Director: David Twohy
Starring: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, Colm Feore

Riddick is a follow-up to 2000's Pitch Black that introduced the world to Richard B. Riddick the new anti-hero. Those looking for a true sequel to Pitch Black will be disappointed, Riddick is entirely new beast. Twohy has switched horror for an epic sci-fi action movie. The Chronicles picks up about five years after the end of Pitch Black, with Riddick hiding on a frozen planet; but some Mercs will not leave him be. The Mercs fail at capturing him and Riddick takes their ship to find out who put the price on his head. Turns out that Imam, who he saved in Pitch Black, wants him to save the universe from the Necromongers, a quasi-religious army trying to reach the under-verse by converting or killing anyone in their way. Of course Riddick is reluctant and heads off to find the other survivor from Pitch Black. After several confrontations with the Necromongers Riddick comes around. The movie tries to combine the action of Star Wars with political intrigue of Dune, but never quite nails it. The action scenes are entertaining and a nice change from the gut of Matrix rip-offs, but the layers of mythology and politics are never fully explored and are quite vague. Which causes some minor plot holes and leaves the overall story rather simplistic. The movie feels like a cheesy 70's space opera, making it a refreshing change from all the nihilistic small scoped futures in today's cinema. The acting ranges from the Shakespearean quality of the conspiring Nercomongers to the fun, but camp Diesel. Colm Feore is not fearsome enough for his role as Lord Marshall, the leader of the Necromongers. Overall, most of the characters come off as rather 2D when compared to those found in Pitch Black with the exception of the Merc Toombs. The art direction for the film is a great combination of David Lynch's Dune meets H.R. Giger, but some of the set are a little to obvious they are CGI. Twohy further expands his directing skills from Pitch Black, but the are hindered by pace of the movie. The movie's plot seems rushed and could have been fleshed out easily if the movie was somewhat longer (maybe in a director's cut). The ending leaves quite a wide range of possibilities for the future adventures of Riddick, if the movie manages to get off the ground. Chronicles of Riddick is a nice summer blockbuster, heavy on action, with a few problems, but is still easily enjoyable. It is entertainment for the sake of entertainment.

Score: 7.5

Cabal