Movie Review: R.I.P.D.

So last night my wife and I went out to see an advanced screening of the new film R.I.P.D., starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges.

First of all, yes - the film can largely be described as Men In Black, but with Supernatural, rather than Extra-Terrestrial beings in it.

Aside from that, however, the film was a whole lot of fun, had a really great sense of humour and had just about the perfect balance between horror and comedy.  I'm pretty sure both my kids will really enjoy it, and although I didn't really see the 3D as necessary, I don't think it drastically took away from the film either.

The film follows a recently deceased boston cop (Reynolds) who finds that he has been recruited into the Rest In Peace Department (RIPD), meaning it is now his job to return the unquiet dead back to where they belong when they escape to Earth.

Yes, a lot of the elements in the film were covered in the Television series Dead Like Me (which, if you haven't seen it is pretty amazing, by the way) and the short-lived Television series Brimstone (which actually used an awful lot of the same concepts).

In the end, the writing is sharp, the visuals are fun, and as it's based on a graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics (producers of my personal favourite series, Hellboy) so I'd say it is definitely worth the watch.

Things I’ve Noticed: MIB3 Something The Third Time is the Charm

Back in 1997 my BFF Mike took me out to see the film Men In Black, and honestly I thought it was a lot of fun, the aliens were weird and cool, the concept was weird and fun, and the chemistry between it’s two stars, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones was a lot of fun.

So fun in fact that when Men in Black 2 came out in 2002 I checked it out with my BFF Mike and my lovely wife.

Not a good decision.

Honestly as much fun as Men in Black was, Men in Black 2 was not.  I thought the concept was kind of old, the story felt contrived and the ending really bugged me (for whatever reason, reality in a marble seemed okay, reality in a bus station locker, not so much).

So I've got to say I'm pretty suprised by how much I enjoyed Men in Black 3.  The story is a time travel one, allowing our lead to travel back in time and play the experienced partner to the man who would become his mentor.  The story was sharp, the aliens fun, and Josh Brolin's performance of Agent K has to be  seen to be believed.

Although I never said I would eat my hat if I ever went to another Men in Black film, if I had, I certainly would, brim and all.