Riddick
(2013)Rule the dark.
The third chapter of the sci-fi thriller saga, beginning with Pitch Black (2000) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). Writer/director David Twohy returns, as does star Vin Diesel as the badass Riddick - escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy. Marooned on a seemingly vacant, sun-scorched planet, Riddick finds himself fighting for survival against lethal alien predators.... More
The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of violent mercenaries who won’t leave the planet without Riddick’s head as their trophy. The second ship is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With these two unlikely forces reluctantly banding together, the odds seem in their favour – that is, until the hunted becomes the hunter…Hide
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Directed by David Twohy
Starring Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista, Bokeem Woodbine, Raoul Trujillo, Conrad Pla, Danny Blanco Hall, Noah Danby, Neil Napier, Nolan Gerard Funk, Karl Urban
Written by David Twohy (based on characters created by Jim and Ken Wheat)
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 4 providers
Flicks Review
BY Tony Stamp Flicks Writer
With Riddick, Vin Diesel & David Twohy have taken their character ‘back to his roots’, which means casting aside the mythology that polluted Chronicles, and making something a lot closer to his first go-round, Pitch Black. ... More
That film was a lean sci-fi thriller that riffed on Aliens and cast Riddick as a villain of sorts, who eventually emerged as an anti-hero. His character is problematic when he has to carry a whole film though, as it’s hard to keep rooting for a guy who acts not just like a psychopath, but also a real dick.
Riddick begins by stranding its hero on a hostile planet, leaving him to fend for himself against the elements and weird wildlife. This is the best section of the film, largely dialogue-free and with lots of alien beasties for Diesel to punch. At one point he ascends a hill in the nude for some reason, and is silhouetted against the alien moon. It’s a wonderfully silly image, like something from a Boris Vallejo painting, and sums up how the film is best when it embraces its pulp roots.
When Riddick sets off a distress signal and attracts two groups of bounty hunters, things go downhill a bit, as some ripe dialogue and downright bonkers sexual politics come into play. Still, the film continues to entertain, especially when there’s fighting and stunt work involved.
It’s been a while since our titular Furyan strapped on his goggles, and I’m not sure anyone was really clamouring for his return, but Riddick justifies its existence purely through a good sense of violent fun. If a scene where a man kicks a sword through another man’s face appeals as much to you as it did to me, you’ll find plenty to enjoy.Hide
The Peoples' Reviews
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Riddick
BY Brendan3 superstar
Similar to the first Ridick
Shot at night to save on special effects with minimal actors to save $
Action was minimal more a thriller / horror film and an average one at that.
BY Zamm superstar
I usually pick a movie that I know I would enjoy. And I did. I've always like the Riddick movies and Vin Diesel. I wanted to unwind and be entertained and it did it for me.
The Press Reviews
59%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Watching this see-in-the-dark muscleman brooding against gorgeous otherworldly vistas, all while crafting pointy homemade weapons and befriending a scene-stealing CGI canine (no joke), is a sci-fi aficionado's delight. Full Review
Overlong and often overcooked, this is nevertheless a relative return to form for Diesel as the fiendish Furyan. Full Review
The results are by turns boring and bizarre, although Diesel still has some presence. Full Review
Faithful to the template if not the spirit of previous installments, this flabby second sequel barely manages to advance Riddick’s considerable personal mythology. Full Review
Riddick taps into a primal well of audience wish-fulfillment, but over the course of its unrelieved, monotonous length, it does its best to suck that well dry. Full Review
Too stodgy for B-movie suspense, too silly to shock, too sexist to stomach, Diesel’s return misfires. Full Review
An improbable but very enjoyable sequel that recaptures much of the stripped-down intensity of Diesel and director David Twohy’s franchise starter "Pitch Black." Full Review
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