Riddick : Something of a regression

If you enjoyed the first film in the ‘Riddick’ series (Pitch Black), then you’ll probably enjoy this one. Let’s just say they’re both rather similar. Riddick wrangles with a bunch of people that are trying to cash in on the bounty on his head, then a bunch of scary looking monsters enter the fray and attack said mercenaries and various other ship crew members.

The movie starts where it left off, with Riddick in control of the vast Necromonger army. Interestingly he has developed a yearning to find his Furyan home world. He is of course betrayed and finds himself injured and stranded on a less than hospitable alien planet. It’s then not long before the movie finds its way back to the familiar thread from the previous two films.

Thankfully we have the same team writing and directing the films, to maintain the franchises look and feel. It’s just a little disappointing coming back to the same old story, especially when the second film was so much more expansive in its plot and was therefore less predictable. If this was a standalone film, I think I’d have rated it more highly. But coming off the first two films I can’t help feeling a little dissatisfied. The action like the previous films is good, but you get the feel that this film has had its budget cut in both the effects and casting department.

I like Vin Diesel playing the anti hero Riddick. I think the character suits him. The support cast like the first film will be largely unknown to most audiences save for the sci-fi fans out there who will recognise Katee Sackhoff from the TV series Battlestar Galactica. The casting is again a bit of a letdown given the calibre of actors in the second film such as Judi Dench and New Zealand’s own Karl Urban, who does something of a cameo in one of the film’s opening scenes.

I think for the most part your science fiction fans out there will like Riddick. I guess from my side I was hoping for something closer in concept to the second film. I can’t help but feel they peaked in ‘The Chronicles of Riddick and have since regressed to something not quite as good. I still hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the series and that Riddick comes back to fight another day, because the concept and character are great.