R.I.P.D. ~ Rest In Peace Deados

Walking into a movie like “R.I.P.D.” you have to wonder what are you getting yourself into.  Is this movie going to be like "Beetljuice," or "Ghostbusters," or maybe like the "Frighteners?”  Or, will “R.I.P.D.” be something more philosophical, like "What Dreams May Come"?  Ultimately, it turns out to be a little of all these movies mixed in a blender with a healthy dash of "Men In Black," and set on puree, and that is “R.I.P.D.”  Unfortunately, the ingredients that writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfred's script take are the least flavorful.  Some of the best parts of the film come from actor Jeff Bridges's acting and delivery, and from some of the incredable images.  “R.I.P.D.” stars Jeff Bridges ("The Big Lebowski," "True Grit"), Ryan Reynolds ("The Green Lantern,”  "Blade: Trinity "), and Kevin Bacon ("Death Sentence," "The River Wild"),  The movie runs just over an hour and a half and is rated PG-13.

Nick (Reynolds) is a good cop who along with his partner Hayes (Bacon) decided to steal some gold that they found on a drug bust.  After Nick wakes in the morning after burying the stolen gold in his backyard, he enjoys a pleasant interlude with his wife, Julia (Stephanie Szostak).  He has a change of heart, and decides that he doesn't want to be a part of Hayes's get rich scheme.  Predictably, Hayes kills Nick during a drug raid.  Nick is dead, and the vision of death, is pure CGI heaven.  Literally, the images of the police raid are frozen in time, birds in midflight, and the heavens opening up and Nick rising toward his great reward.  While Nick makes his journey he is suddenly pulled into a white room with a single desk, Muzak plays Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen" in the background.  Sitting behind the cheap metal desk is Proctor, played Mary-Louise Parker.  The choice she offers dirty cop Nick, is to either take his chance with Judgment or he could work a hundred years for the Rest In Peace Department.  Nick takes the job.  Proctor assigns him to work with Roycephus.  In other words, he is partnered up with Jeff Bridges who still seems to be wearing his Rooster Cogburn duds from "True Grit."

We have a couple of new words to learn in the alternative world of the comic book "Rest in Peace Department" that this film was based on.  The deados are the rotting living dead, disguised as humans; their rot affects cell phone reception, global-warming, and other of our world’s ailments. Another word that is used is avatar. As a member of the Rest in Peace Department, each officer is portrayed by their avatar, and they most likely have no resemblance to the actual person they represent. 

Most of what happens in “R.I.P.D.” is somewhat predictable.  The elder more experienced cop schools the younger less experienced officer.  One of the pair plays by the rules, while the other doesn't.  Ray (Bridges) is literally an old west lawman whose partner shot him and left him to the coyotes to nibble on his carcass.  The best lines are Rays.  What helps to some degree, comically, is that when he appears to the humans, he is seen as a tall, gorgeous blonde woman played by Victoria Secret model Marisa Miller.  Nick, on the other hand, we see as character actor James Hong.

As moviegoers we have seen many of these scenes before.  Director Robert Schwentke (“RED”) pretty much goes through the paces with both the dialog and the action scenes.  The action scenes, which are plenty, seem lifeless.  Ryan Reynolds also seems to be going through the paces.  In my mind, it seems that Reynolds is still trying out for the lead as an action film star.  He tries too hard.  I mentioned that Jeff Bridges, as Roy had the best lines.  Well, that is not exactly true; it is his delivery that is funny.  Kevin Bacon and his minions of deados are cartoonish at best.

Don't get me wrong.  “R.I.P.D.” has its moments.  The advice that Ray gives Nick about being dead and allowing his wife to move on have a certain amount of weight and humor. There are a few funny scenes that take place involving Nick reconciling his death. Also impressive, are the images of the Boston division of the Rest In Peace department. It looks like some Escheresque, cross with Steampunk and ultramodern architecture that almost makes your head spin. As mentioned before, Nick's death and his ascension towards heaven are the highlights of the film. 

Christopher Beck's score does little to heighten the action or accentuate the scene.  This is too bad, because Mr. Beck had done some wonderful compositions like the hilarious action film "RED" and other comedies including "The Hang Over” films.  A pleasant treat is Bridges's rendition of an original song "The Better Man." The song lyrics by Jeff Bridges, T-Bone Burnett, screenwriters Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, and director Robert Schwentke. 

I found “R.I.P.D.” mildly entertaining at best and mockingly devious at worst.  Devious in the sense that we have seen this all before and there is nothing new story-wise, character-wise, dialog wise or even technologically inspiring.  Wait to rent this one on DVD or Blu-ray

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy

Year:  2013

Staring: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker

Director: Robert Schwentke

Producer(s): Michael Fottrell, Neal H. Moritz, Mike Richardson

Writer: Phil Hay Matt Manfredi

Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 96 minutes
Release Date: 7/19/2013

The Men Who Stare at Goats

The best stories are filled with half truths and half lies!

