Why Fans Think This Ryan Reynolds Movie Is The Worst Ever Made
Given Ryan Reynold's recent announcement that he will be taking a hiatus from making movies, it seems as good a time as any to discuss his filmography. Of course, the Canadian superstar is best known for his titular role in the two Deadpool movies but he's also been in a ton of other fantastic films. However, not every project Ryan's made has been received by fans and critics warmly. Even Ryan's recent film, alongside Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot, doesn't appear as though it's going to be a hit. After all, fans have been slamming Netflix due to the terrible acting in the film... Ouch... but even with a few bad movies, Ryan Reynold's epic career is still flying high. And that's pretty amazing given the fact that he made R.I.P.D.
Without a question in the world, R.I.P.D. is seen as Ryan's worst mainstream movie, according to both critics and fans. The 2013 film, which co-starred the great Jeff Bridges, ranks at just 12% on Rotten Tomatoes. That's behind such Ryan Reynolds gems as Van Wilder, Green Lantern, and Self/Less (yes, we know you've never heard of this last one). But R.I.P.D. is a film that most of Ryan's fans can remember... mostly because it scarred them for life. Not because it was disturbing... just that it was disturbingly bad. Here's why...
R.I.P.D. Was A Financial Flop And Universal Studios Knew It Was Going To Be
Like many massive blockbusters, R.I.P.D. is a high-concept picture. It's about a cop (played by Ryan) who dies and gets sent to heaven, but before he can go, he is recruited by the after-life police to go back to Earth and capture a few dead souls who are causing trouble. Like any good cop story, Ryan is paired with the opposite personality of himself... this time played by Jeff Bridges in what has to be his worst role as well. But, fortunately for them, both Ryan and Jeff got to make this terrible movie together.
Additionally, the 2013 film was a big-budget project. In fact, it cost Universal Studios $150 million. But that meant Ryan could pull a pretty decent wage for starring in the terrible film. It's pretty amazing to think that he went from working a minimum wage job to becoming one of the wealthiest celebrities in Hollywood. But he could've earned a lot more had the movie done well at the box office.
R.I.P.D.'s box office final tally was just at $78 million, which meant it was a big financial loss for the studio. But that's their fault in more ways than one. Firstly, after the film was completed, they knew they had a total flop on their hands and therefore paired down the marketing in order to lessen the bad press, according to Bomb Report. Given the high cost of the film paired with the low earnings, this has got to be one of Ryan's lowest-grossing films.
The Real Reason Why R.I.P.D. Is A Terrible Movie
Even though the film had a high-concept premise and a lot of elements that successful blockbusters had, R.I.P.D. was a disaster. According to an excellent video essay by Anatomy Of A Failure, nothing in the film was more than what it appeared. Obviously, this is a problem with the script, which feels as though it was written by suits at a studio versus creative minds. Unlike excellent blockbusters like Inception or even the James Bond films, nothing in R.I.P.D. unfolded. It was simply presented to us and that's what we got. In many instances, we are told what's about to happen right before it happens. There are no surprises in the film and absolutely no excitement. That kind of defeats the purpose of a high-concept blockbuster. Even Men In Black, which R.I.P.D. kind of ripped off, manages to constantly surprise audiences with new revelations and put them on a ride of pure escapism. But while R.I.P.D. is an escapist film, it just made fans want to get up out of their seats and escape the room.
Additionally, the movie gets bogged down in its own world-building. One of the most challenging things about making a high-concept movie (or show) is unfolding the unique world rules in a way that doesn't feel expository or bores the audience. R.I.P.D. does this with a stupid voice-over at the beginning of the film. But the shocking thing is, none of the exposition actually sticks. This is because none of it is explored through conflict or emotional revelation. Therefore, it doesn't resonate on the level that it should. While even a great film like Inception is guilty of expository scenes without conflict to make it seem natural, most of the important bits are given to the audience in a way that hits them emotionally (I.E. Cobb's need to get home, the meaning of the totems, and the idea of limbo).
Finally, the reason why R.I.P.D. is a terrible movie is due to the performances. And, yes, this includes Ryan's acting. None of the stars on the film look as though they really want to be part of the project. It feels as though each of them took part in the film purely for the paycheck. They knew it was nonsense, but either had a studio deal requirement to fulfill or wanted the cash. After all, why else would they make a movie this bad? But at least with some bad movies, the actors fully invest in the story. Here, Ryan just looks as though he's phoning it in.
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