R.I.P.D.
R.I.P.D. | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Robert Schwentke |
Screenplay by | |
Story by |
|
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Alwin H. Küchler |
Edited by | Mark Helfrich |
Music by | Christophe Beck[2] |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Universal Studios |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 96 minutes[3] |
Country | United States[1] |
Language | English |
Budget | $130 million[4] |
Box office | $78.3 million[5] |
R.I.P.D. is a 2013 American fantasy buddy cop action comedy film starring Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds. Robert Schwentke directed the film based on a screenplay adapted from the comic book Rest in Peace Department by Peter M. Lenkov. The film also stars Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stéphanie Szostak, and Marisa Miller.
Filming was completed on January 28, 2012,[6] and the film was originally set to be released on June 28, 2013[7] in the United States by Universal Pictures, but was pushed back to July 19, 2013.
The film was both a critical and commercial failure, grossing $78 million on a $130 million budget.
Plot
Boston Police Department officers Detective Sergeant Nick Walker and Detective Lieutenant Bobby Hayes discover and steal several shards of gold while on duty. Nick buries his share under an orange tree sapling in his garden; his wife, Julia, thinks that the tree is a surprise gift and mentions how content she is with their life together. Nick realizes that they do not need the gold, and decides to submit it as evidence. During a raid later on Hayes tells Nick that he can't let him turn in the gold, Hayes then shoots and kills Nick. Time stops around Nick and he is drawn into a vortex in the sky.
In the afterlife, as penance for his thievery, Nick is recruited for the R.I.P.D. (The Rest In Peace Department). The R.I.P.D. is responsible for finding and returning souls who refuse to move on to the afterlife. Left unchecked, these souls become "deados", monsters disguised as humans, and when their souls begin to rot, the environment rots around them. He is partnered with Roycephus "Roy" Pulsipher, a former U.S. Marshal and participant in the American Civil War. Their first stop is at a cemetery to watch Nick's funeral, and Nick attempts to make his presence known to Julia but is not recognized. Roy explains that R.I.P.D. officers are given new identities and appearances to prevent them from revealing that the afterlife exists. Nick appears as an old Chinese man while Roy appears as a beautiful blonde woman.
On his first field mission, Nick aids Roy in interrogating a suspected deado and discovers the perpetrator is in possession of gold like he and Hayes had stolen. Nick and Roy submit the gold as evidence before visiting one of Roy's informants. Nick tricks the informant into revealing Hayes as his contact. They follow Hayes to Nick's old house, where he "discovers" Nick's stolen gold. Roy and Nick track Hayes and observe him handing the gold off to a deado whom they stop and interrogate. The deado overpowers them, taking the gold and transforming into a hulking monster that leads them on a chase through the city that attracts the attention of normal humans and causes a panic. R.I.P.D. Chief Mildred Proctor receives orders to remove Roy and Nick from the case and from active duty due to this exposure. Proctor learns from Eternal Affairs that the gold could be used to construct the Staff of Jericho, which will reverse the flow of souls from earth to the afterlife.
Roy and Nick argue, and Nick leaves by himself to try again to reveal himself to Julia. Roy tails him and they argue but finally make amends and decide to work together to stop whatever Hayes is planning. They discover that Hayes is a deado and arrest him, but a confiscated item of his freezes the whole department. Hayes and a group of deados escape with the remainder of the gold and assemble the Staff of Jericho (an Obelisk of gold). Hayes takes Julia hostage and stabs her as a necessary human sacrifice to activate the staff. A battle ensues; Pulsipher destroys the Staff of Jericho, and Nick exacts his revenge on Hayes. Close to death, Julia sees Nick for who he is; and they share a tearful farewell.
Later, Proctor informs Nick that Julia will live. She reinstates them both fully, though she adds 53 years to Roy's term in the R.I.P.D. due to her revealed affections for him. As a reward, Roy gives Nick a new appearance, but he is dismayed to find it is that of a Girl Scout.
Cast
- Jeff Bridges as Roycephus "Roy" Pulsipher,[8] a United States Marshal and former American Civil War Yankee soldier from the Wild West and veteran officer of the R.I.P.D.
