Riddick Review

Synopsis
When the Necromongers leave Riddick (Vin Diesel) for dead on a desolate planet, he activates a distress beacon from an abandoned outpost. The beacon draws two mercenary ships: one containing a new breed of mercenary, and the second is captained by a man with a more personal relation to Riddick.

Review
I’ve always enjoyed the character of Riddick. Unlike most, I felt that The Chronicles of Riddick was an improvement over Pitch Black, so I was hoping Riddick could maintain the momentum of keeping the franchise moving forward. Thankfully, it does and is the strongest entry in the franchise to date.

When the budget for Chronicles ballooned from the budget for Pitch Black, the film tried to add too much, particularly the fantastical element incorporated into Riddicks origin. The interwoven fantasy material makes Chronicles the black sheep of the franchise. Riddick goes back to its roots with a smaller budget and more along the science-fiction origins established in Pitch Black. This prevents it from going over-the-top and keeps in grounded (or at least as grounded as sci-fi can be).

Like the other entries in the series, the dialog is very corny and cliché. However, Riddick is able to incorporate humor, making the dialog much more bearable. A lot of the comedic relief comes from Diaz, played by wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista. The interactions between the two mercenary captains, played by Jordi Molla and Matt Nable, offer some good stuff, too.

One of the most unique things about Riddick is that its three acts all feel completely different from one another. The first part of the movie is about survival. Riddick has been abandoned and so he must work to survive in the barren landscape. However, this portion is very slow to develop and is very uneventful, although this does act as set up for some events later on.

The middle act shows Riddick and his confrontation with the mercenaries. This is my favorite part of the film because this is when the interactions between the characters really shine. It also shows much more of the raw killer in Riddick than we have seen in the previous films. Some of his kills are pretty creative and brutal. Influences from Pitch Black are very apparent, as the action takes place in the dark, very similar to the second half of Pitch Black.

In the last act, Riddick must team with the remaining mercenaries to survive an incoming swarm of the creatures Riddick faced in the first act. Again, think of the second half of Pitch Black and that is pretty much what this part of the movie feels like.

The Chronicles of Riddick franchise keeps getting better. Riddick harkens back to its roots laid out in Pitch Black and opts for a smaller budget and more concentrated plot, creating what I consider to be the strongest entry in the series.

Rating
3.5/5

For more of The Chronicles of Riddick series, check out my reviews for Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury

Lightning Review: The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury

Synopsis
After Riddick (Vin Diesel), Imam (Keith David), and Jack (Rhiana Griffith) escape the desert planet, they are picked up by a mercenary ship.

Review
Dark Fury‘s premise is to connect Pitch Black with The Chronicles of Riddick, and it does so very well. Though it does serves more as epilogue to Pitch Black than a prologue to Chronicles. Imam and Jack get closure as to what happens to them after Pitch Black and Jack’s character development carries over into Chronicles.  It also shows the first meeting between Toombs (Nick Chinlund) and Riddick. The animation style is done by Peter Chung, who is also responsible for The Animatrix short Matriculated. For the most part it is pretty slick, but during the fight scenes, the outlines can get heavy and make it look weird. Dark Fury looks great and does an excellent job of bridging the gap between the first two Riddick movies.

Rating
3/5

For more of The Chronicles of Riddick series, check out my reviews for Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Riddick

The Chronicles of Riddick (Director’s Cut) Review

Synopsis
After hiding for five years after the events of Pitch Black, mercenaries chase Riddick to Helion Prime. There, he reunites with Imam (Keith David) who tells Riddick about the invading Necromongers. He agrees to help fend off the invaders after the leader of the “elementals” of Helion, Aereon (Judi Dench), pleas for help.

Review
I didn’t really care for Pitch Black, but I did like the character of Riddick, so I was excited to see if his follow up film engaged me better than his debut. Much to my satisfaction, The Chronicles of Riddick is an improvement from its predecessor, and is much closer to my science fiction tastes.

One major distinction between the first two Riddick movies is the type of sci-fi film they are. Pitch Black is a B-level horror-survival film that has a cult following, but never really clicked for me, whereas Chronicles moves more towards the fantastical elements of sci-fi, more towards my inclination. The fantasy element is pretty prevalent throughout the film. Aereon is a wind elemental, so she can float around like a wisp. Then the leader of the Necromongers, the Lord Marshall (Colm Feore), can grab peoples souls. It’s and interesting blend of the sci-fi and fantasy genres.

The other main difference between Chronicles and Pitch Black is Chronicles actually has somewhat of a storyline. This film has Riddick working towards something tangible, rather than just surviving like in the first movie. In Chronicles, Riddick has two enemies to face: Toombs (Nick Chinlund), a mercenary also seen in the short Dark Fury, and the Necromongers, a warrior race determined to wipe out humanity. Normally, I would complain about no central villain, therefore losing focus on both parties, but the Director’s Cut’s 135 minute run time gives both villains enough screen time and doesn’t feel rushed or clustered.

Also, there is an added sub-plot about Riddick’s past and the fate of his home planet of Furya. It doesn’t really add much to the film itself, but I enjoyed these little tid-bits because it fleshed out his character more.

There is a diverse range of locations throughout the course of the movie, and the sets all look amazing. There are several starship interiors, the surface of a sun-scorched planet, cities, and Necromonger rooms, but my favorite was the prison Riddick was sent to after being captured. It was very reminiscent of the Alien films. Very well done.

As cool as the fantasy elements were, I think they also hurt the film the most. Pitch Black established the Riddick universe as a more grounded sci-fi, and although I applaud them for trying something different in Chronicles, it contradicts the tone established in the first movie. It also made for some weird plot devices (Surrounded by enemies? All of a sudden Riddick can shoot energy waves from his body.  Sure, why not?). They could have still done something different, yet maintain the mood of the Pitch Black.

Riddick is as bad-ass as ever, and Chronicles explores the character’s past, further fleshing him out. With alluring set design, energetic fight scenes, and a blending of science-fiction and fantasy, Chronicles of Riddick may not be the perfect sci-fi movie, but it’s a fun experience nonetheless.

Rating
3/5

For more of The Chronicles of Riddick series, check out my reviews for Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, and Riddick

Lightning Review: Pitch Black

Synopsis
A transport ship heading for the galactic outpost New Mecca crashes on an abandoned planet with three suns and no night. Junior pilot Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell) tries to keep the survivors together, which include William Johns (Cole Hauser) and his prisoner, Richard Riddick (Vin Diesel). When the survivors learn that the planet has a total eclipse that allows bloodthirsty mutants to roam, they must repair a life boat before they all get devoured.

Review
I want to like Pitch Black, but there isn’t too much to like. The premise of surviving on a dangerous planet has been done over and over, and there is nothing to make this movie distinct in a sub-genre that is saturated enough already. Vin Diesel is the best part about Pitch Black, or at least his character. Riddick is a bad-ass, and Diesel does a good job playing the character. The action is pretty cool, but with much of it taking place in the dark, it can be difficult to see it. Sound work of a horror film can make or break it, and I think that is why this movie was such a disappointment to me, the sound doesn’t add to the tension. Pitch Black is a generic science fiction horror survival movie that doesn’t do much to stand out, whose strongest aspect is having a cool central character.

Rating
2/5

For more of The Chronicles of Riddick series, check out my reviews for The Chronicles of Riddick, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, and Riddick