Rated: P13
Distributor / studio: United International Pictures / Dark Horse Entertainment, Original Film, Relativity Media
Genre: Supernatural, action
Running Time: 96 minutes
Director: Robert Schwentke
Screenplay: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, Robert Knepper, James Hong, Marisa Miller, Mike O’Malley, Devin Ratray
Synopsis: Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D. as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side.
Verdict: Many of the critics in the US must have gone a little cuckoo over the last 2 weeks to have given RIPD negative reviews but not The Wolverine as well 'cause in my point of view, both these movies sort of equally suck. Personally I enjoyed this one slightly more thanks to Jeff Bridges' lively performance, driving most of the simple humour through and making this flop watchable. I dunno, I probably have to read the original comic to hate it more than I do now. However, I'm not defending the film for being formulaic, unoriginal (Men In Black, Bleach, Ghost, Fly Me To Polaris, 2002, just to name a few titles that it may have ripped off from) and thoroughly predictable. It's also filled with typical plot holes and flaws. The CGI's very disappointing as well for a 130-million-dollar film. Ryan Reynolds has to start picking the right movies to star in. Buried (2010) is perhaps still the best film he's led in.
Second opinion: "It's more fun to watch than The Wolverine" (girlfriend).
To watch in 3D? The depth is pretty significant. Things were so popped out it took me a while to get use to. Pretty distracting though.
Malaysian censorship: I can't recall but according to fellow bloggers and my own girlfriend, there was a dialogue cut, presumably a vulgar line or an insult to a religion.
Rating: 2 / 5
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Proctor's background? There isn't much character development but leaving out the story behind Proctor (Mary-Louise Parker) is just lazy. It's also indicated at the beginning that she and Roy (Jeff Bridges) had something on in the past but the director just chose to leave that out completely. What's the point then?
Plot holes & flaws: It's not explained how spirits that refuse to go through judgment ("Deados") could return to Earth as strong huge monsters that can disguise as living humans but still be allergic to certain things that will expose them. The Staff of Jericho, which the bad guys here are after, has the power of reversing the tunnel between the living and afterlife; it was broken into pieces and scattered around Earth by the Gods... but why didn't they just destroy it in the first place or at least keep it out of anyone's reach? During climax of the film, there's "dangerous" car chase scene between Roy-Nick (Ryan Reynolds) and the Deados but shouldn't they all know that no matter what happens, there won't be any real consequence unless they're shot by special RIPD firearms? After that, the two heroes just bulldoze through the door onto the rooftop where an army of Deados are and simply starts trading fire with them out in the open without cover, and yet not get hit at all. Hayes (Kevin Bacon), the antagonist, is such a smart evil villain who deliberately gets captured to the RIPD headquarters to rob the remaining pieces of the Staff of Jericho but too dumb to eliminate the RIPD officers right there and then. Let's not even get started with how he doesn't bother to stop Roy from trying to destroy the Staff of Jericho at the end. Lastly, what gives Proctor and Nick the power or the right to revive Nick's wife Julia (Stephanie Szostak) who's killed by Hayes? What's so bad about dying (in this movie) anyway? This entire final quarter of the film don't make any sense at all.
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