When watching film trailers, you make a mental note of whether you want to see a picture or not. At the same time the trailer sets expectations in that part of your brain of what kind of experience you should expect from a film. The trailer for "The Men Who Stare" at Goats, sets the viewer up for a satirical look at our military, our pop-culture, and our government. The question is, does the film "The Men Who Stare at Goats," deliver? Think of it this way; when you have Everett (George Clooney, from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, from "Star Wars") discussing with "The Dude" (Jeff Bridges, from "The Big Lebowski") and the subject of Remote Viewing (yes it's real), while taking a road trip through Iraq, trying to capture the spirit of Kerouac’s "On The Road," but more reminiscent of a Crosby and Hope's, "On the Road." films, you got to say to yourself, this must be a joke--but who is the joke on? This offbeat, hippy spouting, paranormal-conspiracy, war-comedy takes all of us by surprise.

Our anti-hero, Bob Wilton, from time to time offers a narration during "The Men Who Stare At Goats" like Martin Sheen's Capt. Benjamin Willard narrates "Apocalypse Now," hell, he even semi-quotes the good Capt. Willard with this phrase, "for my sins, they taught me a lesson," well its close enough to the real quote for me. Bob is a reporter for the Ann Arbor Daily Telegram, where he and his wife work. One day the editor sends Bob on a fluff assignment to interview the crazy Gus Lacey (Stephen Root) who turns us on to the concept of remote viewing, the padawan Lyn Cassady (Cooney), and his mentor Bill Django (Bridges). A quick note for you; the writers seem to be referencing Bill's wandering nature, thus giving him the first name of the famous gypsy jazz guitarist, Django Rhinehardt. An epiphanic moment for Bob and his wife Debora is when an extra large co-worker dies leaving his death mask imprinted on his desk table. Debora dumps Bob for his editor, and in typical Beau Geste fashion, Bob joins the army as a free-lance reporter. Arriving in Kuwait, without permission to enter Iraq and capture the war stories that would prove to his ex-wife that he is someone. A chance encounter with Lyn Cassady in Kuwait provides Bob the opportunity to learn the story of the New Earth Army, and a glimpse into how the government wasted our tax dollars during the Reagan era. As the two begin their travels together into Iraq, Lyn tells the story of Bill Django and his teachings while explaining and demonstrating, with a straight face, the concept of the ethos of the warrior-monk, along with the warrior code of peace, love, and understanding. Lyn explains to Bob how as a Jedi he has control of people's mind and can control them. Imagine Everet explaining to Obi-Wan what a Jedi is, and watch Ewan's face when Clooney explains the "sparkle technique." My favorite line form this movie comes when Bob is running narration mentions that there are times when the little voices inside his head, the ones that tell him what to do, tell him to “scream like little girls," prompting Bob to run hands flailing in the air, screaming high pitched, girl like, and highly un-Obi Wan like. Make no mistake, Clooney and McGregor are not afraid of looking foolish, they are paid for it. In one of the many flashbacks that mine this film like IEDs, Lyn tells Bob how he was seduced by the Dark Side, betrayed by one of their own, Lt Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), whom, after he disgraces their commanding officer, Bill Django, the Army forces Bill to take early retirement. Larry becomes a henchman for the new commander in charge of their Psionic Training Division. Larry coerces Lyn to prove his psychic powers by staring at a goat long enough, causing the goat's heart to stop thus defiling the pure nature of the warrior-monk.

Present day--Bob and Lyn are stuck after Lyn crashed and damaged his truck against the only rock in the middle of the desert. Iraqi criminals capture the duo with the intention of selling them to other Iraqi criminals; meanwhile the two captives start a banter that reminds one of Bing Crosby & Bob Hope, and the Jedi references keep this movie form dragging. Based on the non-fiction book of the same title of the movie by Jon Ronson, the film is an attempt to recreate the sense of the Army's experiments into New Age thinking. The movie brings us the concept of torture by the kids show, "Barney and Friends," not necessarily a novel concept; how many of us with small kids have had our minds turn to mush by the oversized purple devil. How many movies have you seen teach us that sheep can be de-bleated? Or the legendary Dim Mak -- the touch of death, one touch and you're dead - in about 18 years! Jeff Bridges is The Dude in uniform, a Colonel with long hair, braided in a ponytail, he stands up for his men, denying charges of using government money for prostitutes; however, he did by drugs for the guys, upstanding guy this Bill Django is.

"The Men Who Stare At Goats" moves quickly so any of the rough scenes don't last too long. The music is passable and, so is the photography, nothing remarkable there. You never truly know where the fiction ends, and the truth is, so the viewer will probably err on the side of fiction. The director made the movie for cheap laughs, a spoof on the actors and their character. The joke is on them, and we are just along for the ride. The ending is ultimately anti-climatic and leaves the viewer wondering if they missed something? Conspiracy theory buffs will get a kick from this flick, and so will you.

Movie Data

Genre:  Comedy, War

Year:   2009

Staring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey

Director:  Grant Heslov

Producer(s)  George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Paul Lister

Writer: Peter Straughan , Jon Ronson

Rating:  R