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The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
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Extras:
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Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
82
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 95 minutes
Genre: Action
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: MVC/AVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English/French/Spanish DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, English/Catalan Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Idris Elba, Ciaran Hinds, Vilante Placido, Christopher Lambert, Johnny Whitworth
Directed by: Neveldine/Taylor
Music by: David Sardy
Written by: Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, David S. Goyer
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 12, 2012
"The Rider is back…"
Film Synopsis:
Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in GHOST RIDER™ SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. Still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter, Johnny is hiding out in a remote part of Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy from the devil. At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.
My Take:
Campy or not I didn’t mind the first GR movie and as a Nicolas Cage fan I had to give Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance a shot. Well I did and unfortunately it’s pretty bad. The script is jumbled and weak, the action is fair but over staged and the production elements while decent offer nothing memorable. The narrative attempts to reboot the story but more or less descends into a boring series of encounters that features Cage having a number of acid trip like moments as he battles the dreaded one and his minion while trying to prevent him from taking over the body of a boy. I like Idris Elba and Ciaran Hinds but their talents were sorely wasted here. As for Nicholas Cage, I am still pulling for him and hope that he finds a part that can jump start his career. Unfortunately Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance isn’t it.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
3D Presentation: 74
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures HE featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.4 Mbps.
This film wasn’t shot natively in 3D but was converted in post production for theatrical release. The film utilizes a mix of live action and CGI and the reproduction of the digital effects is quite good. Depth of field onscreen is appreciable as evidenced by separation of objects and/or people layered in the foreground/background. Dimensionality and apparent resolution is rarely questionable regardless of the cameras perspective. Low level sequences appear dynamic with excellent contrast and refined blacks. There is a distinct lack of 3D effects that reach out beyond the screen. While I think that this presentation could have made better use of the 3D platform I don’t think that its implementation especially detracted from it. I didn’t notice any overt instances of crosstalk or other video related anomalies.
The 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix makes regular use of the entire system and delivers near reference quality sound. This is an active soundtrack that features engaging bass response that reinforces the dynamic impact associated with the films action based elements and music. The seamless integration of the front and rear channels creates a stable and well proportioned listening experience that is complimented by palpably rich low frequency effects. Clarity and detail are first rate as I never had any trouble discerning subtle vocal inflections or the presence of low level sounds mixed into the background. I didn’t find the film to be all that great however I enjoyed its lossless audio presentation.
Be sure to check out Lee's Review of the 2D Blu-ray HERE .
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance is the follow up to Ghost Rider and features star Nicholas Cage in his reprisal of the iconic Marvel Comic character. Unfortunately the film suffers from an uninteresting plot, middling action and forgettable characters. It rumbles onto Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in this high definition 3D offering that features excellent video quality but lacks involving 3D effects. On the plus side the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack shakes things up nicely and the bonus material contains exclusive content that offers fans a worthwhile peek behind the curtain. If you’re curious give this a rent otherwise Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance is a pass.
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Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
82
Studio and Year: Sony Pictures - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 95 minutes
Genre: Action
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: MVC/AVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English/French/Spanish DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, English/Catalan Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Idris Elba, Ciaran Hinds, Vilante Placido, Christopher Lambert, Johnny Whitworth
Directed by: Neveldine/Taylor
Music by: David Sardy
Written by: Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman, David S. Goyer
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 12, 2012
"The Rider is back…"
Film Synopsis:
Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze in GHOST RIDER™ SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE. Still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter, Johnny is hiding out in a remote part of Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy from the devil. At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.
My Take:
Campy or not I didn’t mind the first GR movie and as a Nicolas Cage fan I had to give Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance a shot. Well I did and unfortunately it’s pretty bad. The script is jumbled and weak, the action is fair but over staged and the production elements while decent offer nothing memorable. The narrative attempts to reboot the story but more or less descends into a boring series of encounters that features Cage having a number of acid trip like moments as he battles the dreaded one and his minion while trying to prevent him from taking over the body of a boy. I like Idris Elba and Ciaran Hinds but their talents were sorely wasted here. As for Nicholas Cage, I am still pulling for him and hope that he finds a part that can jump start his career. Unfortunately Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance isn’t it.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 90
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
3D Presentation: 74
- Depth (Onscreen):
- Dimension (Beyond the screen):
- Realism:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Color reproduction:
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures HE featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.4 Mbps.
This film wasn’t shot natively in 3D but was converted in post production for theatrical release. The film utilizes a mix of live action and CGI and the reproduction of the digital effects is quite good. Depth of field onscreen is appreciable as evidenced by separation of objects and/or people layered in the foreground/background. Dimensionality and apparent resolution is rarely questionable regardless of the cameras perspective. Low level sequences appear dynamic with excellent contrast and refined blacks. There is a distinct lack of 3D effects that reach out beyond the screen. While I think that this presentation could have made better use of the 3D platform I don’t think that its implementation especially detracted from it. I didn’t notice any overt instances of crosstalk or other video related anomalies.
The 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix makes regular use of the entire system and delivers near reference quality sound. This is an active soundtrack that features engaging bass response that reinforces the dynamic impact associated with the films action based elements and music. The seamless integration of the front and rear channels creates a stable and well proportioned listening experience that is complimented by palpably rich low frequency effects. Clarity and detail are first rate as I never had any trouble discerning subtle vocal inflections or the presence of low level sounds mixed into the background. I didn’t find the film to be all that great however I enjoyed its lossless audio presentation.
Be sure to check out Lee's Review of the 2D Blu-ray HERE .
Bonus Features:
Disc 1:
- 3D Blu-ray – Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance (including the following bonus feature)
- (HD) Riding into another dimension (3D) – 7 minute featurette
Disc 2 :
- 2D Blu-ray – Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance (including the following bonus features)
- Director’s expanded video commentary – In movie experience that provides an audio/video behind the scenes exploration of the film’s production
- (HD) 6 deleted scenes
- (HD) The path to vengeance - Making of Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance (6 featurettes)
- Blazing a new path – 8 minutes
- Patience is not a virtue: Pre-production – 25 minutes
- We will burn this city to bitter ashes – 8 minutes
- To hell and back: Production – 23 minutes
- Walking in both worlds: Post-production – 15 minutes
- The fires of hell will purify you: Release – 8 minutes
Final Thoughts:
Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance is the follow up to Ghost Rider and features star Nicholas Cage in his reprisal of the iconic Marvel Comic character. Unfortunately the film suffers from an uninteresting plot, middling action and forgettable characters. It rumbles onto Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in this high definition 3D offering that features excellent video quality but lacks involving 3D effects. On the plus side the DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack shakes things up nicely and the bonus material contains exclusive content that offers fans a worthwhile peek behind the curtain. If you’re curious give this a rent otherwise Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance is a pass.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
