History Film / GhostRider

* DeepSouth: The film is primarily set in Texas, and appropriately enough, Johnny and the Caretaker have thick Texan accents.

!!This film has the examples of:

* LargeHam: Nicolas Cage.

** "[[MortalKombat GET OVER HERE!]]"

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: It's no coincidence that Raquel Alessi got cast as a young EvaMendes. She more than looks the part.

* GoodIsDumb: Inverted, bigtime. TWICE.
** Blackheart - [[NiceJobFixingItVillain Way to set yourself up with a fatal weakness]]:
--->'''Ghost Rider:''' Look into my eyes.
--->'''Blackheart:''' [screams, wails, then laughs] Your Penance Stare won't work on me. I have no soul to burn.
--->'''Johnny Blaze:''' [after Blackheart has assumed the souls of San Venganza] How does it feel to have all that evil inside of you? All their power?
--->'''Ghost Rider:''' All their souls? A thousand souls to burn. '''''[[HoistByHisOwnPetard LOOK INTO MY EYES.]]'''''
** Really, Mephistopheles -- you kill the guy's father, force him to abandon his LoveInterest, and then make Johnny [[StoodUp stand her up]] when he reunites with her, and you're ''surprised'' that Johnny can control the power of the Ghost Rider, doesn't have to give it back after fulfilling the terms of the contract, and has sworn to fight your evil influence wherever he finds it?

Despite the critical consensus, the film managed to do well at the box office. A not-quite-sequel/not-quite-reboot was released in 2012, subtitled ''[[Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance Spirit of Vengeance]]'', which featured Creator/IdrisElba in a supporting role and was helmed by Neveldine/Taylor, the guys behind the ''Film/{{Crank}}'' films and ''Film/{{Gamer}}''.

* BullyingADragon: The prisoners should have realized that picking a fight with the Ghost Rider while he's in jail cell is a bad idea.

* GenreSavvy: Johnny recognizes GoodCopBadCop when he sees it.

* MagicAIsMagicA: The 'At night in the presence of evil' rule for Johnny's transformation is adhered to begin with, and the fact he can't transform while in direct sunlight is made a critical part of the final battle. However, Johnny and the gravekeeper transform despite the fact that there's no evil around, basically [[RuleOfCool so we can see two Ghost Riders riding together]]. Later, Johnny rides through a swamp, at night, with a demon nearby and doesn't transform until it's [[RuleOfDrama dramatically appropriate]]. In the final moments of the film Johnny [[RuleOfCool rides into the camera and transforms]] despite the fact that it's dusk and he's not near any evil beings. [[FridgeBrilliance Though the latter one may be due to him now being free of his contract.]] Much earlier in the film, Johnny is shown trying to take control of the forces possessing him and has some success.

Despite the critical consensus, the film managed to do well at the box office. A not-quite-sequel/not-quite-reboot was released in 2012, subtitled ''[[Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance Spirit of Vengeance]]'', which featured Creator/IdrisElba in a supporting role and was helmed by Neveldine/Taylor, the guys behind the ''Film/{{Crank}}'' films and ''{{Gamer}}''.

* CompositeCharacter:

* DealWithTheDevil:

* DramaticFingerPointing

* VariableLengthChain

* VoiceOfTheLegion

** The main plot item the contract of San Venganza, was the result of basically [[WretchedHive an entire crapsack city]] making deals with the Devil.

[[AgeCut Fifteen or twenty years later]], we join Johnny ( Creator/NicolasCage) on the road. He's now a world-famous stunt cyclist, and repeating the SurvivalMantra "you can't live in fear", knowing the Devil hasn't come for him yet, but he keeps living through the increasingly insane stunts he does.

* PromotedFanboy: Nicolas Cage is a huge Comicbook/GhostRider [[OneOfUs and comic book fanboy]], who has wanted to play Ghost Rider since he got into acting. He actually has the Rider tattooed on one arm; they had to cover the tat so he could portray the role.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The novelization ended with an explanation of how Johnny Blaze got off the murder charges, having "some hotshot New York lawyer" make a mockery of the prosecutor's case. Said lawyer was supposed to be [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Matt Murdock]]. Which is almost certainly a ShoutOut to the original Ghost rider concept. He was intended to be a Daredevil villain, but it was just too good of an idea.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The novelization ended with an explanation of how Johnny Blaze got off the murder charges, having "some hotshot New York lawyer" make a mockery of the prosecutor's case. Said lawyer was supposed to be [[{{Daredevil}} Matt Murdock]]. Which is almost certainly a ShoutOut to the original Ghost rider concept. He was intended to be a Daredevil villain, but it was just too good of an idea.

[[AgeCut Fifteen or twenty years later]], we join Johnny (now portrayed as an adult by Creator/NicolasCage) on the road. He's now a world-famous stunt cyclist, and repeating the SurvivalMantra "you can't live in fear", knowing the Devil hasn't come for him yet, but he keeps living through the increasingly insane stunts he does.

Meanwhile, Blackheart, son of the devil, shows up and has decided it's time for the old man to step aside for a new Lord of Hell. He summons [[QuirkyMinibossSquad three elemental demons]] to serve him, promising that if they help him defeat the Devil, he'll give them nobility in Hell.

* InstantExpert: It looks that way, but Johnny knew the Devil would be coming for him from his teens, and has spent the intervening years reading a lot of metaphysical and paranormal books to prepare himself for what he'd become when the Devil called in the marker.