R.I.P.D. (2013)
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A murdered detective is recruited by an afterlife agency to hunt down souls that have escaped judgment.
The story
Boston Police Detectives Nick Walker and Bobby Hayes steal a stash of gold during a drug bust. After Hayes shoots and kills Nick, Nick finds himself in an office where he meets Mildred Proctor. She explains that he is dead and recruits him into the R.I.P.D. (Rest In Peace Department), an agency tasked with capturing 'Deados'—souls who died but escaped judgment. Nick is partnered with Roycephus "Roy" Pulsipher, an Old West lawman. Together, they must navigate the afterlife's rules, deal with their altered appearances, and investigate a mysterious conspiracy involving the stolen gold.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being murdered by his corrupt partner Bobby Hayes during a gold heist, Nick Walker is recruited by Mildred Proctor into the R.I.P.D. to hunt 'Deados.' Partnered with an Old West lawman named Roy Pulsipher, Nick discovers that the gold they recovered is actually part of the Staff of Jericho, an artifact capable of reversing the tunnel to the afterlife. Despite being placed on administrative leave, Nick and Roy track the gold to Hayes, who reveals himself as a Deado. During a confrontation, Hayes triggers a device that freezes R.I.P.D. officers, allowing the Deados to steal the gold and begin assembling the Staff on a rooftop. Nick and Roy fight their way to the building as Hayes sacrifices Nick's widow, Julia, to power the Staff. Nick distracts Hayes while Roy destroys the Staff, causing the vortex to close. Nick shoots Hayes, erasing him from existence, and shares a final goodbye with Julia before she wakes up in a hospital. Proctor informs them of their hearing results: Nick receives a warning, while Roy is sentenced to fifty-three more years of service. Roy is eventually returned his hat, and Nick is given a new identity, though he discovers his new appearance is that of a Girl Scout wearing orthodontic headgear.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Schwentke
- Writers
- Phil Hay · screenplay; Matt Manfredi · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jeff Bridges · Roycephus "Roy" Pulsipher; Ryan Reynolds · Nick Walker; Kevin Bacon · Bobby Hayes; Mary-Louise Parker · Mildred Proctor; Stéphanie Szostak · Julia Walker; Marisa Miller · Opal Pavlenko; James Hong · Grandpa Jerry Chen; Devin Ratray · Pulaski
- Genres
- supernatural action comedy; science fantasy; police comedy; buddy cop; supernatural; science fiction action; science fiction comedy; fantasy comedy; action comedy; crime comedy; action thriller; crime thriller
- Themes
- Life and Death; Consequences of Greed; Partnership; Identity
- Tone and mood
- Action-packed; Supernatural; Comedy; Dark
- Setting
- Modern-day Boston and the afterlife
- Premise and plot tags
- Buddy Cop; Afterlife; Supernatural; Action; Comedy; Conspiracy
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1999 comic book R.I.P.D. by Peter M. Lenkov and Lucas Marangon
- Franchise connections
- R.I.P.D.
- Reception
- The film was considered a box-office bomb and received generally negative reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 13% · review count: 103; Metacritic · score: 25 · scale: 100 · review count: 27; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was originally set to be released on June 28, 2013, but was pushed back to July 19, 2013.; Adult Swim's YouTube channel uploaded an animated prequel short produced by Titmouse, Inc. featuring the voice work of Reynolds and Bridges.; The budget was more than the $130 million the studio claimed, and was $154 million even after $28.1 million in tax rebates.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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