 Tagline: It's getting Dark When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick (Vin Diesel) isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the survivors are forced to turn to Riddick and his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light. Storyline: The space transport vessel "Hunter-Gratzner" carrying 40 people on-board crashes on a desert planet when the ship is struck in a meteor storm. There are only 11 survivors, among them are pilot Carolyn Fry (Who has assumed command after the ship's captain is killed), bounty hunter William J. Johns, religious man Abu Al-Walid, Antiques dealer Paris P. Ogilvie, runaway teenager Jack, settlers John 'Zeke' Ezekiel and his lover Sharon 'Shazza' Montgomery, and Richard B. Riddick, a dangerous escaped convict. Marooned, the survivors discover the barren and hot desert-scape has sunlight from three suns. Not only must they find food and water and worry about Riddick, the survivors find themselves being hunted by the planet's flesh-eating alien inhabitants when the planet is engulfed in darkness, which happens every 22 years, as they emerge from underground to hunt and eat all signs of life. Fry and the survivors find Riddick is their best chance of survival, as Riddick has surgically-enhanced ... Written by Daniel Williamson Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, March 28, 2009 -- They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo-sleep. All but the primitive side. The animal side. No wonder I'm still awake. --- Pitch Black is one of the better Science Fiction movies of the decade thanks to a number of factors, primary among them its ability to smartly -- and deeply -- develop its characters. It's a film that has enjoyed quite the following after a meager take at the box office, its post-theatrical success on home video one of the primary factors in the construction of its radically different-in-tone sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick. Writer/Director David Twohy clearly understands what makes for a successful Science Fiction picture; The Arrival is another of his works that, much like Pitch Black, played to small crowds theatrical but has since come into its own later in life. Pitch Black is a more commercially-oriented film than The Arrival, and likewise The Chronicles of Riddick more so than Pitch Black, but Twohy smartly relies on strong characterization, impressive visuals, and first-rate storytelling to construct his pictures. While elements of Action certainly find their way into each one, the on-screen action is a byproduct of the story, not vice versa. A deep-space transport vessel is pelted by meteors and crash-lands onto a desolate planet where several suns remain high in the sky and darkness is nowhere to be found. Among the survivors is a vicious killer, Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel, The Fast and the Furious) on his way back to prison, his captor, Johns (Cole Hauser, Tears of the Sun), and the ship's docking pilot, Fry (Radha Mitchell, Henry Poole is Here). As the survivors attempt to piece together any salvageable parts and find a sign of life somewhere on the barren world, Riddick manages to escape and is blamed for a brutal attack on one of the survivors. Panic ensues as the killer remains on the loose, but it soon becomes evident that something much more dangerous than the deranged killer lurks in the shadows. Hope is briefly regained upon the discovery of a deserted settlement and a spacecraft in need of only the downed vessel's power cells. Unfortunately, day soon turns to unending night as the planet falls under the shadows of a once-in-a-generation eclipse that darkens the world and brings forth an enemy vulnerable to only one thing -- light. The survivors, Riddick included, must attempt to set aside their differences and work in tandem to defeat the fear of the darkness, the fear of the enemy, and the fear of one another if they have any hopes of surviving the unending night. The Riddick character is smartly written and elevated even further by the performance of star Vin Diesel in arguably his best role and most impressive performance to date. Riddick is witty, smooth, and fierce, fast on his feet, quick to think, and afraid of nothing. He's the perfect killer, but he's also the perfect hero, a juxtaposition that is played pitch-perfectly throughout the film. Riddick isn't even an antihero. He's a hardened, determined criminal, and says as much about himself as the film opens, commenting in a roundabout but decisive manner that his humanity has been drained over the years, and only his "primitive" and "animal" sides remain. As the story develops, his survival and aggressive instincts remain, though focused almost exclusively on his adversary, Mr. Johns, himself the true antihero of the film. As Riddick regains sight of his lost humanity, Johns loses focus of his, his obsession with Riddick overwhelming his thought processes and better judgment. The two enter into a game of tit-for-tat in an attempt to sell their ideals and characteristics to the group and to each other, though in the case of the latter, it's nothing but a devious attempt to gain leverage in what emerges as an almost epic struggle between good and evil. What is remarkable about this struggle is that it blurs the line between good and evil as neither participant fits squarely on either side, despite initial appearances to the contrary. As Johns' authority is questioned and his motives reveled, the survivors begin to turn from him and towards Riddick, despite the pair's initially-established clearly-delineated stance on either side of the law. "You're dancing on razor blades here," Frys tells Johns during one of the film's crucial junctures. The others begin to see that it is not necessarily the sins of the past but rather the handling of the troubles of the present that show one's true character. As it becomes clear who the villain is, not to mention Riddick's potentially life-saving guile and strength, an inevitable showdown between the two will decide the fate of the entire group. Pitch Black also enjoys steady direction from David Twohy and often mesmerizing cinematography courtesy of David Eggby (Mad Max). The film features a myriad of vistas, terrains, and lighting schemes, and each one is presented with nary a hiccup in the flow of the film. The cinematography compliments each of the film's themes nicely, from the varied appearances of the world to Riddick's abilities as a criminal, fighter, leader, and eventually, hero. Pitch Black is not a CGI-heavy film, but what computer imagery there is tends to look less-than-inspiring, the creatures in particular failing to play as all that menacing or organic. Likewise, several brief scenes of gore fail to engender much of a visceral response to the carnage thanks to its more animated, rather than realistic, appearance. Generally, however, one may forgive the less-than-stellar CGI thanks to the film's limited budget. The only head-scratching element of the film is the side-story of one of the film's primary characters, Jack. The character is the object of a major revelation part way through the film that adds nothing to the experience; at best, it will raise the eyebrows but otherwise offers nothing to further the plot, and the impact on the character's development is minimal. Pitch Black is an exciting Science Fiction film with a deeper side. It is, at its core, a tale of good versus evil where the line between the two is blurred at best and washed away at worst. It's a story about people, about survival, about trust, and about looking past records and words and into the heart and soul of a man in the most hopeless of situations, searching for that truth about someone that makes them who they really are. Pitch Black is the story of a man with a past who rediscovers the hero inside of him thanks to the aggression of one, the passive-acceptance of others, and the struggle to survive an onslaught from a seemingly impossible-to-overcome foe. It's a success on every level, allowing viewers to enjoy it either superficially or as a deeper, more complex tale about the strengths and weaknesses of humanity. Universal's Blu-ray release of Pitch Black is solid. The disc features a good video transfer, a near reference-grade soundtrack, and a fair amount of bonus materials. Highly recommended. See also: Riddick (2013) See also: The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) Cast Notes: Vin Diesel (Richard B. Riddick), Radha Mitchell (Carolyn Fry), Cole Hauser (William J. Johns), Keith David (Abu 'Imam' al-Walid), Lewis Fitz-Gerald (Paris P. Ogilvie), Claudia Black (Sharon 'Shazza' Montgomery), Rhiana Griffith (Jack / Jackie), John Moore (John 'Zeke' Ezekiel), Simon Burke (Greg Owens), Les Chantery (Suleiman), Sam Sari (Hassan), Firass Dirani (Ali), Ric Anderson (Total Stranger), Vic Wilson (Captain Tom Mitchell), Angela Moore (Dead Crew Member). IMDb Rating (05/24/10): 6.9/10 from 53,628 users
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