14 replies on ““Chronicles of Riddick” Discussion”

  1. Weak
    The sets and costumes were excellent. The SFX were awesome. But the plot was largely nonsensical. I felt like the entire movie was spent killing time until Riddick shows up for the eventual Boss Fight. Seems like such a waste of good potential.

  2. Poorly executed
    Why did Riddick have to explain the most obvious things, then other scenes went by without a clue as to what was going on?

    Also, what’s up with the names? It could have been cool if they didn’t beat you over the head with the meanings.. trying way too hard to make them “evil”.

  3. Bad Guy Names
    The bad guys in the movie kept making me think of Warhammer 40k.

    I liked the movie, though.

  4. I’m torn…

    Should I see this movie?

    On the one hand, the visuals look pretty good.

    On the other hand, if Pitch Black needed a sequel, and I firmly believe it didn’t, is this really the sequel it needed? From what I’ve heard and read about it, this flick doesn’t even seem like it takes place in the same universe. The feel of it just seems way, way off. Maybe I’m wrong and it does fit, but just from my preliminary readings, it doesn’t.

    Eh, I’ve got a vacation day tomorrow; maybe I’ll check out a matinee.

    • Re: I’m torn…

      Should I see this movie?

      On the one hand, the visuals look pretty good.

      On the other hand, if Pitch Black needed a sequel, and I firmly believe it didn’t, is this really the sequel it needed? From what I’ve heard and read about it, this flick doesn’t even seem like it takes place in the same universe. The feel of it just seems way, way off. Maybe I’m wrong and it does fit, but just from my preliminary readings, it doesn’t.

      Eh, I’ve got a vacation day tomorrow; maybe I’ll check out a matinee.

      Yes, this movie was entertaining. No it wasn’t great. It could have been better, and I suspect that at some earlier point in it’s development it may have.

      I think the writers may have been trying to work a bit of a redemption angle with Riddick, but that element was buried in successive rewrites and tweaks.

      Let’s see if I can convince the gang here of what I saw. Hold on to you hats folks. BTW, it’s been a few years since I saw Pitch Black, so I’m going on memory here.

      Riddick’s entire life has been one of conflict, literally. From infancy where he was found in a dumpster with his own umbilical cord wrapped around his throat, Riddick has battled to survived. There is no evidence, but he was likely placed in a state run orphanage. There he quickly learned that odds of survival are directly proportional to lethality.

      Judging by his behavior, he rarely ran with “crews” or “gangs.” Riddick just has a “loner” vibe. Without such a support system for intimidation, he learned to be intimidating all by himself. He learned how to instill anxiety, fear, and terror in those around him. He learned this so well that it became his natural state.

      Somewhere along the line, perhaps before he perfected his “you don’t want any of this” vibe, he killed a number of people and was sentenced to the dark prison. This prision only reenforced Riddick’s world views. Here was a place where there were no friends, only transient alliances, and Riddick had few if any of those.

      Until now, Riddick’s life had been a constant battle of survival, and being in prison changed nothing. To a man like this, giving up one’s eyes for an advantage was a small price.

      By now Riddick is an adult. It is doubtfull that he can remember that last time he looked into the eyes of another person and did not see fear. This brings us to the events of Pitch Black. Here’s a quick summary, an interstellar transport crashes on a planet with an abandoned colony. There are a handful of surivors including a holy man, Abu ‘Imam’ al-Walid, Jack/Jackie, a young girl pretending to be a boy, and Riddick, who was being moved to a prison after being recaptured for the nth time. Shortly after the ship crashes, the planet enters an eclipse that will last approximatly a month. This eclipse allows one or more species of aggressive nocternal predators to leave their subteranian dwellings and hunt the humans. The survivors are now dependant on Riddick, with is infrared eye implants. Riddick, Imam, and Jack are the only survivors by the time they roll credits.

      To everyone involved, depending on Riddick was simply what they were forced to do to survive. Riddick was still a dangerous animal. In fact it was his inhumanity, his eyes and his singular lust for survival, that made him an asset, but that was all he was, an asset. Well, there were two people with different opinions. Imam treated Riddick like a human being, but Riddick cynically attriuted his kindness to the demands of his religion, and therefore hollow. Riddick still saw a monster reflected back when he gazed into Imam’s eyes.

