Plot: What’s it about?
Riddick (Vin Diesel) is a wanted man, but then again, he always has been and is never able to show his face for too long. So he remains hidden from most eyes, though he does venture out at times, but even then, he maintains a low profile. While he lays low, an epic battle is about to spark into total chaos, as warring alien factions clash over political power. As both sides probably want Riddick dead, his interest is minimal in their conflict, until he is thrust into the middle of the flames. His hideout on a remote ice covered planet is stormed by bounty hunters, forcing him to abandon the only home he knows. Riddick manages to escape, but soon has to choose a side in this galactic quest to control the Helion Prime. One side is fronted by the maniacal Marshal (Colm Feore), a rogue priest who seeks to convert the masses, while the other is led by Aeron (Judi Dench), who has no such twisted desires. Riddick sides with Aeron and with her help, he is able to learn more about his own past, which remains a mystery to him even now. But at the same time, Riddick leads a charge against Marshal and his forces, no small task. As his past becomes more clear, his future starts to looks cloudy, as danger lurks everywhere and he cannot rest, even for a moment. Can even Riddick, with his unique abilities fend off Marshal, or will the entire planet be forced into servitude?
Pitch Black was an awesome movie, one that broke out of the usual conventions of sci/fi and action cinema, to create a unique vision. The performances were good, the storyline was great, and the visuals were out of this world. The film wasn’t a massive production, in terms of budget anyway, but it overcame the monetary limitations with flying colors. Now we have the sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, which somehow manages to lose all of the charms of the original. As we all know, Vin Diesel has become a star since Pitch Black, so this is his movie from start to finish. The ensemble in the original was quite effective, but Diesel is unable to carry the entire burden here, which is he forced to do. The original had to be creative to overcome the modest budget, but in this sequel, the budget was in line with most blockbuster productions. The cash is useless here, as the visuals come off as weak and unoriginal, not to mention the bland special effects. The focus is all on action this time and as a result, the storyline suffers a great deal. This could have been a great movie, but instead, The Chronicles of Riddick is just another loud, overblown action movie. Universal continues the terrible trend of multiple releases, so we have the theatrical cut in both full frame and widescreen, plus an unrated director’s cut. This review is of the widescreen theatrical cut, an edition most fans will skip. I wish Universal would put both cuts in one release, as so many other studios do. The movie is a total disappointment and Universal is sure to issue a better version down the road, so I’d recommend skipping The Chronicles of Riddick.
Video: How does it look?
The Chronicles of Riddick is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. The movie might be lame, but this visual treatment is dynamic and impressive. This is a dark movie, maybe one of the darkest I’ve seen in a while. As such, the transfer has work overtime to keep detail solid and manage those crucial black levels. This turns out not to be a reference level treatment, but the visuals come through quite well. The image has ample depth and clarity, despite the dark visuals, so this is a solid effort. Even in the darkest scenes, contrast remains consistent, so detail is always just as it should be. The colors are bright and bold, especially in a few scenes that are bathed in blue, which look excellent in this edition. I saw no compression errors either, so in the end, Columbia has given a credible visual treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was let down in this department, as Universal often includes DTS soundtracks, but neglected to do so here, although the film would benefit from such an inclusion. I’ve seen recent releases such as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore from Universal with DTS, so I have no idea why dialogue driven comedies warrant DTS, but an action driven blockbuster doesn’t. Although the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option doesn’t reach reference status, it is terrific and ranks as a damn impressive audio experience.The tense and action driven scenes put the speakers through the paces and then some, with creative and highly effective presence, which adds to the eerie, tense atmosphere. The more reserved scenes also sound terrific, while the musical score is tight & immersive here, a very memorable audio treatment indeed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary with director David Twohy is up first, a session which is supplemented by comments from stars Karl Urban and Alexa Davalos. This is a talkative track, but the focus is more on anecdotes, so don’t expect much in terms of substance. Then again, the movie itself has no real substance, so why should the commentary track, right? You can also view a few promotional featurettes, check out a text trivia subtitle stream, and spin a demo of the Riddick XBox video game.
