“At some point early in the summer, I was looking at the list of remaining movies awaiting release. Usually summer means one flick after another that gets me giddy-er and giddy-er. But for whatever reason, this summer just didn’t grab me like others did (I think Kick Ass 2’s release date was still in limbo at this point). I made myself pick the one summer movie I was most excited for. R.I.P.D. was the gut reaction winner. Action. Comedy. Ryan Reynolds. Boston. You could do with a worse combination.
And a fun combination it was. RIPD had a very MIB vibe. You took this longtime street smart cop, and made him a rookie in the supernatural law enforcement field. Pair him with a no-nonsense veteran, and watch them tear the world apart. Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds are a strange partnership on paper, but it worked. Bridges was channeling so much of his True Grit character, I kept expecting him to be addressed as “”Rooster””. He was also the first person I’ve seen who had a bigger mouth on him than Ryan Reynolds. Seriously, has anyone else ever succeeded in out-talking that boy? It was a nice turn for Ryan being the more subdued lead, instead of the one carrying the whole show. His charm is just as effective as ever when it’s reigned in a bit.
However, for me, the real star of the movie was the city of Boston. I know I always make a big deal about movies that are filmed here in the hub, but this really showcased Boston proper. Other recent examples say they’re in Boston, and have the obligatory skyline shot or two, but the rest is either in a suburb or elsewhere claiming to be Boston. This time, I was recognizing places left and right, all around downtown and back bay. Even when I couldn’t place the exact location, it all felt very much like home. When my town has been in the news so much lately, it feels very special to see it on the big screen for very different reasons.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Some of the dialog was fantastic, and as previously stated, our dynamic duo was, well, dynamic. It did feel like something was missing, though. I think the intro was a bit rushed, and then the story stayed a little flat. There were also a few inconsistencies with the rules (although I liked the concept of the dead interacting with the living thru avatars, instead of the usual invisible and intangible ghost thing). I’ll admit too that maybe I was just a little bit distracted with other things to let myself get fully immersed. Either way, a great start to the weekend!
R.I.P.D. – \m/ \m/ \m/ \n