Not M.I.B.
The Lowdown: Based on a Dark Horse graphic novel, R.I.P.D.is a big-budget sci-fi action blockbuster that doesn’t live up to its high-concept premise. This isn’t to say that it’s terrible, but most of the elements in the film feel like they could have used more work. From questionable CGI to clumsy editing to stale screenwriting, R.I.P.D. is definitely messy. Fortunately, the film features Jeff Bridges (True Grit, Crazy Heart, The Big Lebowski) hilariously hamming it up in the best way possible, and that makes the film a passable experience.1. The Plot: Nick (Ryan Reynolds) is a cop who, along with his dirty partner Hayes (Kevin Bacon), has stolen gold from a crime scene with the intent to sell it and make some money to support himself and his loving wife, Julia (Stephanie Szostak). However, Nick can’t bring himself to do something shady like that, so he backs out of the deal. Hayes isn’t happy with this decision, so during a chaotic raid, he shoots and kills Nick. Once Nick is killed, he finds himself transported to the office of Proctor (Mary-Louise Parker), who informs him that he can either spend eternity in the afterlife, or become a member of the R.I.P.D. (Rest in Peace Department) and help to clean up the streets of the mortal world. Apparently, only the most righteous members of law enforcement who ever lived and died before their time have the opportunity to join the R.I.P.D. Nick agrees and is partnered up with badass, grumpy lawman Roysephus Pulsipher (Jeff Bridges). Naturally, the two don’t get along.When out on the streets of Boston, it is up to them to hunt down and kill or arrest Deados, which are grotesque, gruesome, undead monsters that escaped the afterlife and cause the decay of the mortal world, or something like that. In fact, a deadly plan being hatched by a group of Deados may spell out the apocalypse. Will Nick and Roy be able to settle their differences in order to prevent the extinction of the human race?
2. The Characters: Ryan Reynolds (Buried, The Green Lantern) is Nick, and he isn’t much different from other roles that Reynolds has played in the past. His performance is good, but his character doesn’t give him a lot to work with. However, Nick may very well be the most human character; scenes with him and his wife are the closest this film gets to human drama. While Reynolds does a decent job, he is clearly upstaged by Jeff Bridges, who hams it up as Rooster Cogburn clone, Roysephus Pulsipher. Aside from having the most awesome name ever, Roy is a rambunctious, takes-no-bullshit kind of law officer. His lack of subtlety is what makes him entertaining to watch. Bridges is a talented actor with a tremendous screen presence, and while he cribs heavily from his role in True Grit, there is a comic charm present. If it wasn’t for the film’s awkward comic timing, his quirks and interactions with other characters would be more humorous. Also a scene-stealer is Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds, Red), who plays the sardonic Proctor. Every scene that she is in is elevated by her droll sense of humor. Even the film’s poor editing doesn’t hurt her comic timing. It’s just a shame that she is in so little of the film. Kevin Bacon is Hayes, Nick’s shady, backstabbing partner. Bacon is an actor who can always be relied on to play a snaky character, and Hayes is about as one-dimensionally evil as they come. Sadly, it feels like Bacon is phoning this one in.
3. The Editing: Probably the main reason why R.I.P.D. failed is because of its editing. The editing in the film is clumsy and awkward, and this affects the flow of the film. Even though the film is only 96 minutes, it feels longer because the pacing is inconsistent. One minute, the action and plot are moving fast, and the next minute, stretches of dialog go on for far too long. The editors also don’t seem to have a knack for comedic timing. Many of the jokes and gags in this film fall flat because the timing is all off. For a film that hinges largely on the humorous interactions between the two main characters, it is a shame that so many jokes are rendered unfunny and cringe-inducing because the character interactions are so awkwardly edited. Good buddy cop films such as Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop work are constantly funny because the characters know how to play off one another. In R.I.P.D., many of the character interactions are manufactured through editing, and crack comic timing usually doesn’t work that way. Occasionally, gags work, such as the running gag where Nick and Roy don’t appear as themselves when out on the streets; instead, Nick appears as an old Chinese man (James Hong) and Roy appears as a sexy, blonde supermodel (Marisa Miller). However, these gags are few and far between.
They make a lovely couple.
4. The CGI: R.I.P.D. cost $130 million to make, and with that, one would expect decent CGI. It’s not as if films based on graphic novels haven’t had excellent visuals in the past (see: Watchmen, The Avengers, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World). However, R.I.P.D.just doesn’t have good CGI. The Deados are gruesome and grotesque, but unbelievably fake-looking and shoddily rendered. Dust and cloud effects don’t fare much better. Action sequences often involve huge balls of dust and debris all over the screen, as if to cover up the weaker CGI elements. This kind of takes the audience out of the film.
If only the film looked this good.
The Bottom Line: R.I.P.D. is an incredibly average film, which is disappointing because it has so much potential to be a better one. A bland screenplay and shoddy editing and CGI lay waste to a perfectly good premise. Fortunately, performances in the film are above average, and are pretty much the only strong point to the film. An over-the-top Jeff Bridges pretty much steals the show, and he is always a joy to watch. However, even he can’t save this film from being merely passable. Really, it may be better to wait for a rental.R.I.P.D.is property of Universal Pictures, Original Film, and Dark Horse Entertainment. This review was written by me.
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