The Chronicles of Riddick

Writer-director David Twohy creates an uncommonly vivid and comprehensive science-fiction universe of genuinely otherworldly planets and detailed cultural mythologies in this semi-sequel to the alien-swarm horror flick Pitch Black. Unfortunately, all of the extra effort only serves a standard action-star-against-an-army plot with substandard catchphrase dialogue. Thunder-voiced, chrome-domed Vin Diesel reprises his role as the reluctant titular antihero, a ruthlessly efficient, prison-buffed murderer with night-vision eyes who is recruited to help stop powerful intergalactic crusaders from destroying several star systems in their baroque battleships. But his performance consists mostly of glowering and repeatedly tearing off (for dramatic effect) the goggles that protect his silvery peepers (even when its so bright he'd logically be blind without them). And the movie isn't any more plausible than its star, often absolutely swimming in nonsense (some scenes take place in 700-degree weather, and the characters survive by running for a little shade and water). It is Twohy's fast and furious editing, however, that becomes the movie's real albatross, rendering the F/X-tacular space battles and extensively choreographed fights nearly unwatchable. Pitch Black helped launch Diesel's tough-guy career, but The Chronicles of Riddick may be another nail in his Hollywood coffin. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: Available in widescreen (unrated) or full screen (“R”-rated) versions, DVD extras include 15 minutes of additional “director's cut” footage (with an explanatory intro by filmmaker David Twohy) on the unrated version, a “Riddick Insider: Facts on Demand” viewing option with onscreen text facts and trivia, audio commentary by Twohy and costars Alexa Davalos and Karl Urban, eight minutes of deleted scenes with optional director commentary, a 10-segment narrated “Virtual Guide” background on the film, the 10-minute narrated segment “Toombs' Chase Log,” a six-minute “Visual Effects Revealed” featurette, a three-minute “Riddick's Worlds” guided tour with star Vin Diesel (with eight interactive segments that provide 360-degree views of the sets), an X-Box-accessible game level from The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, and DVD-ROM features. Bottom line: an impressive extras package for a disappointing film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 17, 2009—Universal, 120 min., PG-13, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick features a great transfer and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras ported over from the earlier standard DVD release include an audio commentary by director David Twohy and costars Karl Urban and Alexa Davalos, an intro by Twohy, an hour-long “A Virtual Guide” to the film, an 18-minute “Keep What You Will” behind-the-scenes featurette, the production featurettes “Riddick Rises” (14 min.), “Creation of New Mecca” (11 min.), and “Toombs' Chase Log” (10 min.), eight minutes of deleted scenes w/optional commentary, and a “Visual Effects Revealed” featurette (6 min.). Blu-ray exclusive features include a picture-in-picture track and “Chronicles Compendium” dossier of the world of Riddick, an “Anatomy of a Fight” scene selection that demonstrates the science behind Riddick's hand-to-hand combat skills, and the “Complete Chronicles” exploration of the history and mythology of Riddick, as well as the BD-Live function. Bottom line: although it looks very nice on Blu-ray, this is still a disappointing sequel.]