I was talking with fellow news editor Niki Stephens today about R.I.P.D. and our resounding thought seems to be that it looks awful, but in a good way. I don't think anyone is expecting the film to change the course of cinema as we know it, but it's got guilty pleasure smeared all over it. Think of it as the paranormal MIB with a white Will Smith (Reynolds) and a seasoned veteran actor in a cheeky role (Bridges) and it has the potential to be a whole lot of awful fun. The clips make this look every bit as fun and harmless as the film likely is and will probably help you decide if this is a theater watch, rental, or wait for cable movie.
Saddle up!:
Y'know, Jeff Bridges has gotten a lot of shit for using his weird, similar accents, but I'm happy to see him taking on both commercial and independent fare. He's one of the best seasoned actors working today and although not everything can come up as a win, I'm glad he's taking some risks and having some fun. That said, I think everyone involved here would've been better suited doing that HIGHLANDER remake together instead of this, but I do give props for R.I.P.D. being a new entry rather than another sequel/reboot. I'll definitely give it a day in court, just not sure if that day will be in a theater or from my couch.
R.I.P.D., directed by Robert Schwentke and starring Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Mary-Louise Parker, and Kevin Bacon (yep, you heard me right…no, I don't know where he is…) starts rounding up dead-o's on July 19, 2013.