MOVIE REVIEW - R.I.P.D.

The new Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds action comedy flick, RIPD is new this week for some summer fun at the movies. 

The RIPD is the Rest In Peace Department.  When law officers pass on, before they can cross over in certain cases they are enlisted in the RIPD. Their job is to find the dead among us on earth, and send them to the other side, one way or another. The dead or "dead-o's" as they are called in this movie, are trying to rearrange the order of things, and bring all the dead back to earth so the dead will rule the earth, and the end of the living is in the balance.

This is the new Men In Black to a degree.  It has much the same feel to it, as it is a lighthearted look at the dead, as opposed to people from another world.  But it certainly feels and looks the same at times.   RIPD does a number of things right.  It is basically fun, and has a good feel to it. It is well casted with Bridges and Reynolds as our principle RIPD law men.  Also a nice supporting cast with Kevin Bacon as our villain, and Mary Louise Parker who is outstanding as the boss in the RIPD.  I thought she was terrific in her small  role.

RIPD has tons of big computer effects, has no shortage of action sequences and it does not wear out its welcome, as you are ready for this to end at about 90 minutes.  In fairness, that's about all it has to say, and they know it.  To me, this movie starts out much better than it ends.  Sadly, I thought the first half of this was way better than the second half.  It just kind of runs out on ideas, so we go back and rerun a fun scene from earlier in the movie. 

There is some great dialogue in this movie, it is funny and amusing throughout. Bridges is great as usual, and gives this the star power it needs.  He elevates the rest of the cast and gives this some credence.  Although, he does channel the same basic voice from his iconic performance in True Grit as he again plays a old west lawman, it's not a problem really.   This movie though may have a tough time cutting through as there is so much action at the box office right now.

RIPD.  For the most part fun, not overly original, but not a bad night a the movies.