The answer is, yes.
It's never easy, is it?
I think this one had a better, if a bit standard story. Nic Cage makes a better Johnny Blaze than you would expect. But at the same time, holy crap, they did NOT hire the more subtle Cage variant this time out!
This was a more serious tone. No, really. It didn't have those silly wacky touches of the first one that really set me off, like the eightball, and jelly beans, and stuff like that. But then it had Cage being...Cage. In all his Cagey glory.
But the story was decent, and when Cage wasn't being crazy, the movie was actually pretty solid. A person's enjoyment of this movie is going to hinge entirely on your tolerance for over the top acting. Mine is, quite high. ;)
And while this movie had problems, it did have the AWESOMEST SCENE EVER.
No, not THAT scene, you who have seen it.
The other one. The giant crane earthmover drill thingy. I know not my construction and excavation equipment. But when Ghost Rider hopped in that sucker and it caught fire? OH MY GOD AWESOME.
So, a mixed bag, but with some definite fun stuff, and if you can handle about ten minutes of wackiness, good enough for a guilty pleasure. The acting on Zarathos was actually a standout too. The effects were maybe a bit understated than I would like, but the acting was good, the movement. They got a lot in there for something that almost never talked.
Definitely a rental for a rainy day.
J
