HBO Max subscribers just got treated to a Ryan Reynolds-starring film, though the most recent addition to the streaming library may not be much to celebrate. While the actor is known for his roles in films like Dead Pool, Free Guy, and Red Notice it is another far less critically-acclaimed film of his that just made its way to HBO Max – R.I.P.D., the 2013 supernatural action-comedy regarded as the worst film of Reynold’s career.
Making its way to the HBO Max streaming library on Wednesday, Dec. 1, eight years after its 2013 theatrical premiere, R.I.P.D., or Rest in Peace Department, is based on a screenplay adapted from Peter M. Lenkov’ comic book of the same name. The film follows R.I.P.D., the legendary police force charged with finding monstrous spirits who are disguised as ordinary people but are trying to avoid their final judgment by hiding out among the living. It centers on veteran lawman Roy Pulsifer and his new partner, Reynold’s Nick Walker, as they must discover a way to restore the cosmic balance after they uncover r a plot that could end all life. In addition to Reynolds, the film also stars Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stéphanie Szostak, and Marisa Miller.
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Unfortunately, the Robert Schwentke-directed film was met with little fanfare. Not only was R.I.P.D. a box office bomb – it only grossed $78 million worldwide on a $130 million budget – but it was met with an overwhelming amount of negative reviews. In fact, the film is regarded as Reynolds’ worst, with R.I.P.D. being ranked the lowest of all his film credits on Metacritic, where it received just a 25 Metacritic score, meaning “generally unfavorable reviews” from critics.
R.I.P.D. didn’t fare much better on other ratings sites. Audiences polled by Cinemsacrore gave the film a C+, and the movie has only earned a 38% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics have given it just a 12% approval rating. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus reads, “it has its moments — most of them courtesy of Jeff Bridges’ rootin’ tootin’ performance as an undead Wild West sheriff — but R.I.P.D. is ultimately too dim-witted and formulaic to satisfy.”
If the negative reviews and poor ratings are enough to keep you from pressing play on R.I.P.D., HBO Max has plenty of other options. The streamer kicked off the month of December with a wave of fresh content, such as Blade II, Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and No Country For Old Men, among many others. Dozens of other titles are set to be added throughout the remainder of the month.
