Low-budget horror/sci-fi flick PITCH BLACK has become a cult hit and helped propel star Vin Diesel into stardom. Capitalizing on the success of the first film, director David Twohy was allowed to make a sequel with greatly expanded resources.
The murderous convict Riddick (Diesel) is still running from bounty hunters. He gets a bit ticked off when he discovers that the newest bounty on his head comes from one of the people he saved in the first film – Imam (Keith David, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY). The night-visioned killer comes to discover that Imam’s planet is under attack from a violent cult called The Necromongers, which are led by Lord Marshal (Colm Feore, CHICAGO). Riddick becomes a reluctant hero, especially when he learns of the murderous track the young girl (Alexa Davalos, AND STARRING PANCHO VILLA AS HIMSELF) he saved in the first film has taken.
In addition, two Necromongers Dame Vaako (Thandie Newton, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2) and Vaako (Karl Urban, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING) plot to use Riddick to kill Lord Marshal so they can take over the Necromongers. And finally, Aereon (Judi Dench, MRS. BROWN) is an ethereal type creature whose goal is to bring balance back to the universe.
The film doesn’t set new ground – it’s an amalgam of LORD OF THE RINGS and THE MATRIX -- but I enjoyed the expansion of the RIDDICK universe. I also liked how Riddick dealt with the young girl he saved.
Vin Diesel is very well suited for this character. He brings the perfect tone. I also found the visuals quite amazing. Some of the CG work in the film is first rate. Due to the lackluster box office performance, I’m afraid that we won’t be seeing a third film in this franchise anytime soon. That’s kind of sad, because I would have loved to see where they were going to go after the ending of this film. In the end, I liked the universe this film created, I enjoyed the characters and would have liked to see more.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
