Las crónicas de Riddick

Just had fun watching TCOR and am pretty happy about it. Good action, great visual stuff. A worthy successor to Pitch Black, though the two films are hardly related. Vin Diesel does a good and convincing job at playing an action antihero. As usual, Judy Dench adds to the film, even though her role is small here. The story is pure pulp SF and is short and predictable but is refreshingly dark and (mostly) unsentimental. It actually also has some interesting bits and nice side stories as a (smallish) bonus. Bits and pieces have been copied from Dune, without the film being a Dune copy. Compared to Dune, TCOR has more action and fewer Lynch oddities & boring bits. In my book, both films are good, about equally so.

Reading some of the other reviews, it seems that people are fairly polarized in their opinions of this film. Like most pulp science fiction, it takes a different sort of suspension of belief from that which makes usual films work. However, the action makes it a fair bit easier, and I found it a lot more engrossing and convincing than any of the five (ridiculous but entertaining) Star Wars films, the uniformly unwatchable Star Trek stuff, or, for that matter, most blockbusting light entertainments. But that is just me. If you hate Dune, exaggerated action scenes, or (minor) plot inconsistencies, then you probably won't like this film. Otherwise, chances are good that you will.

I thought this movie was riveting. It did start a little slow, but soon thereafter caught my full attention. I had to change mental gears from expecting a Pitch Black sequel/clone, but not in a bad way at all. And there ARE tie-ins with Pitch Black plainly evident unless you aren't particularly observant or haven't seen Pitch Black. I thought the special effects were some of the best I have seen in a very long time, and after I began to become adjusted to the more involved background story, I found it engrossing. I felt that the characters had some depth to them. Enough for me to care a little about a few of them anyway, and Riddick became a little less of a cardboard cut-out, and a little more intricate in this movie. Some of the action sequences are also pretty impressive. I find it quite disappointing that this did not do better in theaters, and intend my rental to become a purchase. I hope that they continue the series with the next one? or two? movies that have been rumored to be following.

Those who found the movie itself disappointing, I would guess would be: 1) Hardcore sci-fi, or action movie fans who spent way too much time making mental comparisons to their favorite storyline/universe, or acting star during a movie to actually just enjoy the movie. 2) People who just wanted straight up action without all of the intricate details of a sci-fi storyline. 3) People expecting a sequel to Pitch black that didn't grow or expand on the storyline or character, who couldn't switch gears.

I took this film as THIS film, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not spend the entire movie making mental comparisons to other sci-fi or action movies or stars. Yes some of it's ideas have been used before. So what? Plumbing was an idea used by the ancient Greek and roman civilizations. Should we not use plumbing, because someone else used it before? If you spend all of the time during the movie making comparisons, then you might not give the movie the full attention it deserves.

For any who enjoy a good sci-fi action movie with a little thought behind it, and don't have some holy grail to compare it with, I would highly recommend this one.

David Twohy's Pitch Black was a dank, murky horror sci fi that took place inside a claustrophobic killing jar, all the action unfolding on one planet, and over a short amount of time. With The Chronicles Of Riddick, he lifts the lid off that jar, unveiling more planets, characters, creatures and broadening both the scope of what is seen visually and what takes place in the story. What began as a simple human vs. monster survival tale crystallizes into a full blown operatic space saga, and I loved every minute of it. Now there are a lot of people who hate it, and fine for them if they want to live inside such negativity. I was sold after the intro, in which a snarky, canine - like bounty hunter (Nick Chinlund) chases a haggard looking Riddick a across the bizarre, jagged face of a planet that would make the asteroid from Armageddon sweat. This film takes place sometime after Pitch Black, the few survivors scattered across the galaxy. There's a price on Riddick's head, which Toombs (Chinlund) intends to collect. Riddick unwittingly wanders into the path of something far more dangerous in his evasive efforts: a powerful, fascist master race known as the Necromongers are cutting a swath through the known universe, converting or killing anyone they find. They are led by the "" (Colm Feore), and commanded by Lord Vaako (another badass character for Karl Urban to another do to his rogue's gallery), a nasty piece of work who is further soured by his insidious wife (Thandie Newton). Riddick has encounter with them, as well as an old friend from former times (an all too brief Keith David) and is taken far and away, to a dangerous prison on a planet called Crematoria, where the wrecking ball of a sun fries everything on the surface every half hour or so. It all happens fast (and furious hehe), in a somewhat rushed frenzy of sci fi action, cool effects and surprisingly vicious antics for a PG-13 flick. Diesel was born to play Riddick, a growling night wolf of an antihero and endlessly watchable. There's all sorts of half Cooke ideas running around, some fun and others left unexplored. There's a prophecy involving the Purifier (Linus Roache) who has ties to Riddick's tragic past and the fate of his race, a strange elemental (Judi Dench looking confused), another person from his past (Alexa Davalos) and other intrigue involving Urban. Best to sit back and let it wash over you like the fun it is. Chinlund is hilarious as Toombs, the only character who seems to have wandered in from inner city L.A., a wide ass prick with a hate streak for Riddick and that old school charisma that carries scenes. The set pieces are exhilarating and make up for the plot which is at times spread too thinly, but never hurts the film. I love it, watch it all the time, let the haters sulk... more for us.

I would also like to comment on the fact that TCOR received bad reviews. Personally, I think that Vin Diesel should continue making the movies from the other screenplays that have already been written. The plot in these films (TCOR and Pitch Black) is actually quite original. From an action standpoint, the films do not lack anything. Riddick is the bad ass anti-hero that we would all like to be sometimes and they couldn't have cast the parts any better. There are some similarities between the Necros in TCOR and the Borg in the latter Star Trek movies, but who cares? David Twohy put a great spin on the Necro collective and I am eagerly awaiting another sequel. Anyone who likes Scifi and enjoys fantastic visuals will love this movie.

Riddick might not be the right character to build an epic saga story line about, but he's the right character to make a franchise with and this film proves that Vin Diesel's Riddick role is fun enough to watch with great action set pieces.