R.I.P.D. Review

Poor films and Ryan Reynolds are quite the pairing, as R.I.P.D. cements so clearly. Adapting this action-packed comic book into a feature with a stacked cast and the sort of editing that marked the early stages of cementing such work as engaging is a rough ride. Director Robert Schwentke attempts to pull a Men in Black-like feature but instead provides a terribly dull feature that becomes actively annoying the more it pushes on with its cliché-ridden shtick. Happy endings for those that are off on the wrong foot from the very beginning. Family lives, a respected career and a love like no other come tumbling down for a character who, like every other Reynolds piece, is a stickler for optimism and lightness.

Nick Walker (Reynolds) is terribly dull in that system, a plodding lead that, up against Bridges, has no real chance of defining anything. Vaguely corrupt cops look for a line between The Departed and The Other Guys, and neither blend works particularly well. Kevin Bacon portrays a nice supporting role, but his dependability is based more on his presence as a particularly good actor than anything else. Reynolds attempts to work through something that does not seem to be his speed. There are fewer moments for him to provide tongue-in-cheek departures unless there is a fourth wall break bit of narration or a dull stop that makes the most of a dwindling, repetitive piece of camerawork. At times, that makes it feel similar to that of an episode of Crime Scene Investigation, but with more cars and less talent.

That lack of talent perseveres in the comically poor demons that Walker and Roy Pulsipher (Bridges) adapt to. One chase scene stands out, as a loosely flapping jaw glugs down a tub of milk while a poorly rendered CGI arm flaps around next to Reynolds. It is the camerawork here that provides a horrendously poor display. Low-hanging, quick cuts dominate what would otherwise be a simple action sequence that the film could hang itself on and engage with. Instead, cuts and bruises of trying to figure out a new world of immortality and highly intense drops and fights are squandered by Schwentke’s decision to disengage with the need for storytelling. In its place are montage shots, speedy cuts and zooms that infected the comic book adaptations for some time. At best, R.I.P.D. is an unfocused horror show that has Bridges fire through with a Colonel Sanders-like accent.

Unfortunately, this is not the Norm Macdonald era of the Colonel, it is, unfortunately, a separation of point and perspective. R.I.P.D. could have had plenty of time to engage with the grief at its core and the Reynolds performance that slowly starts to steal the show with how reserved it is if it weren’t for Bridges screaming about losing his hat. There is an almost comical level of lacking clarity featured within R.I.P.D. that makes it both impossible to follow and resolutely stuck in the early stages of 2010s action comedy. A horrible place to be, an “epic failure” as Mary Louise-Parker’s character describes this leading pair. Relax body appears to be the frequent reliance this leading duo rely on, so as to not deal damage to their spiritual selves. Relax the body, fall asleep, and before you know it, the credits are thankfully rolling.