Reviews

Yes, there were a few goofs throughout (including the 360' jump billed as 300', a couple of minor continuity errors, etc) but Marvel has come shining through brilliantly yet again! Some of Ghost Rider's early lines were a bit cheesy (almost sub-neandertal), yes, but acceptable when you consider the context; early on, it was primal force of the The Ghost Rider in control rather than Johnny Blaze.

Peter Fonda was another excellent choice, even if for no other reason than his numerous lead roles in biker films. In retrospect, Ghost Rider would have been a disappointment without the original 'Easy Rider'.

I had one very demanding and slightly unusual expectation going into this movie: As a fan of both the Golden-Age and Silver-Age incarnations of The Ghost Rider, I was extremely critical of their handling of them both. Sam Elliot was nothing short of spectacular in his portrayal of the original (Golden-Age) Ghost Rider and the 'passing of the torch' scene (no pun intended) brought tears to my eyes.

One minor disappointment was the absence of Stan Lee, who has habitually made cameo appearances in most of the recent Marvel movies. It's possible he was there and I missed him, but still...

I doubt that I've actually given away anything crucial in the following commentary, but I've noted it as a "spoiler" just to be on the safe side.

GONE in SIXTY SECONDS:

I've read quite a number of comments from people who, like Kip Raines (Giovanni Ribisi), miss the point entirely. The story that Jerry Bruckheimer promises (as is extremely obvious by the opening credits alone) is about family. Look very closely at not only the photos, but also the surrounding props during the opening credits.

The film is less "pure action" than some of Bruckheimer's other films, with more focus on character development and, most importantly, /WHY/ the characters behave as they do. This makes for a much deeper film experience than one would normally expect from his films.

Randall "Memphis" Raines (Nicolas Cage) is possibly the greatest car thief ever to haunt Long Beach; auto theft in the area dropped by 47% when he 'retired'. When Kip blows a major boost while trying to fill his older brother's shoes, only "Memphis" can bail him out. Even then, he /can't/ do it until their mother (Grace Zabriskie) releases him from a years-old promise to never steal cars again.

Some beautifully exotic cars are stolen (including my personal fave; a 71 DeTomaso Pantera). $200,000 is at stake as payoff for the delivery. "Old school" melds with "new school", closing the gap as differing generations of car thieves unite in a common cause...

But the story... The HEART of what ties it all together is family. Not merely those related by blood, but by bonds of love and friendship. Brothers in arms, united once more.

Such as his old flame Sway (Angelina Jolie), his mentor Otto (Robert Duvall), and his closest pals Atley (Will Patton), Astricky (Chi McBride), and Sphinx (Vinnie Jones), each of whom who felt "put out" to varying degrees by his disappearance from their lives years earlier.

Keep this one aspect in mind as you watch 'Gone in Sixty Seconds', whether for the first time or the thousandth time, and I will guarantee you will enjoy the movie even more. You'll be hoarse from cheering on "the bad guys", and some scenes will bring tears to the eyes of the hardest "tough guy". Buckle up and brace yourself for an emotional roller-coaster even wilder than the climactic chase scene.