Johnny Blaze
Mar. 22nd, 2007 12:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackI apologise to people who disagree, but I thought that was a great film. (I've stopped distinguishing between films so bad they're good, and good films. I think the first is just an apology for liking it :))
Admittedly, it was a great example of the sort of film I like. But on the Jack Rating Guide.
Humour 8.5/10. It's not primarily humorous but many moments are, a few scenes kept us giggling throughout, and many scenes were wonderful set up to whispered side comments, and crucially not of the intended humour was cringeworthy to watch.
Metaphysics 7.5/10. Four fallen angels hiding in classical elements on earth. A race to acquire ultimate power in the form of a thousand evil souls. A deal with the devil. Nothing particularly special, but it was consistent, interesting, integral to and supported the plot without overwhelming it, was very loosely based on biblical history. The fate of morally ambiguous people is left unspecified, as is the devil's motivations. Also see "portrayal of the devil" below. And the climax followed generally from the laid down principles.
Plot 6/10. It did the job. Almost any other plot with the same fight scenes and metaphysics could have substituted though.
Common sense 7/10. It is not a film based very heavily on real or even consistent physics. However, everything *felt* right, there were no honking plot holes or inconsistencies. And you're not left wondering "how did he know that" or "why is he doing that". The biggest problem was whistling with a hollow skull, but that sort of hid behind the flaming motorbike. Basically, of non-hard-science films, it gets 7/7 as it were. Romcoms have failed at this :)
Being freaking cool. 2.3x106/10. Come on, it's a giant flaming skull, people! None of this pussfooting about dealing with increasingly tougher minions, he's goes from "late for a date" via a flaming motorbike immediately to "pitted face to face with the four major antagonists in a railway yard". He sucks souls out with a look. Spiderman passes with a sigh of wind blah blah blah Johnny Blaze rides a motorbike that makes buildings explode with his passage!
And the bad guys are creepy, ssssss. None of this "one competent guy, two minions, and a random mascot", they're all bad, and hit hard and fast from the get-go, only falling when ghost rider is yet tougher.
Basically, Johnny Blaze is cool, and the villains are cooler, and then the ghost rider is the embodiment of cool (admittedly leaving little room for not being morally suspect). It successfully erects a hierarchy of cool without congestion at the top end (which a lot of films suffer which try to wheel out successively bas-ass-er guys). If it had gone on longer you'd get tired of seeing thugs getting mooshed, but it didn't.
People 6/10. Nothing especially interesting emotionally.
Portraying the devil 8.5/10. I was going to give this a lower rating and then I realised no-one had ever done this well, I couldn't think of any better examples. It's notoriously hard to cast the devil without it looking stupid, but this worked well. He was creepy, and self-possessed, and evil without being in your face about it, or wondering "if he's so bad, why can't he do the job himself", and successfully created the impression of a devil with an agenda, without being too specific and wondering where this schtick is coming from.
Other notes
The climax was ok, but not amazing.
It's interesting to see a *hero* who must function in nighttime and can't function in sunlight.
We never really do find out what the thousand souls were about. Well, it's a decent macguffin.
It's not specified what happens to morally ambiguous people. I infer God would give them a chance at redemption, but the devil seizes the soul the first chance he gets. But that's just a guess.
Maybe I should read check what the comic does. Though that would almost never make me happier :)
I don't know how good I am at choosing films for other people, but I stand by my choice this time :)
Admittedly, it was a great example of the sort of film I like. But on the Jack Rating Guide.
Humour 8.5/10. It's not primarily humorous but many moments are, a few scenes kept us giggling throughout, and many scenes were wonderful set up to whispered side comments, and crucially not of the intended humour was cringeworthy to watch.
Metaphysics 7.5/10. Four fallen angels hiding in classical elements on earth. A race to acquire ultimate power in the form of a thousand evil souls. A deal with the devil. Nothing particularly special, but it was consistent, interesting, integral to and supported the plot without overwhelming it, was very loosely based on biblical history. The fate of morally ambiguous people is left unspecified, as is the devil's motivations. Also see "portrayal of the devil" below. And the climax followed generally from the laid down principles.
Plot 6/10. It did the job. Almost any other plot with the same fight scenes and metaphysics could have substituted though.
Common sense 7/10. It is not a film based very heavily on real or even consistent physics. However, everything *felt* right, there were no honking plot holes or inconsistencies. And you're not left wondering "how did he know that" or "why is he doing that". The biggest problem was whistling with a hollow skull, but that sort of hid behind the flaming motorbike. Basically, of non-hard-science films, it gets 7/7 as it were. Romcoms have failed at this :)
Being freaking cool. 2.3x106/10. Come on, it's a giant flaming skull, people! None of this pussfooting about dealing with increasingly tougher minions, he's goes from "late for a date" via a flaming motorbike immediately to "pitted face to face with the four major antagonists in a railway yard". He sucks souls out with a look. Spiderman passes with a sigh of wind blah blah blah Johnny Blaze rides a motorbike that makes buildings explode with his passage!
And the bad guys are creepy, ssssss. None of this "one competent guy, two minions, and a random mascot", they're all bad, and hit hard and fast from the get-go, only falling when ghost rider is yet tougher.
Basically, Johnny Blaze is cool, and the villains are cooler, and then the ghost rider is the embodiment of cool (admittedly leaving little room for not being morally suspect). It successfully erects a hierarchy of cool without congestion at the top end (which a lot of films suffer which try to wheel out successively bas-ass-er guys). If it had gone on longer you'd get tired of seeing thugs getting mooshed, but it didn't.
People 6/10. Nothing especially interesting emotionally.
Portraying the devil 8.5/10. I was going to give this a lower rating and then I realised no-one had ever done this well, I couldn't think of any better examples. It's notoriously hard to cast the devil without it looking stupid, but this worked well. He was creepy, and self-possessed, and evil without being in your face about it, or wondering "if he's so bad, why can't he do the job himself", and successfully created the impression of a devil with an agenda, without being too specific and wondering where this schtick is coming from.
Other notes
The climax was ok, but not amazing.
It's interesting to see a *hero* who must function in nighttime and can't function in sunlight.
We never really do find out what the thousand souls were about. Well, it's a decent macguffin.
It's not specified what happens to morally ambiguous people. I infer God would give them a chance at redemption, but the devil seizes the soul the first chance he gets. But that's just a guess.
Maybe I should read check what the comic does. Though that would almost never make me happier :)
I don't know how good I am at choosing films for other people, but I stand by my choice this time :)