This closed out my summer theater fare on a high note that I wasn't expecting. The story is kind of shallow (similar scenario as PITCH BLACK), but it was very entertaining. My review from IMDB:
PITCH BLACK was made for a relatively low budget and became a minor hit. Probably being overconfident, the producers made THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK for over 100 million dollars and it only grossed about half of that at the American box-office. The possibility of a 3rd movie looked bleak....
If you've read the reports of on again off again, production shutdowns, securing a new budget, you would be excused for expecting the worst from the new RIDDICK movie. After CHRONICLES, they really had to pare the budget down. But, this is a labor of love for Vin Diesel (also producer) and writer/director, David Twohy. I'm happy to report that this movie is quite good! I just went to opening day, so I have to guess how this movie will fare. I suspect it will do very well, especially now that Riddick has been around on DVD, as a cartoon and as a video game or two. It's time for this series to go mainstream.
The new movie is a true sequel, so it relies on some of the backstory, introduced in the first two live action movies. For the new viewer, you should first see PITCH BLACK. This introduces the "prisoner," Riddick, who has eyes that can see in the dark, and his captor, a bounty hunter named Johns (Cole Houser).
Next up, see THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. This movie introduces a planet conquering race, the Necromongers (much akin to the Borg). These are the guys in the weird suits, in the new RIDDICK flashbacks. We also learn that Riddick belongs to a race, called Furyans - a bad-ass and defiant people!
Now, that brings us to the third, live action installment, RIDDICK. Riddick is broken and stranded on a desolate planet. We are introduced to some alien species and rocky terrain. This is a "hunter/prey" movie with some pretty cool imagery. I'm not going to give much away - not that there is much to give away, but the pace is good and full of dark fun.
I really have to give props for the production pulling through and giving us a movie that I think is better than CHRONICLES and closer to the flavor of PITCH BLACK, even if it is self-derivative. It's a great piece of adventure/sci-fi to close out the summer with.
PITCH BLACK was made for a relatively low budget and became a minor hit. Probably being overconfident, the producers made THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK for over 100 million dollars and it only grossed about half of that at the American box-office. The possibility of a 3rd movie looked bleak....
If you've read the reports of on again off again, production shutdowns, securing a new budget, you would be excused for expecting the worst from the new RIDDICK movie. After CHRONICLES, they really had to pare the budget down. But, this is a labor of love for Vin Diesel (also producer) and writer/director, David Twohy. I'm happy to report that this movie is quite good! I just went to opening day, so I have to guess how this movie will fare. I suspect it will do very well, especially now that Riddick has been around on DVD, as a cartoon and as a video game or two. It's time for this series to go mainstream.
The new movie is a true sequel, so it relies on some of the backstory, introduced in the first two live action movies. For the new viewer, you should first see PITCH BLACK. This introduces the "prisoner," Riddick, who has eyes that can see in the dark, and his captor, a bounty hunter named Johns (Cole Houser).
Next up, see THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. This movie introduces a planet conquering race, the Necromongers (much akin to the Borg). These are the guys in the weird suits, in the new RIDDICK flashbacks. We also learn that Riddick belongs to a race, called Furyans - a bad-ass and defiant people!
Now, that brings us to the third, live action installment, RIDDICK. Riddick is broken and stranded on a desolate planet. We are introduced to some alien species and rocky terrain. This is a "hunter/prey" movie with some pretty cool imagery. I'm not going to give much away - not that there is much to give away, but the pace is good and full of dark fun.
I really have to give props for the production pulling through and giving us a movie that I think is better than CHRONICLES and closer to the flavor of PITCH BLACK, even if it is self-derivative. It's a great piece of adventure/sci-fi to close out the summer with.
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