I liked the movie the first time I saw it, but Ruby bugged me. But on re-watching, I appreciated his character more. I guess he grew on me - I like that he’s unafraid to embrace the cheesiness. Actually, that’s one reason why I like the whole movie - it’s unashamed about it’s high cheese quotient but is still hilariously entertaining.
I must admit, in the middle of a firefight if someone asked me to count to ten, I might do it the way Ruby did.
Indeed, I look at it as Tucker playing Ruby…who was playing “Ruby”, with the latter being Ruby’s on-air persona. There are moments when he drops Ruby-the-persona and plays Ruby-the-person. That’s not to say the “real” Ruby wasn’t screechy and in over his head, but he wasn’t as exaggerated as the persona. I think Tucker did a fine job with the role, though I found Ruby annoying at first, too.
So what does it mean to be a meat popsicle, anyway?
He’s being cool?
Now listen Ringo, we’re going to be like three little meat popsicles here. And what are meat popsicles like?
One thing to understand about this movie is that the entire point was (a) to make an action movie with a completely bog-standard plot except (b) to make it as completely weird as possible.
This is what Ruby Rhod fits in. He’s the annoying, utterly pointless sidekick who contributes nothing. But that’s the point, he’s all of that and completely, hilariously, over-the-top weird the entire time.
Corbin Dallas/Bruce Willis was doing an almost dead-pan parody of Bruce Willis ‘save the world’ action films.
And it just wasn’t that interesting without Ruby Rhod. Ruby was also a poke at the direction of entertainment media. The almost deaf character Ray, who was dressed in drag and apparently some kind of music star, was another.
This is one of my favorite movies.
I’m in the Ruby camp. He was annoying as all get out but funny as hell, too. I, also, love this movie.
P.S., Is it me or whenever there’s a black president in the movies it means disaster is about to strike?
It helps that as annoying as Ruby was to us, Dallas was just as annoying to him by giving bland one-or-two-word replies every time Ruby prompted him for commentary.
Wait, was Ray, the guy hiding under the table who, when asked by Korben Dallas to slide the gun over, instead rolled over the cue ball? Was he supposed to be deaf? I thought he was just really, really stupid.
He was deaf and, I gather, some kind of futuristicky Beethoven analogue.
Loved this movie, didn’t mind Chris Tucker.
The voice totally sounded “black” to me, I kind of always thought it was Tone Loc myself.
I remember that was the most visually stunning DVD I owned for many years.
MtM
I rather liked Ruby Rhod. His persona could be annoying as hell but when push came to shove he managed to do what was needed. Even if he was screaming and shrieking!
But my favorite character was Ian Holm’s Father Vito.
This is one movie that would benefit from a 3D treatment. Imagine the Diva scene, with the view of the planet behind her, for one.