Since time immemorial, parents have been telling their children that there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to the dark. As kids, our basic instincts said otherwise, forcing us to look under the bed for monsters, to beware of creaking doors, and most of all, hoping to never find the origin of that mysterious thump in the night. Unfortunately for Riddick, our fears are his reality. His darkness always holds a new and eviscerating way for him to die. While Riddick isn’t the sharpest weapon in the arsenal, it manages to let you cut through the fog and enjoy if for the effective action film it is.
We join Riddick (Vin Diesel) where we always do, on a strange planet filled with people and creatures trying to kill him. After his brief stint as leader, he was growing dull and restless, not to mention homesick. Then he was told that his long lost home-world of Furya was found, but only one man knew its location. Old Riddick would have known this was a trap, but the potential of being able to go back home overshadowed all reason. As we all predicted, it was a trap to get rid of Riddick, which all but worked if he hadn’t survived injuries that would have killed your average human. While he lays broken at the bottom of a cliff on a world he knows nothing about, he realizes just how dull he’s let his instincts get. The sharpen his skills he embraces his animalistic nature once again and lives in an almost barbaric fashion. Oh, and he finally gets a dog.
The near desert wasteland of a planet he is on is all well and good until the rain comes. And with it comes a tidal wave of scorpion-like aquatic creatures whose poisonous bites are enough kill you within seconds. Riddick is forced to activate an emergency beacon in order to get a ride off that planet, which he knows will only be answered by bounty hunters who want to claim the large reward for his capture. He’s worth twice as much if he’s dead. After a few mishaps involving boxes, heads and good sniper named Dahl (Katee Sackhoff), the rain reaches where he is and he must work with the remaining hunters to get off the planet while fighting off a never-ending horde of monsters. Simple enough, right?
Writer/Director David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick) brought the story back to its simple, straight forward beginnings. Riddick plays the antihero, dispensing justice when he sees fit and helping when it suits him. The story is basic and dialogue is sometimes cheesy and very minimal (then again Riddick has always been a man of few, choice words). The action sequences are over the top, and the humor is on the darker side. Yep, it’s the Riddick we fell in love with. No frills, bells or fancy ribbons like The Chronicles of Riddick, just the gritty, enviromental-survivalist, indie film that gave Pitch Black its cult status. For Vin Diesel, this film was like going back home. His obvious labor of love and connection with his star-making role as Riddick is played with the same low-growl, visceral intensity that is sometimes lacking in some of his other roles. There is something humbling to be said about a man willing to make a cameo in a franchise he no longer wanted to be a part of (Fast & Furious) just so he can own the rights to the character that launched his career.
Sometimes, when you lose your way, it is always better to go back to where you started. Riddick rediscovered its roots and reminded us why we fell in love with it originally (and why we should still be afraid of the dark). Even though the story is nothing revolutionary and the script could use a lot less cheese (for us lactose-intolerant people), you are able to see the soul of a good action film shine through the smoke and darkness.
RATING: ★★★★★★(6/10 stars)
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