THE REVIEW: Pitch Black is basically Bats in outer space with a cool lead man and amazing special effects.
The opening sequence where the ship crashes on a mysterious planet is perhaps the most exciting in the film. Like every scary movie, the cast gets picked off one after the other. I tried to root for the underdogs, but they aren’t very appealing leftovers.
The cast is made up of virtual unknowns. The script has many undercurrents, but nothing worthwhile ever materializes. The director tries to shake us up with plot twists, but we are never really surprised. I have to admit that I’m glad they tried to add some depth to this film instead of just relying on special effects to get us off.
Vin Diesel plays prisoner/convicted murderer Riddick. He is the savior. Without this villain-turned-hero the movie would be unwatchable. He spews the occasional one-liners, but, like Arnold, it’s his actions that speak louder than words.
Pitch Black is sci-fi horror that never reaches the heights of Aliens. There are some good action sequences and cool effects that keep you entertained. This is a fun film that you see for mind-numbing amusement, not soul fulfillment.
THE VIDEO: For a movie that came out six years this is a gorgeous looking movie in HD. Outer space never looked so great—even with Serenity previously released on HD. Watching Pitch Black on HD I wondered if some of the CGI was re-edited because it looked so fantastic.
THE EXTRAS: Included are two feature commentaries. The first is with Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser and Director David Twohy and the second is with Director David Twohy, Producer Tom Engleman and Visual Effects Supervisor Peter Chiang. The first commentary is interesting on occasion—and you can tell that Vin Diesel was really into the part. The problem is how often neither says anything—there is entirely too much dead air. It’s understandable that Diesel says nothing about CGI—but it was a good time for him to discuss things that happened in the scene before or after.
The other features include:
“The Johns Chase Log” – Is a discussion about the story.
“The Making of Pitch Black” – A very short press kit that isn’t exceedingly interesting.
“Dark Fury: Advancing the Arc” – Looks like a commercial for the movies.
“The Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia” – This feature runs a half-hour and gives some information about the story behind Riddick.
“A View Into the Dark” – Another short press style extra.
+ Charlie Craine
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