Ghost Rider’s Failure is More Evidence of Cage’s Shortcomings
Sadly, it remains to be seen whether Nicolas Cage can turn his life and career around. He used to receive rave reviews for his performances in various films. Now he is typically lambasted by fans and critics alike.
Recently, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” opened to a more than disappointing $22.1 million that was less than half the first film’s opening weekend sum. Various factors contributed to such a weak performance, and that includes a weak story, poor technical aspects, and even Nicolas Cage himself. We might never witness another big opening for the actor. On top of that, Ghost Rider might never appear in another film – at least for a while.
Another Poor Film With Low Grosses
The film definitely holds a numerous amount of flaws that can be blamed on multiple individuals other than Cage. Of course, weak visuals and poor direction are partially to blame for the ire against this sequel. Advance reviews for the film immediately painted it as a less than watchable piece of work on other grounds too. Five years between the original “Ghost Rider” and”Spirit of Vengeance” did not help at all either.
Issues With Cage Himself
Perhaps the film was doomed long before it released though. The countdown to disappointment more than likely started as soon as Cage became the lead actor for the original movie. Unfortunately, his stock as an actor has dropped considerably in recent years. That is the end product of poor roles, over-the-top acting, and personal problems that are all too recent and in the public eye.
Audiences have been reluctant to view Cage’s films for the last few years. Many of these movies have been a bit on the strange side when it comes to plot or topic. Plus, his acting has lacked flair at times or simply been too outlandish other times. Without a doubt, his personal problems also reflect his declining popularity and clout at the box office. Seeing him in the headlines these days usually means that something is going wrong rather than right.
Can This Trend Be Reversed?
Sadly, it remains to be seen whether Nicolas Cage can turn his life and career around. He used to receive rave reviews for his performances in various films. Now he is typically lambasted by fans and critics alike.
At some point, directors and studios are going to stop offering him top billing and roles for various films. From there, that could be the end of his acting career. There is a small shot he could turn everything around by returning to more traditional roles and by giving powerful performances worthy of praise.
Too bad really. He definitely peaked by Leaving Las Vegas. Now it seems he’s just in it to pay off bad gambling debts. Poor guy. If only he could play somebody besides himself.