RIPD – A Review

Well, RIPD is certainly a movie. It’s definitely a series of still images strung together to give the illusion of motion. It is not, however, a very good movie. It is derivative, dull and, at times, a bit racist.* RIPD is (in structure, characterization and even set design) Men in Black with a fair chunk of Ghostbusters tossed in so it’s not a remake.

This movie has very few saving graces. Kevin Bacon’s scenery chewing is always fun. There’s some old-school throwing-stuff-at-the-camera 3D. And some (not all) of the monster effects look pretty decent. But this is not enough to recommend RIPD. The only reason to even think about seeing this movie is if you’re a huge Mary Louise Parker fan and you absolutely have to double-feature it with Red 2. But, seriously, don’t.

RIPD-Mary-Louise-Parker

Also, they say “Rest In Peace Department” constantly, repeatedly explaining an already terrible pun. Like Ryan Reynolds says the first time he hears it, “Yea, I get it.”

I give it 2.25 OBVIOUS LIFTS FROM BETTER MOVIES out of 10. (Though there were so many more.)

* – There are constant jokes at the expense of Ryan Reynolds’ Old Asian Man disguise (played by James Hong) and Jeff Bridges even says “Injuns” at one point. Perhaps most troubling is the fact that while the two clearest influences on RIPD (Men in Black and Ghostbusters) both had black actors in lead roles, this film has almost no lines at all for non-white actors.

Skott Stotland is a thousand monkeys in a people costume. They have been writing for the internet for over a decade.

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