R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned

Unlike some other reviewers I liked the original and I like westerns. Problem is this was neither one. The only thing this movie had in common with the first is its title and the word dead-o. It was on PPV for $6 but I found it on Netfix and was very glad I didn't waste the $6. The best thing I can say about it is we managed to sit through the whole thing, albeit with groans and complaints. It struggles to be funny, intriguing and visually sensational without achieving any of it. I have the original on DVD and still plug it in once in a while. I wanted to like this and expected more but you'd have to pay me to sit through this again.

It's 1876 in the American West. Sheriff Roy Pulsipher (Jeffrey Donovan) dies in a shootout with bandits leaving behind his daughter Charlotte. In the afterlife, he is recruited by the Rest In Peace Department to fight the Deados. Jeanne (Penelope Mitchell) is his new work partner.

The first movie was almost universally panned and a box office bomb. I don't like that movie, but probably not as much as most others. I am surprised that they are making a sequel. They obviously downgraded the budget and the production. It's better than a TV movie, but sometimes it reminds me of one. I like the afterlife world, but the movie deteriorates after that. I don't like the old west world. It's too clean. It all feels fake and that's considering that I know it's all fake. The CGI is a bit of a mixed bag. The acting is also mixed. I really don't like the constant switching between the characters and their avatars. There has to be a way to fix that for the franchise. Maybe the avatars are only shown in mirrors. Mostly, I don't like this old west world and that's most of the movie.

Not even close to being good as the first one. The jokes fall flat. They cast the wrong actors. They don't seem to own their roles. The writing is not very good at all. Slang talk was forced. I was excited when I saw this was coming out and man was I disappointed. Honestly this should of never been made. I couldn't finish the movie. They didn't use the right filters. It was too bright and too upbeat. It didn't have a that flair and magic as the first one. Me and my wife didn't enjoy it. We decided to watch the first one instead. I'm not sure what Netflix was thinking. They've been killing it lately on content.

I'm somewhat impartial as I did enjoy the original RIPD despite its bad reviews. However, when I heard the sequel/prequel was made, and that it was a direct market release, I wasn't expecting too much. The movie does lag at times, and certainly doesn't have the cinematic feel of the first movie. However, it's entertaining and if you're not too hard on it somewhat enjoyable. There are some very self-aware parts that tend to grind on you, but other than that, it's what you would expect from the type of movie it is. I would say it's worth looking at if you have some time and if you enjoyed the original, it's not a bad addition.

Have no high expectations. Even if you are a hardcore fan of 1st R. I. P. D., this 2nd part will bring you down to earth. The acting is bad, the characters are more like beginners in "playing in movies" (or this is exactly how the director wanted to be like). Either way, I felt like I want to close and do something else. The story is told in a way that a toddler might like it. Tries to be funny, but it is boring actually.

There are some okay SFX that might cast a shimmer of light on the whole film but as a whole, RIPD 2, unless you're a die hard fan of RIPD 1 won't boost your confidence in the film production industry. It's like a mash between Back to the Future 3, Cyborg, The Witcher and a poor Spaghetti Western, maybe that's the point. You've been warned.

I wonder if the movie will go over 4.5. And that is being generous. Sorry but not worth your time.