CliqueClackR.I.P.D. tries to be a paranormal Men in Black, but falls a little short of its goal
‘R.I.P.D.’ has all the makings of a summer blockbuster hit with cool effects, a phenomenal cast and a unique concept, but how does it measure up?
Universal Pictures’ R.I.P.D. has all the makings of a summer blockbuster hit. It has pretty impressive special effects and action sequences, an interesting storyline that sets it up as a sort of paranormal version of Men in Black and it stars the phenomenally talented Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon and Mary-Louise Parker. And yet, it still left something to be a little desired in my humble opinion.
R.I.P.D. is the story of murdered cop Nick Walker (Reynolds), who is given the choice between either taking his chances at “Judgment Day” or joining the Rest in Peace Department, which is pretty much what it sounds like: an assembly of the finest law enforcement officers now in the afterlife who are tasked with keeping the dead at peace. Apparently, if you decide to remain on Earth long after your expiration date, you don’t turn into a restless spirit with rattling chains and wispy-like qualities, as we have been popularly led to believe. Rather, you become a grotesque ogre-like creature with a penchant for destruction and mischievous mayhem. There are ways to hide this about yourself for a while should you choose to, but for some reason, the spice cumin will always bring your inner rotting self to light.
When you think about the fact that approximately 150,000 people die on any given day, that quickly adds up to a lot of wandering “deados” on Earth that were meant to move on peacefully into the afterlife. The R.I.P.D. really has a tough job of maintaining the peace between the dead and the living. It’s no wonder they immediately recruited Nick, and luckily for him, they couldn’t have paired him with anyone better than Jeff Bridges’ veteran 1800s Western sheriff Roycephus “Roy” Pulsifer to show him the ropes.
First of all, let me just say that I adore Jeff Bridges. There will always be an inner cool to him no matter what character he portrays on screen. After all, the dude still abides. This character also possessed that inner cool – you could just picture him gun-slinging it up with the best of them outside a saloon back in the wild, wild West. He also brought a nice element of humor to his role, always fussing about his hat and women’s ankles. However, the accent and character felt like a paler version of his performance in True Grit.
I also adore Kevin Bacon, especially when he portrays a bad guy. He is so interesting to watch because he is capable of such emotional depth and range. I am also a big fan of Ryan Reynolds because he is always a wisecracking smartass and I just about always love him for that. What I don’t understand is how all of these truly talented people didn’t come together better as a cohesive unit for me.
I’m not sure what this movie needed exactly. Perhaps I needed more insight into the characters’ backstories. Sure, we know some things about them and how they each died, but I wanted to know more. I wanted to gain a better understanding of what made each character tick. I wanted to know more about the department itself, who formed it and how. I wanted to know more about the portal between the worlds and how it worked. It felt like they whetted my curiosity but never quite took me all the way there. The plot and storyline felt a little rushed to me.
I also didn’t like the way the world was so calm and accepting about these grotesque creatures running around in broad daylight. Sure, the newscasters were on the scene to present the public with the facts, but none of them really seemed like this was anything out of the ordinary. Has our society really become so desensitized that we wouldn’t panic about something like this? I surely hope not!
But enough about my gripes … I will now focus on a few of the things I did enjoy. First, there is something about watching someone watch their own funeral unfold that always really messes with my emotions and makes me think. I can’t imagine how surreal that would seem, and I was happy they added that scene for Nick’s character to gain some closure. Secondly, I loved the fact that we got the occasional glimpse of how the world viewed Reynolds and Bridges in their “new bodies.” A really hot supermodel and an old Chinese man in a Gilligan’s hat … that was pretty priceless.
Third, the bond between the fallen cop and his wife really touched my heart because I’m a huge sap. Fourth, I thought the partnership of Nick and Roy was a nice give-and-take. You never really knew who was going to guide them on the right path – it was nice to see the “rookie” calling so many of the shots.
In summation, I thought this movie was good, but it could have been better. If you’re looking for a movie that is a fun, action-packed ride without much characterization or depth, then I’d recommend seeing it in the theater. Otherwise, although it truly pains me to say it, I’d probably honestly wait.
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