Marvel has had many successful franchises over the years but one that was quickly extinguished was the Ghost Rider line of movies starring Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze. The first film was released in 2007 and made enough money to greenlight a strange sequel/reboot called Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, which came out five years later.
Both films were not received all that well by fans on release but they weren't total disasters as they made money at the box office. There was some fun to be had in both movies for entirely different reasons that manage to bring some fans back every now and then.
10 Ghost Rider: Had A Terrific Soundtrack
While the score in the second movie is not bad, it is just typical action movie music that is quickly forgotten once the credits roll, except for maybe Ghost Rider's main overture. Meanwhile, the first movie not only makes great use of classic rock songs but the original score by Christopher Young is very diverse and rich.
The film offers a mix of Western music, dark epic orchestras like something out of a Dracula movie, a fusion of rock and symphony, and more. Just the music that plays when Johnny first transforms into Ghost Rider is enough to send chills down one's spine.
9 Spirit Of Vengeance: Had The Best Action Sequences
The common praise for both films is that when Ghost Rider finally appears on the screen and does his business, it is pure carnage candy that is so sweet and delicious. However, Spirit Of Vengeance takes this to the next level by not only having more action scenes but adding more flair to fights.
In nearly every battle and chase scene, Ghost Rider transforms something to suit his needs. Combined with his more brutal kills in this movie, it's difficult to watch and not grow a smile. Not many movies have construction vehicles turn into giant fiery chainsaws while the hero lets out a demonic giggle.
8 Ghost Rider: Was A Better Directed Movie
While it may have been a more boring movie due to the non-Ghost Rider segments feeling drawn out, at least the original Ghost Rider looked and flowed nicely. The sequel was directed by Mark Neveldine, who made Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in the same way he made the Crank movies: Super high framerate, shaky, and so fast-paced that it's impossible to breathe.
The first movie is far from perfect but at least it looked smooth and felt more like a big-budget blockbuster from the likes of Marvel Studios. There are some gorgeous shots such as seeing the two Ghost Riders ride through the desert or when Johnny goes up and down the skyscraper. The first movie also features superior transformation scenes.
7 Spirit Of Vengeance: Had Awesome One-Liners
Most people view the cheesy one-liners as a thing of the past but it is a lost art that can still be pulled off even today. James Bond has plenty of good ones in newer films, even the king of one-liners Arnold Schwarzenegger still dishes out some memorable ones.
The first film had some decent one-liners but the sequel easily beats it with some absolute gems that fit the crazy and over the top tone that comes with the Rider in the movie. The best ones are when Ghost Rider defeats both Blackout and Mephisto, especially since the sequel gave Nicholas Cage a much better Rider voice and demonic personality than in the original.
6 Ghost Rider: Had A Way Better Hellcycle
Even though Ghost Rider does more transformations of vehicles throughout the sequel, his iconic motorcycle more or less looks the same in its hellfire form except for the burns and the flames. Even on its own, it was a pretty basic motorcycle overall.
In the first movie, however, not only does the Panhead Chopper look great before the transformation, the Hellcycle form is jaw-droppingly well designed to the point of becoming a piece of art.
5 Spirit Of Vengeance: Had Superior Villains
While both movies' villains are far from top-tier, the sequel's villains were at least an actual threat to Ghost Rider. In the first film, the elemental demons are all disposed within seconds after a fight begins, which makes all the build-up feel like a waste, and then Blackheart is just a poor man's version of Deacon Frost from Blade.
In the sequel, Mephisto and Blackout actually create problems for Ghost Rider while providing somewhat memorable performances, specifically Ciaran Hinds as Roarke/Mephisto.
4 Ghost Rider: Had The Better Supporting Cast
Though Mephisto was a better villain in the sequel, Peter Fonda was still a standout as the character in the first movie. Furthermore, Sam Elliot was as charming and likable as ever as Carter Slade, Eva Mendes was decent as Roxanne, and Donal Logue was funny as Johnny's friend Mac.
The sequel's supporting cast was as forgettable as can be; how does a movie manage to make Idris Elba boring? The only slightly memorable character was the young boy, Danny, but he was essentially a plot device that Johnny had to protect.
3 Spirit Of Vengeance: Was Completely Insane In The Best Way Possible
The biggest problem with the first film was that everything that did not feature Ghost Rider was kind of boring. This is something the sequel manages to avoid in the most bizarre ways possible by using Nicolas Cage's amazingly eccentric style.
Nicolas Cage is known for his bizarre style of acting already so they decided to implement that into Johnny Blaze's character. In the sequel, Ghost Rider is so hungry for souls that Johnny is constantly screaming like a madman. Both Blaze and the Rider sides of the character are so delightfully insane that it's impossible to not enjoy him.
2 Ghost Rider: Featured Better Locations
Whether it's the city or the town of San Venganza or even Johnny Blaze's apartment, every location seen throughout the first movie was more visually appealing to the eyes than those found in the sequel. There was some nice atmosphere, beautiful colors, and a sense of scope that matched a Marvel movie.
On the other hand, everything in the sequel is brown and grey, with most of the color in the movie coming from Ghost Rider's flames. It's either desert, rocks, mountains, or rocky mountains in the desert thus making everything look the same and completely stale.
1 Spirit Of Vengeance: Had The Better Ghost Rider
While the first movie does an adequate job and has better transformations, the CGI for Ghost Rider has become quite dated since 2007. Conversely, the sequel boasts some impressive visuals for the character. The burnt skull aesthetic is impressive, the melting leather on his jacket is a great detail, and the fire effects are more realistic than in the original.
The sequel also wrote the character closer to the comics, as the Rider is not just a transformed Johnny, but one that is possessed by a spirit that wants to punish evil. Also, Nicolas Cage does a much better job with the motion capture in the sequel, getting the creepy and demonic movements of the character pretty well.