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Pitch Black (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut) Customer Reviews (4 - 6 of 69 Reviews)

Finally a sci-fi action movie that doesn't seem derivative
A lot of films that are monster based("creature features" as I call them), there's a certain noticeable borrowing feeling throughout the film, as if filmmakers got lazy and said "hm...Alien but underground!" which is why we got crap like the Cave. Now and then we do have an enjoyable romp such as Starship Troopers but for the most part they're kind of lame, underwritten, boring or all 3. Nobody's gonna call Pitch Black art but at least it's very entertaining, even if the premise seems done before("Aliens during the nighttime!").

A transport ship crash lands on a planet which has 3 suns in orbit nearby. It's not the most comfortable planet since it's so hot but that's the least of their problems. Among the survivors is an escaped convict, Riddick, and in the shadows of caves lurks a large enemy with a huge case of the munchies, namely humans. So really the film is about getting off the planet before being lunch...or is it supper?

Oddly enough, one of the film's selling points was its hero, or rather, its anti-hero Riddick. Caring only for himself and would step over best friends and probably family to stay alive, he's the definition of a criminal you don't want to cross paths with(well, isn't all of them like that?). Played by Vin Diesel, he's certainly a memorable villain that's actually likable which is quite something. The rest of the cast is good but 2 standouts with Keith David as a Muslim and Radha Mitchell as Fry(she's otherwise known as the Silent Hill girl or Ally Sheedy's makeout partner in one film).

The special effects at times look slightly obvious but all in all they're well done, including "Riddick vision" and the "Monster vision": 2 distinct styles of seeing, one being very luminescent night-vision esque while the other is extremely odd looking. The pacing is perfect with a slow opening that slowly builds tension without just action action the entire way through. The transfer is kind of disappointing as the first half where we see the planet being lit by 3 suns looks clear and crisp while the darkness scenes look really grainy at times.

Originally, Pitch Black was going to be the sequel to a trilogy, which got its start with the underperforming Chronicles of Riddick. This prequel of sorts is what it should've been: a good time with a memorable villain and interesting visuals.

OUR INTREPID SURVIVORS ARE OBVIOUSLY IN FOR A LONG NIGHT!
IN A NUTSHELL:

This is a grab-you-by-the-seat-of-your-pants action thriller that starts with a bang and maintains its tension. Using a variety of clever devices throughout the film including a good script and fine acting, "Pitch Black" rises well above the usual genre fare.

JUST PLAIN SCARY:

All throughout "Pitch Black" there was a pervasive feeling that something ominously malevolent was getting closer to happening. We see signs from the beginning. Right after the crash landing we see distant trees that turn out to be the huge skeketal remains of a herd of huge animals. Then there's "something" that's scurrying about underground and a deserted camp without explanation. What happened to the people?

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL:

There was a model of the solar system with its 3 suns that demonstrated a total eclipse that was just about to occur! As all this is happening the pace picks up, it starts to get dark, their solar-powered vehicle stops working, and the whatevers that were scurrying around underground are beginning to pour out of the hilltops in mass. They resemble swarms of giant bats that look alot like the creatures in "Alien". Our intrepid survivors are obviously in for a long night!

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:

That's what the film is all about. Suffice it to say that the pace swells to fever pitch in an environment where nobody is safe and there is no telling how long this "Pitch Black" environment will last. You'll find yourself on pins and needles for most of the film.

Check it out!

ALSO CONSIDER SEEING:

Tremors, Alien, or Aliens.

A New Age Sci-fi Movie
I have to start by saying that I saw the Chronicles of Riddick before I saw Pitch Black, so I already knew the character of the anti-hero protagonist in both stories. That said, I'm happy I did, because Pitch Black comes off as your everyday space horror that attempted to steal some of the success that the Alien movies had. The stand out in this movie is the main character, Riddick, and how true the writers kept that character through-out the story. You had your expectations for Riddick, and he goes just a little beyond them while never actually disappointing or become predictable.

The story begins like most sci-fi movies, that being a view of the galaxy to let us know that this is a sci-fi movie. Soon after, though, the ship that all the characters are traveling in hits a small asteroid belt that tears the hull apart, and they are forced to crash land on a planet with three suns and a never-ending desert. Oh, and with strange creatures that hate the light, but these come later, after we understand what's going on with Riddick and the crew of unfortunate survivors that become his prey.

When finally they do come, though, a sort of understanding comes between the other characters and Riddick, and they realize that they must get off the planet soon. Thus starts the heart-pounding run across the desert landscape to an abandoned ship. All the while, character infighting threatens to separate them, and does in some cases. By the end it becomes both a fight for survival and a fight to retain one's morals. The ending is obvious, somebody has to escape, but it's who ends up escaping that is the surprise.

Another thing that separates this movie from other sci-fi movies is that it doesn't even try to present a strange, alien world. In fact, you barely ever see the aliens that are in this story, and they are actually presented more as beasts than intelligent creatures. There are no made-up races of strange looking creatures (like Star Wars) or the never ending stream of humanoid, bipedal aliens (like Star Trek) that gets monotonous. This movie presents its own ideas on sci-fi, and does so successfully.

I'd recommend this movie, and its sequel, to anyone tired of Star Wars or Star Trek (I was never a really big fan myself). Its new ideas are refreshing. I'd also recommend this movie to horror fans who liked Aliens, as it has some similar moments. But most of all, I'd recommend this movie to writers or young screenwriters, as it has one of the best, well-written characters ever created in Riddick.

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