Riddick Movie Review

The story of Riddick is a strange one, filled with unexpected twists and turns. If you think by Riddick I mean the film that was just released into theaters, then you’re mistaken, though we will get to that. No, I mean the story of Riddick the franchise. In February 2000 a small sci-fi horror film entered theaters. It was called Pitch Black, and it debuted at #4 in the box office. Staring a then little known Vin Diesel, it didn’t make a big bang upon its initial release, but as with all cult classics Pitch Black built a large following when it hit the home theater market. Its reputation grew large enough that Universal Pictures green-lit a sequel (as well as a short animated film that would serve to bridge the theatrical stories).

Sadly, the follow up — 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick — didn’t live up to expectations for critics, many of its fans, and at the box office. With a budget of $105 million behind him, writer and director David Twohy decided to up the ante, turning what had been a rather simple horror story into a sprawling space opera that most of its target audience wasn’t interested in. By the end of its run in theaters it made a pitiful $115 million, which by any measure is a flop. That should have been the last gasp for Richard B. Riddick.

But it wasn’t.

Released that same year was a first-person video game developed by Starbreeze Studios called The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. Where the film had crashed and burned, Butcher Bay — which told the story of how Riddick gained the shiny eyes that would go on to save his behind in Pitch Black — was a smashing success. Critics and gamers alike heaped praise upon it, which is unusual for a movie tie-in, and the game sold well enough a sequel was put into development that would eventually come out on every major platform.

Is this success what made Universal rethink their decision on bury the franchise? Was it the small but vocal camp of still ravenous fans of the films and their constant cries for more Riddick? Or was it David Twohy and Vin Diesel’s unflinching love for the franchise and a compelling argument about scaling back the story to something much more akin to Pitch Black than Chronicles? The world may never know. But, despite that ignorance, another Riddick movie was green-lit, and this weekend we finally get to dive back into the universe that began over a decade ago in the deep dark of the stars.

Riddick is very much a movie in the spirit of Pitch Black, with our anti-hero Richard B. Riddick once again finding himself at odds with a hostile planet that wants to kill him. Left for dead and with nothing to keep him alive but his own strength and will to survive, Riddick fights his way through one peril after another until at last he finds a small settlement that should provide safety and supplies. But before he can breathe a sigh of relief he hears thunder in the distance, and that’s when he discovers that as savage as the planet is, with the coming storm it will get catastrophically worse. Knowing his only chance to live is to get off the planet as soon as possible, he activates a beacon that tells the galaxy where he is. Money hungry mercenaries quickly arrive to claim his head, yet all too soon the hunters become the hunted. But, when the storm arrives and the rain falls, predator and prey have to work together to remain alive. With danger all around, how long will the long dark night last, and who will live to see the sunrise?

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a massive Riddick fan. I loved Pitch Black, I thought Chronicles was an amazing sequel that broadened the character of Riddick as well as his universe, and I’ve played Butcher Bay twice. I am the audience this film was made for. Did it hit the target? For the most part, yes. Let me break it down a bit.

Vin Diesel is every inch the dark and brooding character he was in Pitch Black, as ready to toss a verbal barb as he is to slit your throat, and Twohy’s direction is rock solid. It was a joy to see Riddick once again doing what he does best. The mercenaries that come to get him are, for the most part, fairly paint by numbers, but Katee Sackhoff and Jordi Molia bring much needed personality to the show. The movie looks good but is appropriately gritty and atmospheric. Occasionally the special effects get janky, with a couple of shots especially poor, but those are the exception and not the rule. Graeme Revell’s score serves its purpose without being overwrought, which I suppose is for the best, but I do love bombastic music in my science fiction. My only real complaint is the pacing. The first half of the movie is very uneven, with a flashback popping up a little ways in that probably would have been better as the opening of the movie. Even after the mercs arrive the pace stumbles around, but once the rain starts falling the film kicks into gear so hard you can practically feel Riddick’s boot on your chest.

The movie is rated R, and it more than earns it. Of course there is plenty of blood and violence, as you would expect, but there’s also some saucy language and a small bit of nudity too. Riddick’s universe isn’t a pretty one, and I’m glad Universal let Twohy and Diesel loose to show that. PG-13 has become code for neutered, and had Riddick been subjected to that I fear for what might have resulted. Such was the fate of Chronicles, and we saw how that played out.

So, is Riddick worth your time and money? Absolutely, especially if you’re a fan of Pitch Black. Riddick is back where he belongs, in the dark with a knife in his hand. No fanfare here, no galaxy sweeping stories. Riddick is about violence, survival, and being the strongest — not to mention the smartest — guy in the room when everything goes to hell. Head into theaters now and support this movie. Riddick deserves to have more of his stories told, and this is our chance to help that happen. Now get out there, people, and rule the dark.

If $10 is the full price of admission, this one is worth $8.00

Justin Macumber

The Hollywood Outsider