Review: R.I.P.D.

I try to avoid Ryan Reynolds' movies.  I have seen him bomb in too many to have any faith in his ability to act.  Once upon a time, he was funny and entertaining, but it seems that as his career has progressed he has regressed.  Green Lantern and The Change-Up are two examples of his cinematic demise that immediately come to mind.  So why then, did I give R.I.PD. a shot given that nothing from the marketing, tracking, and word of mouth suggested that it was worth the one hundred and ten minutes of running time?  Boredom.  And truth be told, the movie did little to cure that ailment. 

At the film’s outset, it did not look like a complete miss.  The narrative starts out well enough painting a picture of the life of Boston Police detective Nick (Ryan Reynolds), a loving husband to his wife Julia –played by the fantastic Stephanie Szostak.  Partnered with fellow detective Hayes (played Mr. Six-Degrees himself, Kevin Bacon), Nick is struggling with the temptation to be a dirt cop, when without warning, he is killed in the line of duty.  Newly deceased, Nick get’s enlisted into the R.I.P.D. – a force of former law enforcement officials charged with sending the undead to judgment.

The most frustrating aspect of this movie is that for those first fifteen minutes, it feels like there is a real story here to tell.  Sure, Reynolds' turns in his usual mediocre performance, but with Bacon in the mix as his partner and Szostak bringing emotional value to the plot, I was interested in seeing how things would play out.  But then the film veered off into the world of the undead and tossed credibility out the window.   Sure, it may be difficult to fully blame director Robert Schwentke and writer Phil Hay as they were working off of the comic made famous by Peter Lenkov but the finished product ultimately proves that the duo were not equipped to pull this off.

Putting the source material aside, Hay’s adaptation is sloppy and his plot develops some gaping holes and Schwentke’s tone and pacing are wildly inconsistent.  Worse still are the special effects, which look like they came straight out of the early 2000’s, thus shattering what shred of credibility the movie manages to maintain.  So to say that this production is more or less a disaster from start to finish would be a very fair assessment. 

Still, no one individual does more damage to the film than Jeff Bridges.  As an actor, Bridges is an interesting case study in that even when he is a bit off with his effort and performance, he remains a threat to steal every scene.  Yet despite this talent and his very impressive resume, Bridges puts to film a performance that is so hammed up and misguided that the sound of his voice becomes grating to the senses.  It’s as if his sole purpose in this film was to be so bad that Ryan Reynolds would come off as the second coming of Dustin Hoffman.  And he almost pulls it off, because Bridges – his look, his accent, his delivery, is just that bad.

As for his partner in crime (or in this case, justice), the aforementioned Reynolds is a carbon copy of every performance he has given over the past five years.  As an actor, he has three facial expressions to convey emotion – one smirk, one glare, and one look of heart ache, and is content to cycle through the three to address whatever the script calls for.  As the deceased detective, he is affable enough and emotive enough to make sure you’re not completely apathetic to his plight, but he’s also not interesting enough to carry this film.  While I am not sure that any other actor could have replaced Reynolds and made this film more palatable, his performances reinforces my belief that the actor is best suited to play supporting roles and nothing more.

As for the supporting cast, I really enjoyed most of their work.  Mary-Louise Parker as Proctor has the repressed authority figure vibe down pat.  She is dry but fun and manages to share a bit of chemistry with Bridges despite his horrendous turn.  That alone deserves a measure of recognition.  And if there is anyone who can be dubbed the heart of this film, it would have to be Stephanie Szostak.  I am a huge fan of her work and found myself impressed with how she is able to play the sympathy card in a production that borders on the ridiculous.  Her presence makes it feel like something real is at stake amidst the cartoonish action.  And as for Kevin Bacon, he starts off well enough – straddling the line that is moral ambiguity, but to say that his performance unravels in the third act is a gross understatement. 

In discussing the cast, I would be remised if I did not mention Marisa Miller and James Hong.  Every minute they were onscreen proved to be my favorite parts of the movie.  The easy assumption would be that it’s because Miller is so incredibly easy on the eyes.   And while that might be part of the equation, the other half of that formula is the incredible sight gag that the two represent.  Much credit has to go to veteran actor James Hong, who shows his experience by flexing his comedic tics at just the right moments. 

There really is nothing more to say about R.I.P.D. other than that it’s just not good.  Bad writing and directing, poor special effects, and pockets of bad acting really sums it up.  Is there anyone type of movie fan out there in the world that I could confidently say would like this film?  No.  Are there any circumstances in which this film could be viewed as a good value play?  Probably not.  This one feels like it’s proper place in the world is at the bottom of the Wal-Mart $3.99 DVD bin and nothing more.  Stay away from it and hope that no one you care about ever makes the same mistake I made.

Standout Performance:  Marisa Miller and James Hong. 