- Ryan Reynolds as Nick Walker,[9] a detective sergeant of the Boston Police Department who is murdered and becomes Roy Pulsipher's partner.
- Kevin Bacon as Bobby Hayes,[10] a detective lieutenant of the Boston Police Department who is in league with the deados.
- Mary-Louise Parker as Mildred Proctor:[11] Head of the Boston Police Department R.I.P.D.
- Stéphanie Szostak as Julia Walker,[12] Nick's wife/widow.
- Marisa Miller as Opal Pavlenko, Roy's avatar.[13]
- James Hong as Grandpa Jerry Chen, Nick's avatar #1.[14]
- Devin Ratray as Pulaski, a Deado
- Robert Knepper as Stanley Nawicki, a Deado.
- Mike O'Malley as Elliot,[14] Fenway Park's scoreboard operator.
- Larry Joe Campbell as Officer Murphy
- Piper Mackenzie Harris as Girl Scout, Nick's avatar #2.
- Toby Huss, Mike Judge, and Jon Olson as Various Deado Voices
Zach Galifianakis was originally cast as Roy Pulsipher, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.[15] Jodie Foster was originally considered for the role of Proctor, but in the end, Mary-Louise Parker was cast.[16]
Music
The soundtrack to RIPD was released on July 16, 2013.
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "R.I.P.D." | Christophe Beck | 0:58 |
2. | "The Ascent" | Christophe Beck | 2:13 |
3. | "Elevator Chase" | Christophe Beck | 1:58 |
4. | "Orientation" | Christophe Beck | 2:25 |
5. | "Evidence Room" | Christophe Beck | 1:25 |
6. | "Partners" | Christophe Beck | 0:59 |
7. | "Nick's Funeral" | Christophe Beck | 1:47 |
8. | "A Closer Look" | Christophe Beck | 2:05 |
9. | "Nawiki" | Christophe Beck | 1:59 |
10. | "A Powerful Artifact" | Christophe Beck | 1:59 |
11. | "First Vortex" | Christophe Beck | 0:39 |
12. | "Fat Elvis" | Christophe Beck | 1:09 |
13. | "Raining Cars" | Christophe Beck | 2:19 |
14. | "Hunting Hayes" | Christophe Beck | 1:22 |
15. | "Track Ghost" | Christophe Beck | 1:38 |
16. | "High Noon" | Christophe Beck | 1:14 |
17. | "Half Spheres" | Christophe Beck | 1:21 |
18. | "House Wrecked" | Christophe Beck | 1:15 |
19. | "Icy Hot Partner" | Christophe Beck | 1:10 |
20. | "Mano a Mano" | Christophe Beck | 1:42 |
21. | "Goodbye" | Christophe Beck | 1:52 |
22. | "Roy's Hat" | Christophe Beck | 1:14 |
23. | "The Better Man" | Jeff Bridges | 4:15 |
Total length: | 38:58[17] |
Release
Marketing
On July 16, Adult Swim's YouTube channel uploaded an animated prequel short, which was produced by Titmouse, Inc. and featured the voice work of Reynolds and Bridges.[18]
Box office
The film grossed $12.7 million in its opening weekend, quickly being labeled a box office bomb. The film ended its theatrical run with $78.3 million worldwide, including a $33.6 million domestic total and $44.7 million in foreign markets.[5] The film is considered one of the largest box office bombs of all time.[5][19][20][21]
Critical response
R.I.P.D. received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 14% based on 95 reviews with an average rating of 3.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It has its moments — most of them courtesy of Jeff Bridges' rootin' tootin' performance as an undead Wild West sheriff — but R.I.P.D. is ultimately too dim-witted and formulaic to satisfy."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 25 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[23] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[24]
Film critic Roger Moore gave the film one-and-a-half out of four stars, calling it "the worst comic book adaptation since Jonah Hex."[25] Kyle Smith of the New York Post gave the film a half-star out of four, writing:
For a movie that so strenuously rips off Ghostbusters and Men in Black, R.I.P.D. manages to come up with fresh new ways of being absolutely terrible. The plot manages to be fully predictable and freakishly bonkers at the same time, seemingly born of the same kind of brainstorming-on-L.S.D. session that must have given us Howard the Duck.[26]
Video game
An Atlus published video game based on the film and titled R.I.P.D. The Game was released on July 16, 2013 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game is a co-op third-person shooter, set around a survival mode. It was developed by Old School Games and features gameplay similar to their previous game, God Mode. Just like its film counterpart, R.I.P.D. The Game received mostly negative reviews.[27]
