Sometimes movies surprise me.  Remembering that I didn’t care at all for R. I. P. D., a supposedly comedic sci-fi / horror mashup from 2013, I was reluctant to see its belated sequel.  But that’s what I was in the mood for last night, so that’s what I saw.  And I had a good old time.  Nothing that bothered me from the first one did so this time, perhaps because this one is so tongue-in-cheek.  The humor is infectious, while the dramatics are done well and a few genuinely touching moments shine through, too.

Paul Leyden’s story takes place in 1876 Utah and Wyoming.  Miner Otis Clairborne (Richard Brake) stupidly opens a portal to Hell during an eclipse, allowing a demon to take possession of his body and start in motion a plan to unleash a wave of demons upon the unsuspecting world.  Meanwhile, Sheriff Roy Pulsipher (Jeffrey Donovan) is killed in action, recruited to the R. I. P. D. to fight evil on Earth, and teamed with sword-wielding Jeanne (Penelope Mitchell).  Roy doesn’t really understand what he has signed up for, continually trying to fix his past, but Jeanne keeps him properly focused while training him on the job and saving the world in the process.

While the first film always feels forced and stilted to me, this one just goes with the flow.  It plays with standard tropes and stereotypes and has fun with everything.  I really liked how Slim Samuels (Jake Choi) fits into the story, constantly puns on Roy’s name and proves himself by the end.  The avatars chosen for Roy and Jeanne are fun, edited into the action better than in the first film, and have more meaning for modern audiences.  I also liked how Jeanne’s true identity is revealed and what that means for Roy (who, I guess, eventually ages into Jeff Bridges when the first film takes place in the future).

This isn’t Shakespeare.  Yes, it probably qualifies as a guilty pleasure than as a genuinely good film.  It doesn’t matter.  In the right frame of mind even something as superficial and silly as this can be gleefully entertaining.  This one is written well enough to tickle my funny bone and enacted well enough to qualify as good entertainment.  It reminded me of the Tremors franchise, which I enjoy, and which displays a similar attitude.  I recommend it, and maybe I will have to revisit the first film to see if perhaps I missed the boat on that one.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  13 January 2023.