The R.I.P.D. Dead Ringer Review

The Rest. In. Peace. Department. You'd think it's an incredibly original movie-making idea (except for the fact that it's a translation of a comic book cult hit). But really, what it is is a cinema fest of dead ringer bits. First off, it's a fun-filled version of Constantine. Dead people running about re-killing each other.... except made to look like Rush Hour in the action department.

The old guy vs young guy tandem isn't anything new either. That non-chemistry between 2 generations that always makes good formula for shits and giggles still works --so why fix it? Think Ghost Rider horseback rider and motorcycle rider editions, complete with creepy characters. Or, M.I.B., complete with creepy characters and swanky secret HQ.

Oh, and the evil master plan --to open a portal welcoming all the baddie souls into the city of man. Kinda like The Avengers, eh?

So after that pale intro, why the heck would you waste your time on R.I.P.D.?

Powerhouse cast
Ryan Reynolds. Jeff Bridges. Kevin Bacon. Mind Blown.

Partner deceit
I love plots that make you question your comfort zone. And Kevin Bacon definitely brought evil ex-partner to light in the darkest manner. It's official. Bacon does bad good.

Human sacrifice
Well, this is new. No one does sacrifices to open up evil dimensions anymore. Plus, Stephanie Szostak makes a cute sacrifice.

Firepower
It's like watching team Fortress 2 The Human vs Dead-but-still-kicking Abomination Version. Lots o' guns, lots o' fun!

Fight scenes
Since everyone's dead, everyone gets their heads pummeled with cars and concrete and they bounce right back up. It's Tom and Jerry in the real world! Oh boy, oh boy!

The blond bombshell and old Chinese man 
This is pure comedy genius! This is the only part of the movie that got me laughing like a loon. If you must watch, do it for the bombshell and the Chinese man.

So, are those reasons convincing enough? Mmm... probably not. For practicality's sake, R.I.P.D. is better watched on DVD than on the big screen. And with lots of buttered popcorn.

Bonus! It's an original but a dead-on cringe-worthy moment: Mary Louise Parker biting Jeff Bridge's scraggly beard in an awkward show of gross seductive force. Uh-huh. I'm still having nightmares about that one.

Tripping out on Turbo!

SPOILER ALERT!

Wow!  This is definitely a month of movie reviews!  All the family movies we were expecting to be showered with in the summer all came in like a massive hurricane as soon as school started.

On our plate today:  Escargo!  Oh wait... TURBO! 
It's a tiny player compared to the bigness of Monsters University and Despicable Me 2.  Save for the usual trailer, Dreamworks didn't put much fanfare to this flick.  There's not even a single spot of merchandise at the cinema door.

That's why it was so cool to realize that this movie is actually awesome!

Admittedly, I was skeptical at first.  It reeked so much of Disney Pixar's Cars.  You know, downtrodden town (in this case, mall) gets back on the map, thanks to a race car (in this case, race snail) but not before said race car (in this case, race snail) gets arrested (in this case, snailnapped), and then taken in by a misfit band of town cars (in this case, misfit --yet badass-- snails) and given the blind support of a broken-down tow truck (in this case, a very broke taco guy).

But you know what, Turbo has more heart than Cars.  That's because it's an underdog story.  It's a rising against the norm story.  It's a brotherhood story nicely played by snails Chet and Theo --and their human counterparts, Angelo and Tito.  And it's a reality story where your biggest hero can be your biggest enemy.  My kids loved that twist!
Speaking of twists, the best line in the movie ironically came from said hero/archenemy.  'No dream is too big and no dreamer is too small.'  Imagine that!

Turbo is solid with the right amount of moral lesson and breathtaking action.  The incredible snail attachments got my boys geeking out, too.  They might just gear up our dogs with rocket boosters soon.  Uh-oh.

Starring Ryan Reynolds as Turbo and Paul Giamatti as Chet (my favorite character.  haha!).  TURBO --don't miss it.  Seriously.  Because this snail is fast!

Yep, it's my boys' favorite song right now.

Far from crude, The Croods

Even with the powerhouse cast of Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Stone, The Croods --and I'm being perfectly honest here-- didn't really catch my full attention.  Wuut?  Another dino slash loin cloth movie?  Haven't we had enough of those?
Apparently, we haven't.  And I have my boys to thank for dragging me into the cinema for it.

The Croods is no run-of-the mill prehistoric flick though.  It's all about evolution.  It's all about opening your mind and venturing outside of your comfort zone, embracing change, cooking up unheard of ideas --in order to survive.  Kinda like everyday survival in the modern world.

Another thing that sets this movie apart is its unlikely heroine.  While she does have that rebellious streak that's kinda the formula when teenage characters are involved, she is far beyond being dainty and cutesy about it.  She's tough!  And rough!  Yet, naive.  Intriguing mix, eh?

Her love interest isn't your everyday hero either.  He's the loner with the strangest ideas that catapult the movie forward.  He's creativity personified.  Why, he single-handedly transformed the barbaric Crood Brood into a somewhat enlightened group --after much pain.

Of course, where there are teenagers, there will be a dad gone wild.  But he's more than that.  He's the alpha male stepping down from his throne which makes him the film's soul.  And heart.  I think he's the best character there and how he was built up was well done.

Another thing I particularly love is the heap of imagination poured into the colorful creatures.  Breaking the mold again, these animals go against the usual leathery monsters of the past.  It's like being in a lost time of hippie parties.  Cool, dude!

In the end, everyone got to take a bath and the end of the world was postponed. 

My review:  The Croods is one hell of an unexpected fun and tearjerker of a film.  Action-packed, too!  The first 10 minutes of hunting for fast food in itself kept me at the edge of my seat while laughing popcorn out of my nose.  Wouldn't you love to experience THAT?!

The Croods!  In cinemas.