Perhaps the timing of Riddick, the sequel to Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick is a stroke of genius. After all, it’s a literal dead season for movies and there is just little of great interest out in theaters right now. Perhaps it is just having Vin Diesel’s monotone voice back in our ears that proves to be a welcome return. Regardless of the reason, Riddick – warts and all – is a science fiction thrill ride that reclaims a bit of the unexpected creature feature glory of Pitch Black.
Look, taking anything that Riddick presents seriously would be a very, very bad use of the brain. This is fantasy fluff. Exciting fantasy fluff, but nonetheless, with its exaggerated heroics and zippy comebacks (that don’t always land safely at their final destinations), there’s little sense in proclaiming Riddick as the second coming of science fiction. It is – just as it should be – totally forgettable science fiction.
The character of Riddick appeared on the scene with the massively fun Pitch Black. It was followed by a perplexing sequel that failed to connect with audiences and sort of spelled out D-O-O-M for the series. Two well-reviewed video games came next - personally developed by Diesel himself – to resuscitate the series. Finally, a spin-off anime film appeared from the guy who created Aeon Flux and blew minds left and right of the center.
Now, thirteen years after his debut, Riddick – the proper sequel to Pitch Black that is more of the same and exactly what we want it to be – appears on the scene. Riddick (Vin Diesel) has been stranded and left for dead on a planet he desperately wants to escape. Written and directed (once again) by David Twohy, there’s no doubt this movie has been a grueling labor of love for all involved.
The low-budget grindhouse sensibilities are back as Diesel attempts to escape a dangerous planet with all types of beasties hiding below its rugged surface. Nothing here – the CGI dingo dogs, scorpions, and future motorbikes - will impress the FX hounds but, thankfully, the gore and nudity have both been “upped” along with the female dynamic thanks to Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff.
Riddick is an uncompromising and, ultimately, successful sequel that, while sometimes silly in its execution, manages to bring some of the significant lore surrounding the character to a sort-of light. The die-hards are sure to eat this up. Others? Maybe not. Regardless, there’s no doubting that Diesel hopes to reignite the franchise with his brief monologues, quick flashbacks, and zippy one-liners.
Riddick leaves its fans in the lurch. It doesn’t really end. It pauses. And maybe, for the faithful, that’s a good sign that keeps the door open for another round. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another nine years for a worthy follow-up.
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MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.
Runtime: 119 mins.
Director: David Twohy
Writer: David Twohy
Cast: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoffa
Genre: Action | Sci-fi
Tagline: Rule the dark.
Memorable Movie Quote: "One down... Three down. You see where I'm going with this?"
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Official Site: www.riddickmovie.com/
Release Date: September 6, 2013
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: No details available.
Synopsis: Betrayed by his own kind and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Soon bounty hunters from throughout the galaxy descend on Riddick only to find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. With his enemies right where he wants them, Riddick unleashes a vicious attack of vengeance before returning to his home planet of Furya to save it from destruction.
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Blu-ray Details:
Unrated Director's Cut
Available on Blu-ray - January 14, 2014
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Spanish: DTS 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD); UV digital copy; iTunes digital copy; DVD copy; BD-Live
Region Encoding: A, B
The 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is up there in quality with a crystal clear and detailed image. The overall colors range from orange colors in the beginning to less vibrant colors when the creatures come. Black levels are solid. Skin tones are pocketed with detail. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is impressive. The sound of the creatures sneaks around in each speaker. Dialogue is clear and the subwoofer doesn’t slack off in this explosive presentation.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- No commentary is included. Disappointing, I know.
Special Features:
The main highlight from the extras is the unrated director’s cut that includes 8 minutes of additional footage, bringing it to 127 minutes. The additional material gives us a look at Riddick’s life with the Necromongers, including Karl Urban as Vaako. The supplemental material – each running about 10 minutes in length – answers the question of why we need another Riddick movie. Included in the mix is a motion picture comic and Vin expressing his undying love for the character. Everything else is pretty much self-explanatory.
- The Twohy Touch (10 min)
- Riddickian Tech (10 min)
- Vin’s Riddick (10 min)
- Meet the Mercs (10 min)
- The World of Riddick (10 min)
- Riddick: Blindsided (10 min)
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