Riddick is the third movie in the series by director David Twohy an
d starring Vin Diesel. Diesel stars as the title character, Richard Riddick, escaped convict, murderer and total badass. The first movie, Pitch Black was a great mix of horror and sci-fi action while the second one, The Chronicles of Riddick fell flat for me. Riddick is a return to the sci-fi action of the first.
The movie opens with Riddick (Diesel) being betrayed by the Necromancers who have stranded him on an extremely hostile world. Wounded and left for dead, Riddick does what he has always done, survive. On the far side of the planet Riddick discovers a mercenary supply station and activates an emergency beacon with the plan to steal whatever ship comes to extract him. Two mercenary ships arrive, both intending to collect the bounty on Riddick.
The story goes exactly how you would expect it to go. The mercenaries threaten Riddick and Riddick proceeds to thin their ranks as the story plays out. The first 35 minutes moved quite slowly but once things get moving the story goes pretty fast. The best way to describe it would be to compare it to a roller coaster, once you get over the first hill the action doesn’t stop. Aside from the mercenary plot line, the movie also has a “man vs. nature” aspect. This “man vs. nature” plotline of the story harkens back to Pitch Black with the characters fighting the indigenous life forms to survive. Unlike Pitch Black where it was only one type of creature the characters needed to avoid, in Riddick everything carries a potential death sentence.
Vin Diesel was born to play Riddick and he appears to be having a great time playing this character. I am glad we get to see a bit more of Riddick’s compassionate side. It figures that if Riddick was going to get a pet it would be a vicious zebra/hyena alien crossbreed. Personally I think I want one of those dogs as well.
I did enjoy Riddick. There are no great surprises in the film but I found it to be excellent escapism cinema. Riddick is definitely a movie you can turn to if you are looking for something loaded with action. David Twohy really created an intriguing futuristic landscape as well as giving us a great anti-hero to admire. And judging from the ending this may not be the last time we will see Riddick…let’s hope we do see him again. Riddick also stars Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), Neil Napier (Helix), Dave Bautista (WWE) and Karl Urban (Dredd).
Riddick is due out this Tuesday January 14 on both Blu-ray and DVD. The special features include a look at how the world of Riddick was created as well as a look at the tech.
Bonus Features Exclusively on Blu-rayTM
• The Twohy Touch—In this short film, writer and director David Twohy explains the development of Riddick, the third feature film in his high-concept sci-fi series. Interviews and on-set footage detail Twohy’s vision and inspiration, as well as the unusual amount of creative collaboration between the filmmaker and Vin Diesel that takes the cult franchise to a new level.
• Riddickian Tech—The filmmakers, including Riddick’s amazing effects team, talk about the extraordinary technologies used to create Riddick’s eye-popping sci-fi elements, from the practical effects to the green screen wonders that made it possible to bring this high-intensity, futuristic thriller to the big screen.
• The World Of Riddick—Key members of the filmmaking team, including director David Twohy, production designer Joseph C. Nemec III and director of photography David Eggby talk about the inspiration and influences behind the film’s vivid and unique visuals and savage predators.
Bonus Features on Blu-rayTM and DVD
• Vin’s Riddick—Vin Diesel, his co-stars and the entire filmmaking team provide an inside look at the superstar’s passion for everything from the film’s production and development to his intensive physical training, as well as just what makes Diesel ideal for the role of the indestructible Richard B. Riddick.
• Meet The Mercs—From Karl Urban and Katee Sackhoff to Jordi Mollà, Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine, and Nolan Gerard Funk, this featurette spotlights the dynamic supporting cast of Riddick and the characters they portray, exploring what the actors bring to their roles, as well as the weapons and clothing styles that define them to enhance this heart-stopping thriller.
• Riddick: Blindsided—A motion comic prequel to Riddick that fills in the gap since 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick.
