Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (6/12/12)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, and language.

Starring Nicolas Cage, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba and Christopher Lambert

Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank & Gamer)

Worst Nicolas Cage movie ever…and I’ve seen The Wicker Man.

Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. In this completely unnecessary new vision for the character, directed by Neveldine/Taylor, Johnny is still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter – but he may risk everything as he teams up with the leader of a group of rebel monks (Idris Elba) to save a young boy from the devil… and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

There are only a handful of times that I left a theater genuinely angry. Not angry because a certain political agenda had been preached or a social injustice was exposed…but because a movie was just plain awful. Well needless to say, I left Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance really, really angry!

Ghost Rider is a pretty decent character, but Nicolas Cage and Directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor completely ruin the whole thing. Instead of being fierce and intimidating, he’s corny and campy. The effects are weak and the story line is a complete mess. Not to mention B-movie king Christopher Lambert makes an appearance…add it all up to total cheese and a total “coaster.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
No one should see this movie…no one should have made this movie!!

But since they did, here’s what you need to know. There is no sex or nudity, but there is plenty of violence. There are a lot of car chases, fight scenes and of course Nicholas Cage’s head lighting on fire. There are also several disturbing scenes that depict characters decaying and burning.

As far as profanity goes, there is 1 F-word and several other mild obscenities.

One thing to be mindful of is that a majority of the plot deals with making deals with the Devil.

Conversation Starter

Note to Parent/Leader: This is in no way meant to be an exhaustive study on Satan. It is hopefully an effective tool to open the conversation about who the Devil is and what his mission is. Satan is very real and should not be taken lightly, please spend some time in prayer before having this conversation.
1. In the movie Johnny Blaze makes a deal with the Devil. What do we know about him from the movie?


2. What does the Bible say about him?
   
   
   • Ezekiel 28:14 – identifies Satan as an angel.
   • Matthew 6:13 – calls him the Evil One.
   • Matthew 4:1-11 – Satan. This name is found over fifty times in the Scriptures, and means adversary. Because he is The Evil One, he is the adversary of God, His ways, His works and His people, and indeed, of all people.


3. What does the Bible say about his mission?
   
   Thief – John 10:10

   A Roaring Lion – 1 Peter 5:8

   
   
4. What does the Bible say about how he achieves his goals?
   
   
   • The Tempter. Found in Matthew 4:3 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5, this designation shows Satan as the one who entices people to sin. Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
   
   
   • The Deceiver. This designation is found in Revelation 12:9, in which Satan is called, the deceiver of the whole world, showing him as the one who, by deception, deceives the great mass of humanity into rejecting God and His ways. As often as he is able he even deceives believers into rejecting God’s good counsel, which is why Ephesians 6:11 exhorts us to stand against the wiles of the devil.
   
   
   • The Angel of Light. Found in 2 Corinthians 11:14, this designation shows that Satan carries out the work of deception by offering appealing counterfeits of true moral and spiritual understanding, of which this cosmos abounds in its legion of false religions, philosophies, beliefs and opinions.
   
   
   • The Devil. Devil means accuser or slanderer, and declares the chief way he seeks to cause division between God and His people, and between God’s people. It is used only in the New Testament, and is found there thirty-five times.
   
   
   • The Accuser of the Brethren. Revelation 12:10 designates Satan as the accuser of believers. Job 1:9-11 and 2:5 show him in action, accusing righteous Job to God’s face.
   
   
5. So how do we protect ourselves?

   Well James 4:7 tells us to humble ourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee. And Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us to put on the Whole Armor of God

   
   “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”