Ghost Rider
PG-13 For horror violence and disturbing images.
Synopsis
Nicolas Cage stars as Johnny Blaze, a stunt driver who sold his soul to Mephistopheles. The movie was wildly popular and made a ton of money. This is, of course, not a good reason to use a movie for a discussion starter. What is a good reason is that there's a really great scene that is absolutely perfect for a discussion on redemption.
More Than a Movie: Second Chances
SCRIPTURE: John 21:18 The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go.
Set up: Mack is concerned because his friend Johnny Blaze is taking more and more risks in his stunt shows. Johnny asks Mack if he thinks someone should have to pay for mistakes for the rest of their lives.
The Point: Johnny's question is a universal one: If I've really messed up, will I be paying for it forever? While the consequences may be felt for a long time on earth, we can be forgiven from those mistakes in a moment. Discuss how God is a God of second chances, and he'd love to give all of us an opportunity at redemption.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What's the biggest mistake you've ever made? What were the consequences? Explain.
Do you think the "punishment" should fit the "crime"? Why or why not?
Do you think some people pay for their crimes forever, as Johnny said? Why or why not?
When God forgives us, why doesn't he also wipe out all the consequences of our sin?
Does that make the forgiveness any less real? Why or why not?
More Than a Movie: Making ethical choices can be difficult.
Discussion Questions:
What are some of the big ethical battles in the world today?
Why are these choices so difficult?
How do you typically make ethical decisions? Do you typically make the right choice? Explain. What is your biggest personal struggle with making ethical decisions?
Read aloud Romans 1:18-20 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
ASK:
Do these verses sound harsh? Explain.
Do you agree that humanity is "without excuse"? Why or why not?
How has God made his way "plain to them"?
What do these verses have to do with ethics?
Why do people make poor ethical choices if what's right is so clear?
What motivated the poor choices you've made in life?
Do ethics come down to choosing between wickedness and God?
Explain. How would you define ethics in light of these verses?
What is your weakest ethical area?
How can a person work on developing ethical strength?
More Than a Movie: Even our secret actions will be revealed.
Discussion Questions:
Has someone ever exposed one of your secrets in public? If so, what happened?
What makes our secret actions so potentially dangerous?
What are the greatest lengths you've heard of someone going through to hide their actions?
Were they successful in hiding their actions? Why or why not?
Why didn't they simply come clean?
What makes us think we can keep our actions hidden from God?
Why does God care if we hide our actions if he's omniscient and knows what we've done?
Do you have any secret actions you need to reveal? If so, how will you do that?
If not, how can you remain transparent in your actions?
More Than a Movie: Christians must take action and do what's right.
Discussion Questions:
What's some of the "right" out there that needs to be done?
Why don't people do what they know to be right?
When have you not done what you knew was right?
What prevented you from doing what was right?
Can a person follow God without acting upon their faith? Why or why not?
What are some actions Christians need to take? Are you doing these things? Why or why not?
A WORD TO PARENTS
The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action-based horror film. Profanity consists of at least 1 "s" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Varying amounts of cleavage are present, a buff man is seen shirtless, and some brief making out occurs.
Supernatural based violence includes evil characters killing various humans (turning them black, gross and all dried out), while battling others of their like. There are some bloody results, violent scenes, moments of potential peril, and various ghostly and ghastly visuals that might be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to some viewers.
Various characters have bad attitudes, some of the behavior may be enticing for some kids to imitate, and some drinking and smoking occur. Some tense family material (including a parental death) is also present.
BLOOD/GORE
In a flashback, we see a drop of blood hit the ground.
Young Johnny accidentally cuts his finger on the Devil's contract, resulting in a drop of blood falling on the signature line, thus sealing the deal.
When a bar patron or bouncer won't let Blackheart enter a bar, Blackheart puts his finger to the man's chest, causing his face to turn grey to black, with dark veins appearing in his skin that dries up like a mummy (the man dies).
We see a waitress hiding behind the bar. When she peers over it, Blackheart grabs and lifts her by her throat, causing her skin to go all grey, black and veiny before dying. We then see various similar looking dead bodies in the bar from Blackheart's previous but unseen contact with them.
A watery spirit wipes his eye off his wet face, only to have it reform there.
As Johnny turns into Ghost Rider, the skin on his face burns away until he's just a fiery skull.
Roxanne adversely reacts to the sight of a charred arm as an otherwise covered body is carried off.
We see a long and somewhat bloody slice on Johnny's shoulder, and briefly see a close-up view of Caretaker stitching it closed.
We see black and white photos of a charred corpse that's missing its eyes.
Ghost Rider creates a fiery vortex that captures an airy spirit and causes him to burn up and disintegrate.
PROFANITY
At least 1 "s" word, 5 damns, 4 hells, 3 S.O.B.s, 1 ass, 1 crap, 5 uses of "Oh God," 3 of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "Godforsaken," "Jesus" and "Jesus Christ."
SEX/NUDITY
Young Roxanne shows some cleavage.
We see a brief flashback or an imagined view of young Johnny and Roxanne kissing.
Miscellaneous women in a crowd sport cleavage.
When Mack tells Johnny that the latter's place could use a woman's touch, Johnny sarcastically replies that Mack could use a woman's touch.
An old drawing in a book shows what appears to be a nude man, but no view of his crotch area is observed.
