The movie R.I.P.D is based on the comic of the same name. Not having read the book, I thought the premise was interesting and the movie might do a decent job of conveying it. Boy was I wrong. It wasn’t a bad movie, but it was extremely bland. There were a few moments of humor and some decent special effects, but overall it was a thoroughly predictable action movie that left me wanting to leave. Let’s check out what went wrong (spoilers inside).
The basic premise is that Nick Walker(Ryan Reynolds) is a dirty cop, but he’s not really dirty. He just wanted some money for his wife, then immediately regretted it. Bobby Hayes(Kevin Bacon) is a dirty cop and he’s really dirty. After a conflict about what to do with the “mislaid” goods, Hayes shoots Walker in the face. Walker is then given an opportunity to spend 100 years in the R.I.P.D. A division of the afterlife that tracks down rogue ghosts. His partner is Roy Pulsipher (Jeff Bridges) a Wild West lawman who likes to do things his way. Mary-Louise Parker was their oss Mildred Proctor. The rogue ghosts try to hide in as humans, but they have a stench that rots things (and electronics) around them. The R.I.P.D. confirms they are ghosts by reading strange questions while eating Indian food. It turns out that Hayes is in the middle of some ghostly misdeeds that could destroy the world as we know it because *SPOILERS* Hayes is a ghost who used some tricks to cover his ghostly stench. We have all the hallmarks of a police buddy movie (new guy partners with the rough veteran who does things his way, boss suspends out team for going too far, our heroes have to save the day) and it is way too predictable.
The problems I had with the movie. First casting Kevin Bacon as Walker’s partner was a dead giveaway. The movie isn’t going to cast a big name like Bacon to play a 5 minute role, so it was obvious from the beginning that he was involved in the major plot even after Walker dies. Second, it was too formulaic. You knew what was going to happen before it happened because you’ve seen it 50 times before. It was too schizophrenic. Jeff Bridges was playing his part as if he was in a comedy, Ryan Reynolds was acting in a thriller and Parker and Bacon were hamming it up for the camera. There was no consistency and it wasn’t interesting enough or funny enough to make it worth watching.
Not recommended. Boring, don’t watch. Although I might check out the comic to see if it’s done any better.