BY CHRISTOPHER STAMM
GUEST MOVIE REVIEWER
R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned (Streaming on Netflix starting Nov. 15)
This film is rated PG-13 – for action, peril, and some language
Well, what to say about this one? I was given the opportunity to see R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned before it has been officially released. It is a sequel to the 2013 flop, R.I.P.D., which starred the always-awesome Jeff Bridges.
Well, Jeff isn’t back for the second outing and this one covers the early days of his character, Roy, as he joins the R.I.P.D. (Rest In Peace Division), a team of otherworldly police officers tasked with hunting down the evil souls that have escaped judgment and returned to earth.
While part one flopped like a fish out of water, it deserved a better fate. My wife, Mary, and I found it a very enjoyable film with some great lines.
One of the best gags in part one is the fact that the officers cannot die a second time, and they use this to great advantage. And watching Jeff Bridges grab Ryan Reynolds and throw him out a window and jump on his back and ride him down 20 stories yelling “Relax body!” always makes me laugh.
Part two does capitalize a bit on one of the other gags from part one. Our heroes do not look like they used to look when seen by anyone other than fellow officers. In part one, Jeff Bridges looked like a supermodel, and Ryan Reynolds looked like an old Asian man in this one.
Part two does not have either Jeff Bridges or Ryan Reynolds, and the gags are not as funny, but it’s not a bad film. It’s just … I guess the best way to say it is, it’s not a bad way to kill two hours if you are bored.
Peppered with some woke nonsense, and some of the jokes do fall flat, it’s still not bad and worth a watch.
Two out of five stars for this one, and it can be viewed streaming on Netflix as of Nov. 15. And if you missed it, find and check out R.I.P.D. part one, which is four out of five stars and available on streaming channels.