R.I.P.D. (2013)
Certified: 12A
Duration: 96 minutes
Directed by: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, James Hong, Marisa Miller, Devin Ratray
KRS release
Nick (Ryan Reynolds) is a policeman who really wants to live up to the high esteem of his wife Julia (Stephanie Szostak). She is not worried about money or the fact that they cannot afford everything they want. That is why he is having such guilt feelings for having accepted to take part of the gold that he and his partner, Hayes (Kevin Bacon), took during a drug raid.
In another drug-related job, Nick ends up shot dead by Hayes. This leads to Nick being sent off to the afterlife.
Reynolds looks good on screen, but next to Bridges, he stands no chance of standing out
However, when everything about his destination seems to be settled, Nick gets plucked out of his journey and processed into the Rest In Peace Department. This very unusual agency, led by Proctor (Mary-Louise Parker) is made up of members of the law from all times who are given the chance to go back to earth in order to bring to justice evil souls who have eluded the final judgement.
As partner, he gets Roy (Jeff Bridges) who was also betrayed by his partner, but he had been a lawman in the 18th century.
Meanwhile, Hayes is heading a plot that will activate an ancient device that will bring back to earth all the evil dead. He needs an innocent’s blood and Julia seems to be his target.
Meanwhile, Roy and Nick want to stop him and take on human avatars on earth. Thus, while Nick ends up looking like an old Asian man (James Hong), Roy ends up looking like a supermodel (Marissa Miller).
R.I.P.D. is an adaptation of the Dark Horse comic books by Peter M. Lenkov. Tagged as a box-office bomb, the only problem is its $130 million budget price tag when a smaller budget and its outlandish and over-the-top premise and feel would have turned it into the cult hit it deserves to be.
As it stands, the teaming up of fresh-faced Reynolds and grisly Bridges is very strong, in the same manner as Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith light up the screen in Men in Black.
The film’s pacing is helped in no small amount by the action sequences which are entertaining and well handled.
The fact that Bridges is part of the leading cast adds chutzpah to the film, turning it into a delightful B-movie. His Roy is a lawman from another time who is thrown into an outlandish premise. Yet it seems the actor relished the experience and brings genuine emotions and character into this film.
Reynolds looks good on screen but, next to Bridges, he stands no chance of standing out. Parker is a hoot, Bacon delivers a cartoon role, while Miller and Hong are at times hilarious in their role.
The film is propelled forward by the monsters and special effects that envelope the whole movie. All this is coupled with action sequences that are always energetic and kinetic.
The end result is a supernatural action comedy that is delightful to watch and certainly beats the pulp out of all the bad press it had going for it. The hilarious situations that result in the pairing of the two stars is one of the film’s strongest assets. A surprise indeed.