R.I.P.D (2013)

 “You think you've had a bad day at work? I think I got you beat.”

            Sometimes I question why I want to see movies. Usually I want to see a certain movie because either everyone is talking about it or an actor or actress I like happens to be in. Rarely do I want to see a movie for the heck of just seeing it. One movie I wanted to see just for the heck of it was R.I.P.D. I am not a huge fan of Ryan Reynolds or Jeff Bridges. The story seemed different. I almost saw this in the movies and although it was alright I am glad I did not pay to see it.

            Nick (Reynolds) is a Boston cop. He and his partner Hayes (Kevin Bacon) recently raided a crack house where besides drugs they find pieces of gold. Nick has a crisis of conscience over the stolen gold. He wants out with Hayes on the stealing and promises he is not a snitch and will not say anything to anyone about it. Nick and Hayes are part of a squad on a huge drug raid in a warehouse. Nick chases after the main drug dealer all the way to the top floor. Hayes shows up. He tells Nick that he cannot have him going around with the gold and then shoots him. Nick falls to his death.

            The world around Nick has stopped when he opens his eyes. He walks out of the warehouse. All around him is chaos with blown up cars and the police fighting the bad guys. When he walks outside he is lifted up into the clouds. The pull is gentle and calm but the landing is rough and quick. Nick has been seated in a chair in what looks like a holding cell across from a woman only known as Proctor (Mary-Louise Parker). Proctor does not give Nick the chance to talk she goes on how he is a dirty cop and to redeem himself on Judgment Day he can join the R.I.P.D- The Rest in Peace Department- to help the living world from the undead. Their main objective is to find what they call “Deados” who can cause havoc in the living world.  

            Proctor partners Nick up with an old guy named Roy (Jeff Bridges). Roy has been at the game for a very, very long time and is not too happy with having a rookie with him. Roy brings Nick to a Deado who has been hiding out as a human. They ask the guy some questions to get him to squirm and then all the sudden the guy turns into a weird Deado and runs away. Roy and Nick eventually catch up to him and the Deado throws up some things including pieces of gold that look like the ones he and Hayes had taken.

            Now Nick wants to investigate why the Deado had the same gold he had and what the thing’s connection to Hayes might be.

            R.I.P.D. is silly and somewhat entertaining. To me Mary-Lousie Parker stole the movie in her few scenes. In the movies I have seen her and also from watching her on Weeds she tends to underplay her parts and is so sarcastic and dry and quick. I liked her character too she was no nonsense and to the point, you can tell she has been doing her job for a long time. Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges were alright. Their characters were boring. R.I.P.D. is not a movie you need to rush out to see. It is predictable and at times a bit boring.