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Review: Iron Man 3

Is it possible to be a superhero movie, but then not really be a superhero movie, but really be a superhero movie all at the same time?  Confused?  Don’t be.  After watching Iron Man 3, this will all be crystal clear and so will the direction of Marvel Phase 2.   It’s easy (and lazy) to label movies like Iron Man 3 as “superhero flicks” because their protagonists are born from the funny pages, but Kevin Feige and his Marvel cohorts are about to challenge you on such preconceived notions.  Iron Man 3 is not a movie about Iron Man per se but more a whodunit tale driven by a really smart protagonist that happens to have a really expensive suit.  With Game of Throne’s Alan Taylor directing Thor 2 and the political intrigue storyline framing the plot of the next Captain America, what you’re going to see is Marvel immerse their characters in very specific subgenres.  It’s a clever move designed to give these characters a longer shelf life.

As for Iron Man 3, the plot finds our quit witted protagonist dealing with the aftermath of the events that unfolded in The Avengers. Struggling with some form of post traumatic syndrome, Stark is forced to deal with a mistake from his past that may or may not have some connection to the Mandarin, a ruthless terrorist who is hell bent on unleashing attacks against the United States.  With the lives of those he cares about hanging in the balance, Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) must find a way to discover the mystery behind the Mandarin and put an end to his reign of terror.

It’s seems like a pretty straight forward action premise, but what is most striking about Iron Man 3 is that it feels strikingly different than its predecessors.  Writer/Director Shane Black brings his brand of storytelling to the franchise and gives it a feel reminiscent of his work with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the Lethal Weapon movies (think whodunit with some elements of buddy cop flicks mixed in for good measure).  That Downey Jr. spends more time out of the suit weaving his way through the plot is a surprise – one that pays off nicely.

Any discussion of this film cannot go long without talking specifically about the work of Robert Downey Jr.  It has gotten to the point where one must ask the question of whether Downey Jr. is portraying Tony Stark or if Tony Stark is just an extension of Downey Jr.  He is quick witted, quirky, and able to oscillate between humor and gravitas seamlessly on the turn of the dime and these qualities may have been the biggest drivers of success for not only the Iron Man franchise but also he entire Marvel cinematic universe.  That he is no longer under contractual obligation to the company no doubt has a few Disney executives losing sleep.

Once again joining RDJ onscreen are Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favreau, and Don Cheadle as Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, and James Rhodes (Iron Patriot) respectively and each is given heavier lifting this time around.  I am not sure if it’s the business casual suits or the snappy chemistry she shares with Downey Jr., but I have never found Paltrow more likeable than I do in these Iron Man films.  She tends to embody the heart and sentimentality in each of the movies, but in this outing Paltrow does a decent job of flexing a bit of muscle. 

What Jon Favreau brings to the film is a decent measure of the campy but endearing humor that we have come to expect from the actor/director.  Sometimes bumbling but always good-natured, Favreau’s portrayal of Hogan won’t make any highlight reels but he capably keeps the tone light while advancing the plot.  As for Cheadle, he plays Colonel James Rhodes to satisfactory results and nothing more.  While I like Cheadle as an actor, I have always found his work in this franchise less than stellar.  It may be the result of acting choices or his chemistry with Downey Jr. but I don’t think he has really hit the right pitch with the character. 

As for the newcomers to the franchise, Guy Pearce is fair but unremarkable as Aldrich Killian – a man with questionable intentions.  He doesn’t hurt the movie by any means, but I could also have envisioned any number of people stepping into the role of an eccentric unbalanced scientist to produce the same if not better results.  Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin is solid and makes some very interesting choices, but his actual screen time is not hugely robust as it is more his characters “presence” than his actually being present that impacts the plot.  Bringing up the rear for this trio is Rebecca Hall as genetic botanist Maya Hansen.  I found her performance weak and unconvincing and at times she felt painfully out of place in this movie – most glaringly in the second act.  There are many other ways the creative team could have gone with this character (and plot thread) and I can’t help but think one of the other choices would have been better.

So what you have then is an Iron Man film that is more about the man than the armor – one that wisely lets RDJ occupy the driver’s seat.  It’s not a perfect film as at times the pacing loses its way and there are some logic leaps and character decisions that have and will infuriate the overly zealous comic book purist.  But at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what you expect from a summer action movie.  If you are looking for a decent plot with big visuals that is fun to watch, then this is a movie you should definitely run out to the cinema to watch.  If you are looking for something more than that, then Iron Man 3 may be a roll of the dice for you.  Regardless, this is easily the best movie thus far in what has been a somewhat weak year at the cinema.  Up next on the Marvel slate is Thor: The Dark World (November 8, 2013).

Standout Performance: Robert Downey Jr. - plain and simple.  

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