Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ciarán Hinds, Idris Elba
Time Out rating:

Anyone could have made a Ghost Rider sequel; only taste-destroyers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor would think to include Johnny Blaze’s fiery piss streams. Alas, unlike the duo’s Crank films – also about a hero on the verge of explosion – Spirit of Vengeance lacks a solid gimmick to unify their transgressive gambits. Once Idris Elba shows up and starts spouting theology, the movie flatlines, yet there’s still enough craziness here, whether it’s Cage’s line readings or a montage linking the devil to Jerry Springer, to suggest that resuscitating a franchise requires sending it up in flames.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance opens nationwide on February 8