R.I.P.D. starts out with Nick (Ryan Reynolds) and his partner played by Kevin Bacon going on a routine case. The duo have been playing dirty cops and recently kept a stash of gold from one of their cases. Nick confronts his partner with the news that he is out, and he doesn't want to do it anymore. Nick's partner doesn't take kindly to the news and murders him and makes it look like he was shot in the line of duty.
Nick is being sucked up to face Judgment when he is pulled into the R.I.P.D, or the Rest in Peace Department, and the boss (Mary-Louise Parker) tells him they need his services. Nick can either abide or face judgment, and he is informed that being a dirty cop will probably land him straight in Hell. The mission is to hunt down the dead who escape judgment called Deados which are hiding among the living.
Before starting the case, Nick meets his new partner Roy Pulsifer (Jeff Bridges) who died in the 1800s and both of them are sent to Boston to work a case. The new case gives Nick the opportunity to gain some closure and tie up loose ends before he died, however, it doesn't go as easy as he thinks. While Jeff Bridges adds a comical twist to his role, most of the humor is dry and stale, and never gets too far off the ground. However, the fact that Nick and Roy look like a little old Chinese man (James Hong) and a hot blonde (Marissa Miller) while on Earth does add a sense of fun to their roles.
R.I.P.D. offers up little outside the box and relies heavily on its action-packed CGI scenes which in the end leave little to be desired. R.I.P.D. is a film that has its shining moments that are clouded by everything that is wrong with it. If you are looking to kill some time, then check out R.I.P.D. on Netflix, but beware you may find yourself yawning after only ten minutes in.
Movie Features
Production Year: 2013
Country: USA
Runtime: 120 mins
Directors: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Ryan Reynolds, Stephanie Szostak