Pitch Black - 2000

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Interscope Communications

Directed by David Twohy

Cast:

• Richard B. Riddick – Vin Diesel
• Carolyn Fry – Radha Mitchell
• William J. Johns – Cole Hauser
• Abu “Imam” al-Walid – Keith David
• Paris P. Ogilvie – Lewis Fitz-Gerald
• Sharon “Shazza” Montgomery – Claudia Black
• Jack / Jackie – Rhiana Griffith

Story: A space freighter is making a long haul, the crew and passengers in suspended animation, when disaster strikes. A meteor shower sends bullet sized fragments through the hull, waking the crew, or what's left of them. The captain is dead before he even leaves his chamber, and the second officer and docking pilot have to think fast to save their lives and the lives of the passengers. When it is over, only the docking pilot and a handful of passengers remain alive, and they are on a hostile planet with no apparent foliage or water, and three suns. One of the passengers is a murder on his way back to prison, the enigmatic Richard B. Riddick, another the bounty hunter bringing him back to prison. Riddick escapes his bonds and flees the company, but the others are more concerned with finding water and trying to find shelter. Zeke has taken upon himself the duty of burying the corpses they can find, but when he does he is attacked and killed by something. The blame immediately falls on Riddick, but when he is captured he denies killing Zeke. Soon the castaways discover a deserted mining camp with a shuttle they might be able to use for escape, but they also discover a horrifying secret. The planet is inhabited by creatures who can only hunt in darkness...and the planet is about to go into total eclipse.

Review: The plot in this film is pretty straight forward, and certainly not original in the scheme of science fiction. The characters are somewhat predictable, with the Imam leading and caring for his three teenaged followers on a great Hadj to New Mecca, the docking pilot having her first “command” thrust upon her, the bounty hunter a junkie hooked on pain killers, the entrepreneur who cares more about his cargo that the situation, a kid traveling alone, a provocatively beautiful woman who is apparently traveling for work, and a hard core killer with eyes that glow and the ability to see in the dark. Okay, so that last character isn't so predictable. As a matter of fact, Vin Diesel portrays a thinking killer who displays none of the classic psychotic behaviors we are used to in a “villain”. Instead, Riddick is a cold, calculating man who carefully reads the people around him. Radha Mitchell is excellent in her role, letting the inexperience of command shake her confidence while she attempts to lead the group into the right decisions. Keith David is the man of God, the man who always finds the hope in the situation and tries to encourage others to do the same. Cole Hauser is a perfect sociopath, coldly deciding who should be sacrificed as long as he survives. The film moves at a good pace, makes one or two logical flaws in the plot, but overall entertains and apparently creates a memorable character in the form of Riddick, who we see next in The Chronicles of Riddick, our next review. Rated R for violence and gore, and language, this film is collectible for Vin Diesel fans and anyone who likes good science fiction.