R.I.P.D. is a postmodern film that mixes genres by combining elements of police procedurals and supernatural films. It follows two deceased police officers who work for the Rest in Peace Department to catch escaped souls. The film uses techniques like nonlinear narrative, hyperreality, juxtaposition, and disorientated identities that are common in postmodern works. However, the low quality effects and lack of distinction from films it pastiches like Men in Black make it unacceptable for modern audiences expecting more polished films.

1. R.I.P.D (2013)
Rest In Peace Department
Postmodern Film
By Nurin Afiqah Azlan

2. Generic Hybridisation
This happens when a film mixes the elements of two
or more genres together.
For example in R.I.P.D:

3. Pastiche - imitates other media texts in a good way - in a
sense that it celebrates the film.
Parody – a mockery of a previous media text.
Based on the film’s review and of my opinion after watching
R.I.P.D, there is a similar feeling as if I’m watching Men In
Black. For intertextuality reference, it would be a pastiche,
where they are trying to catch criminals in different worlds.
• The films can still be differentiated in some ways:
• Men In Black - Private agency, still alive, keeping eyes
on aliens
• R.I.P.D - Afterlife police officers, dead but using other
human bodies, keeping an eye on the undead criminals.
Pastiche

4. Men In Black
Rest In Peace
Department

5. There are heavy elements taken from
various other films like Hellboy (2004),
Ghostbusters (1984) and Beetlejuice (1988)
especially when they are involving afterlife.

6. Disorientated Identities
Conventionally, a disorientated identity is where the character
doesn't have a name. This lack of identity conforms to
postmodernism. The character’s name is blurred out and
becomes unknown.
In this film, RIPD, both characters themselves and their name is
unknown, predominantly to the undead criminals. The undead
criminals can disguise themselves as real humans and
sometimes the undead police officers can hardly recognise
them. Even the undead policemen need to disguise themselves
as humans in order to be able to find the undead criminals in
the ‘real world’.
RIPD depicts a world consumed by disorientated identity.

7. Disorientated Identities
How the afterlife world
sees them
How the“real" world
see them

8. Disorientated Identities
Undead Criminals

9. Nonlinear Narrative
A nonlinear narrative is a technique used where a story is told
out of order and can often disorientate the audience e.g.
dream immersions.
• In R.I.P.D, the film starts with Ryan Reynolds in the Rest
In Peace Police Department - this can bring confusion to
the audience as to what is actually happening? Why is he
there suddenly?
• Then it shows the flashback before he died and it depicts
3-4 days ago. This is not even an exact number again
making the audience feel disoriented. There is no certainty
in the film which is a successful application to the codes
and conventions of postmodernist theory.

10. Hyperreality
Hyperreality is an inability of consciousness to distinguish
reality from a simulation of reality, especially in
technologically advanced postmodern societies.
The postmodern theme as hyperreality is significant in this film.
No one actually knows what is going to happen in the afterlife
"world". In this film, they are creating elements to make the
audience believe that this is going to happen in the afterlife for
selected police officers. I believe this film is more of a
development of ideas as well as signifying the hypodermic needle
theory.
• Evidence of hyperreality:
• The character itself whenever they are disguised in the real
world and being themselves in the afterlife world.

11. Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is simply when two things
that contradict each other are being
placed together.
• Applying to the film, when the
undead police officers are
transforming into ‘humans’, one is
an attractive female and the other
is an old Chinese guy
• This is ridiculously funny as it is a
parody of contemporary
stereotypes i.e. gold diggers,
whereby the young attractive
woman is only with an old man for
his money.

12. Acceptable or Unacceptable?
• Even if this film conforms to most of the codes and conventions
of postmodernist theory, it has to be a socially acceptable film
especially for the audience.
• Some people accept hyperreality some people don’t.
• The effects aren’t up to the standards that most films have
nowadays making it unacceptable for the audience. These days
films, even if it is a hyperreality film, the editing and effects
complete the film where everything looks real.
• When you are making a pastiche to MIB, the film should be
more elaborate in many ways in order to be acceptable. There
are no significant distinctions of the film.
• Even the storyline is not fully explained, thus confusing for the
audience. This would be acceptable as its applying to the
conventional of postmodernism.