Roxanne wears a very tight dress while doing an interview with Johnny. She also sports varying amounts of cleavage (sometimes a lot) in various outfits throughout the film.
Johnny passionately kisses Roxanne and she goes along with that for a moment before pushing him away.
We see a wet Johnny looking quite buff and muscular while shirtless and looking at himself in the mirror.
Roxanne passionately kisses Johnny, but he stops and tells her she should be on her way (for fear of her being harmed by his alter-ego or any of the evil spirits).
SMOKING
Johnny's dad smokes once (and young Johnny takes a pack out of his father's hand while the latter is asleep or passed out), while some miscellaneous people also smoke.
A cop (doing the good cop, bad cop thing) offers Johnny a cigarette. Johnny declines the offer, and the cop starts to light up, but the flame from the lighter goes crazy and he doesn't smoke.
VIOLENCE
Young Johnny's father dies in a motorcycle stunt that goes bad when he wipes out in a ring of fire. We don't see him on fire, but he's a little charred when Johnny rushes up to him, just before he dies.
Young Johnny sees an image of the Devil before him on the road and wipes out. Johnny tries to punch him, but misses as Mephistopheles vanishes and then reappears, putting his hand on Johnny and causing him some fiery pain (parts of Johnny glow from beneath his skin).
During a motorcycle jump, Johnny goes over the handlebars, smacks his head on the front tire and then the ramp, and then slides hard into a wall. Everyone thinks he's dead or badly injured, but due to the spell he's under, he gets up and is okay.
Johnny enjoys watching TV footage of a chimp doing some martial arts impact on a human.
As Johnny zips along as the Ghost Rider, glass breaks in his path, followed by cars and other objects catching on fire, some cars flip over, and a long gash is carved in the road. The sonic blast from his speed also knocks a cop off his motorcycle.
Johnny crashes off his bike, slides along the road and catches on fire (while becoming Ghost Rider).
A spirit knocks Ghost Rider back into a chain from which he briefly hangs. A watery spirit then grabs his foot from a puddle and another spirit drives a large truck into Ghost Rider, smashing him into something (presumably killing him). But Ghost Rider is alive, punches one spirit back, and then hits him with a long burning chain (that wraps around the spirit, causing him to burn up and turn to ash that then crumbles away).
Ghost Rider comes across a thug holding a knife to a woman's throat. His presence allows the woman to escape and Ghost Rider then picks the guy up. He tries stabbing Ghost Rider in the back, but when he pulls out the blade, it's melted. Ghost Rider then has the thug look into his eyes and see all of the crimes he's committed. We then see fiery images of those crimes (none in full), including some roughing up of victims, him firing a handgun, etc. That man's eyes are then all fiery (looking like a lava field).
Ghost Rider transitions back into Johnny, causing him some pain as his flesh reforms on his face, etc.
Cops aim handguns and shotguns at Johnny while arresting him.
A cop shoves Johnny into a holding cell with various criminals. One punches Johnny in the gut and he and another thug then throw Johnny across the room (with the first punching another guy there who tries to intervene). They and other inmates then start to beat Johnny on the floor, but he turns into Ghost Rider and a fiery blast knocks those inmates backwards. Ghost Rider then kills the first and the rest appear to be dead or unconscious. Ghost Rider then melts the cell bars to exit, followed by one cop hitting Ghost Rider on the head with his nightstick, dislodging Ghost Rider's lower jaw. Ghost Rider realigns that, but doesn't harm the cop.
Cops aim handguns and automatic weapons at Ghost Rider who escapes under a river.
An airy spirit knocks Ghost Rider back into a windshield.
Ghost Rider uses a chain to grab a helicopter's landing rail. He then pulls the chopper toward him, warns the pilot, and then swings the chopper away (it and the pilot are okay).
Police fire handguns and machine guns into Ghost Rider, but that doesn't do him any harm. As he rides off, he blasts between several police cars, knocking them aside.
Blackheart slams Johnny back to a wall, and Johnny (as Ghost Rider) then does the reverse. Blackheart then grabs Ghost Rider by the neck and smashes him down to the floor.
As two ghost riders zip by, a lizard is incinerated down to its skeleton.
As Johnny slowly rides through a swamp, a watery spirit suddenly grabs him from out of the water into which it then pulls him. The two struggle underwater, with the spirit choking him until he turns into Ghost Rider and then burns that spirit to death under the water.
Blackheart throws Roxanne to a wall. Ghost Rider then hits Blackheart several times, but Blackheart knocks him back. Ghost Rider throws several fireballs into Blackheart, causing him pain. Ghost Rider then tries hitting Blackheart with his whip-like chain, but Blackheart catches the chain and then yanks it, sending Ghost Rider crashing into some stone structure.
Johnny repeatedly shoots Blackheart with a shotgun, but Blackheart then blasts him a long way back through a set of tall doors. He then lifts Johnny off the ground by his neck, but Roxanne shoots Blackheart twice. The last shot blasts off Blackheart's head, but it then regenerates. Ghost Rider then turns the shotgun into some sort of fireball weapon and he uses it to blast Blackheart several times (disintegrating him). A ghostly spirit climbs along a wall and then down into a blob that eventually turns back into Blackheart. Ghost Rider then grabs Blackheart and burns the various souls inside him, presumably killing him.
