Ghost Rider

** - Nicholas Cage improves his appearance considerably by tearing off his flesh and setting his head on fire in this silly adaptation of one of Marvel Comics’ goofier characters. For the first hour or so of the film (and for a few brief periods after that), Cage ineffectively plays pre-demonized human Johnny Blaze for laughs by acting dopey and eating jelly beans out of a martini glass. Once he becomes Ghost Rider, though, he displays a voice that sounds like the Cookie Monster and a rather skewed moral compass when he immediately burns a purse-snatcher to a crisp after declaring him guilty with no trial, defense attorney or even Miranda rights. But as goofy as this movie is, it had enough neat effects and unintentional humor to somewhat hold my interest despite its rather unnecessary over 2-hour length. Eva Mendes, in her portrayal of Mr. Rider’s love interest, adds to the gathering evidence that she is not only highly overrated in the looks department, but is also one of the worst actresses on the planet.