This film started out as a throwaway horror/sci-fi flick and has grown into a cult hit. Vin Diesel (XXX) stars as Richard B. Riddick, a savage convict who has the ability to see in pitch back. And that will come in handy.
A spaceship crashes on a deserted planet. Capt. Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell, FINDING NEVERLAND) tries to figure out a way for the survivors to get back home and struggles with the moral decisions she made during the crash. William J. Johns (Cole Hauser, TEARS OF THE SUN) is the bounty hunter that is transporting Riddick. He has a secret he’s keeping from the others and his hatred of Riddick is great. Leading a group of young Muslims to New Mecca is Adbu “Imam” al-Walid (Keith David, PLATOON). There’s also a young orphan named Jack (Rhiana Griffith, TV’s HOME AND AWAY), who grows to idolize Riddick.
The rest of the cast is pretty much fodder for the ALIEN-type creatures that live in the caves of the planet. The creatures cannot come out in the light, which keeps the humans safe on a planet with three suns, however an eclipse is about to darken the world as well as the hopes of the space travelers. The film is pretty much a rip-off of ALIEN and THE THING, but it works because the characters are interesting. Fry has an intriguing moral dilemma as well as Riddick. I’d say it even develops its characters better than John Carpenter’s THE THING did.
And for a low-budget flick, the visual effects are impressive. Director David Twohy (BELOW) knows just how much one needs to see to get the point. It’s a solid flick, which entertains with strong characters and an interesting twist on the typical monster movie.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
