The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

David Twohy

Writers (WGA):

Jim Wheat (characters) &
Ken Wheat (characters) ...

Release Date:

11 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

All the power in the universe can't change destiny

Plot:

5 years after Pitch Black, the wanted criminal Riddick arrives on a planet called Helion Prime, and finds himself up against an invading empire called the Necromongers, an army that plans to convert or kill all humans in the universe.

Plot Keywords:

Warrior | Planet | Necromongers | Bounty Hunter | Prison Planet

Awards:

3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 20

2:30 AM

TNT

Cast

Vin Diesel	...	Riddick
Colm Feore	...	Lord Marshal
Thandie Newton	...	Dame Vaako
Judi Dench	...	Aereon
Karl Urban	...	Vaako
Alexa Davalos	...	Kyra
Linus Roache	...	Purifier
Yorick van Wageningen	...	The Guv
Nick Chinlund	...	Toombs
Keith David	...	Imam
Mark Gibbon	...	Irgun
Roger R. Cross	...	Toal
Terry Chen	...	Merc Pilot
Christina Cox	...	Eve Logan
Nigel Vonas	...	Merc

Also Known As:

Pitch Black 2 (USA) (working title)
Pitch Black 2: Chronicles of Riddick (USA) (working title)
Riddick (USA) (working title)
The Chronicles of Riddick: The Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action and some language. (edited for re-rating)

Runtime:

119 min | USA:134 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIA | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18SG | New Zealand:M (director's cut) | South Korea:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (original rating) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:18A (Manitoba) (director's cut) | New Zealand:R13 (original rating) | Germany:16 (director's cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) (certificate #39510) | USA:R (original rating) | USA:Unrated (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

At one point, the production was the third-largest user of electricity in Canada.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Riddick climes the rope on Crematoria, Toombs is hanging on the same rope, but when Riddick reaches the top, it's obvious that there's no weight on the rope below Riddick.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Aereon: They are an army unlike any other... crusading across the stars toward a place called UnderVerse, their promised land - a constellation of dark new worlds. Necromongers, they're called. And if they cannot convert you, they will kill you. Leading them, the Lord Marshal. He alone has made a pilgrimage to the gates of the UnderVerse...

Movie Connections:

Features Pitch Black (2000)

Soundtrack:

Getting Away With Murder

Why compare when you can enjoy?

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.