References
- ^ Wheeler, Jeremy. "R.I.P.D." Allmovie. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ "Christophe Beck to Score 'R.I.P.D.'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ^ "R.I.P.D. (12A)". Universal Pictures Int. British Board of Film Classification. August 12, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ FilmL.A. (March 1, 2014). "2013 Feature Film Study" (PDF). Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c "R.I.P.D. (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. September 26, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Kubas-Meyer, Alec (January 30, 2012). "Ryan Reynolds: R.I.P.D. has wrapped filming". Flixist.com. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
- ^ Marshall, Rick (June 27, 2011). "'R.I.P.D.' Gets A Release Date". SplashPage.MTV.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Jones, Brandon (May 28, 2011). "Jeff Bridges joins Ryan Reynolds for 'R.I.P.D' film". DeskofBrian.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ^ Armitage, Hugh (April 2, 2010). "Ryan Reynolds joins 'R.I.P.D.' cast". DigitalSpy.co.uk. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (July 28, 2011). "Kevin Bacon to Play the Villain in R.I.P.D. Opposite Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges". Collider.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ Arbeiter, Michael (February 19, 2011). "Mary-Louise Parker Joins Ryan Reynolds in ". Hollywood.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ "Stephanie Szostak Joins the Cast of R.I.P.D." SciFiMafia.com. August 11, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ Kit, Borys (August 25, 2011). "Marisa Miller Joins Ryan Reynolds in 'RIPD' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ a b Eisenberg, Erik (August 25, 2011). "James Hong And Mike O'Malley Join The R.I.P.D. Cast". CinemaBlend.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ Chitwood, Adam (April 8, 2011). "Zach Galifianakis Drops Out of R.I.P.D." Collider.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (August 19, 2011). "Mary-Louise Parker Takes Role Jodie Foster Was Looking At In 'R.I.P.D.'". indieWire. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ RIPD Soundtrack TheOST. Retrieved January 4, 2014
- ^ "Adult Swim Airs Sweet Animated R.I.P.D. Prequel". Bloody Disgusting. July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/movies/turbo-and-ripd-open-to-disappointing-results.html?_r=0
- ^ Cohen, Sandy (July 21, 2013). "'R.I.P.D.' Box Office Disappoints As 'The Conjuring' Wins The Weekend". Huffington Post.
- ^ http://www.hollywood.com/movies/biggest-box-office-flops-60361701/
- ^ "R.I.P.D. (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "R.I.P.D. Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
- ^ Moore, Roger (July 19, 2013). "Movie Review: R.I.P.D. – "Jonah Hex Redux"". Movie Nation. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ Smith, Kyle (July 18, 2013). "R.I.P.D. Dead on Arrival". New York Post. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=
(help) - ^ "R.I.P.D. The Game for PC". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
External links
- R.I.P.D. at IMDb
- R.I.P.D. at Box Office Mojo
- R.I.P.D. at Rotten Tomatoes
- R.I.P.D. at Metacritic
- 2013 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 2013 3D films
- 2010s action comedy films
- 2010s supernatural films
- American action comedy films
- American supernatural films
- American buddy films
- American buddy cop films
- Fictional portrayals of the Boston Police Department
- Films scored by Christophe Beck
- Films based on Dark Horse Comics
- Films directed by Robert Schwentke
- Films set in Boston
- Films shot in Massachusetts
- Films shot in Rhode Island
- Films with live action and animation
- Films about death
- Films about the afterlife
- Films about revenge
- Live-action films based on comics
- Paranormal films
- Motion capture in film
- Science fantasy films
- Dark Horse Entertainment films
- Original Film films
- Universal Pictures films
- Buddy cop films