R.I.P.D. dead on arrival
It isn’t that R.I.P.D. is a bad film, and if I am starting a review off like this, it may be that R.I.P.D. really is a bad film. For the most part, the problems with the film include its really slow pacing, as if the shambling dead were in charge of the plot line and editing. It lacks of any real stakes – yes, there’s this whole apocalypse thing, but since everyone is dead and/or evil, and it is clear exactly what is going happen, i.e. not the apocalypse, there isn’t any sense of tension. (The entire film is so obvious that I am pretty sure that I don’t need to give you a spoiler alert.)
Of course, it also makes the critical mistake of starting the story in the middle and then rolling back to the beginning “three or four days ago.” The lesson is taught in kindergarten and by Maria before she was a von Trapp. Start at the beginning. It’s a very good place to start. When you begin with your letters, you start with ABC, numbers are 1, 2, 3, and notes are do, re, mi. If a story starts at any place other than the beginning, it’s because the writers do not trust the beginning to be strong enough to carry the audience through. That means the story is weak. There are some bright parts to R.I.P.D. The most notable of which is Mary Louise-Parker as the Proctor. She is genuinely funny. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges have chemistry, which leads to some funny moments. Their alter egos, an old Chinese guy teamed with a hot blonde, had some potential but were left without any real material beyond the obvious gags. Kevin Bacon is wasted as his character is the stereotypical bad cop. Unfortunately, R.I.P.D. is a flabby waste of time. |
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