chase, and Thomas F. Wilson, generally ensures that the whole thing remains surprisingly watchable throughout. That being said, one can't help but lament Jack's egregiously predictable character arc and the inclusion of a few eye-rollingly sentimental moments (all of which are accompanied by laughably corny pop songs). And while it's easy enough to see why it received torrents of negative reviews upon its initial release, Zoom: Academy for Superheroes - viewed on the small screen - essentially comes off as a light-hearted and mindlessly engaging time-waster.
out of