Yar, you be here: Pitch Black (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut) > Customer Reviews

Pitch Black (Widescreen Unrated Director's Cut) Customer Reviews (61 - 63 of 69 Reviews)

A Surprisingly Good Sci-Fi Thriller
Pitch Black somehow managed to slip past me in it's original theatrical release, but the good word-of-mouth convinced me to buy the DVD. My original impression of the film turned out to be pretty much true: John Carpenter's "The Thing" meets "Alien". A diverse group of people are marooned on a desolate planet with three suns. One of the survivors, Riddick, (Played by Vin Diesel) is a mass-murderer/serial killer. The planet is inhabited by nocturnal, light-sensitive creatures who feed on human flesh....Luckily, the three suns force the Aliens to avoid the surface. Unfortunately for our hapless survivors, they've arrived just in time for a once-every-22-Years Total Eclipse....Is that the dinner bell I hear ringing....? And what's the bigger threat: The carnivorous Aliens or Riddick...?

What sets Pitch Black apart is it's smart script. There are quite a few twists and turns here. Heroes who aren't so heroic, villains who might not be all that bad, a couple of unexpected deaths.....The effects are good, but don't overshadow the generally fine acting. Diesel did a good job as Riddick, but I did have to rewind and use the subtitles a LOT to catch some of Riddick's lines due to Diesel's mumbly delivery...

The DVD has footage not seen in theaters, 2 seperate commentary tracks, theatrical trailers, production notes, cast & crew bios, a totally dopey "Pitch Black Raveworld Event" (20 minutes of people dancing while clips from the film play in the background), and a teeny-weeny little making-of featurette that clocks in at less than five minutes. Even though I'm not generally a fan of Vin Diesel's, if they do make a Riddick-based sequel, I'll be first on line....

waste of time
i did not see this at the theatre, and don't recall if it was at the theatre, however i did notice the alien type filming, but also sorta reminded me of mad max due to the accents of the characters, and t he desert envionment.
this film should have been made at a faster pace, to slow, and to dumb of actors speaking just to comsume time.
after 1 hour..i stopped it, and got it ready to ship back to the rental company...! vin diesel was ok, not super crazy about him.. or see what other's see in his acting ability.

MOVE OVER, ARNOLD
Vin Diesel who plays the anti-hero hero in "Pitch Black" should inherit the muscle man movie roles of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, if this movie is any evidence. Actually, Diesel is a much better actor than Arnie, and he is the core of this highly entertaining and frightening science fiction movie.

I was awed by some of the lighting and camera work; scenes shifting from hues of orange to brown to blue and then the eeriness of the eclipse. But, lordy, what creatures. Even though we know they are computer generated, one cannot help but admit they were some of the best monsters since "Aliens". The device of having them in the dark was superb, because not only did we fear the sight of them, but their haunting and frightening screams.

The overall casting was likewise effective, particularly Randha Mitchell as Fry, a complex and well-drawn female character that combined both strength and vulnerability, and an expressive face that worked beautifully for her. Cole Hauser is effectively creepy as the addicted cop, who shifts from his early "hero" role to the true villain of the piece. I also liked Claudia Black's tenacity and guarded sexuality, and Keith David's stereotypical religious leader. Ketih managed to make him convincing.

But, it is Diesel who struts, grunts and muscles his way through the film; he is very good at showing expression with just a little twist of his mouth, and even with the "see in the dark" eyes, his final scene with Mitchell is both touching and unforgettable.

A great movie----let's look for more of David Twohy's brilliant conceptualization and style.

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Next Page