      Jack, on the other hand, was something different. While old enough that she should be scared of Riddick, she wasn’t. There were other things to be scared of just then, namely the monsters in the dark. When Riddick saw something unfamilier when he looked into her eyes. Instead of a monster reflected back he saw a hero. For the first time in Riddick’s entire life, he felt like another human being want, needed him to be a part of their life. This was totally outside his experience.

      Now, let’s flash forward to Chronicles of Riddick. Unfortunatly here is where my thesis begins to break down because of the things the movie doesn’t do. Riddick comes back to civilization thinking that Imam has betrayed him. Instead he finds that Imam sent for him in the hopes of reuniting Riddick with his past. He hoped that Riddick might eventually be able to find some peace, oh that and possibly save the galaxey from the Necromongers. Again Riddick doesn’t believe Imam’s intentions, but he is confronted with a reminder of his past. Ziza, Imam’s 5-6 year old daughter, asks if Riddick will fight the monsters again. While Jack saw Riddick has heroic, she still felt some fear around him. For Ziza to meet Riddick, the man who had saved her father, is almost like meeting King Arthur on the street corner.

      But instead of Riddick taking up the fight he was asked to, which I admitt would have been highly out of character, he protects Imam’s family and goes looking for Jack.

      And this is where my reasoning pretty much dies. I think that earlier drafts of this script may have worked with what I have discussed thus far.

        • Re: I’m torn…

          But is it a sequel?

          That would depend upon what you call a sequal. Let’s say you took the main characters of Nightmare on Elm Street, who survived the movie. (not talking about the actual sequals, just the original movy.) Fast forward 5 years, and show their lives post that movie. There’s now a whole new mythology story around the main (good guys) character that you never new during Nightmare. Other characters have gone on to be either a major sucsess, or off to prison. None of the Nightmare stuff is ever brought up except to tell kids of one of the secondary survivors how heroic the primary survivor was.

          So, the movie plays out as an action movie, or perhaps a soap opera. Is it a sequal?

          No, I don’t think so either. There was no “setup” in Pitch Black leading us to the prospect of anything like the Necrumungers, or the Elementals. Nothing suggesting Jack would become Kira.

          You could transplant the characters into ‘truespace’ and replace the Necromungers with Kzin and have told pretty much the same story. Pitch Black could have come about out of the same universe as Alien. Just different bad guys. That does not mean that it’s bad, or that The Cronicals of Ridick is good or bad either. I happen to like Chronicals more than PB, but that’s just my opinion, and my bias against Horor.

          -Rusty

          • Re: I’m torn…
            Very eloquently answered. I find myself wishing I had some moderator points to dole out.

            I don’t exactly agree with you. I haven’t really defined “sequal” in my little world yet so I’m still on the fence, but you posit your stance clearly, concisely, and logoically.

            That and I like your writing style.

  5. It’s entertaining…
    .
    I saw it the other day. While the plot was predictable overall (hey, badass Vin wins, sorta) there were some very good and very interesting twists.

    The effects were great, the actors looked and acted real (except some necromongers), and I would go see it again just to catch some of the details I missed the first time. Plus, it’s one of those movies that begs for a sequel.

    jon

    • Re: It’s entertaining…

      Plus, it’s one of those movies that begs for a sequel.

      David Twohy has plans for two more movies, from what I hear.

  6. Cheese
    Overall I liked the movie. Especially the end. But the hot prison planet seemed pointless and extremely cheesey. I busted out laughing at several scenes.

  7. Riddick rules the galaxy!
    Wow was this movie a breath of fresh air. Probably the best sci fi I’ve seen in years. It’s a cross between Conan the Barbarian and Warhammer 40,000. There was also a bit of the "Dune" feel to it in some places. I also find it interesting how there is a theme of "crusaders vs arabs", portraying the crusaders as the ultimate evil. Sure there was lots of cliche, but there was also a lot of interesting, innovative plot twists. And the SFX was so good that it was fairly effortless to suspend disbelief.

    If you like Conan, especially the REH way, and if you like 40K, then this movie is for you. This movie is definately worth paying $15 to see on the big screen.

    It’s also interesting to know that Diesel is a hardcore gamer. It’s intriguing to know he’s been a gamer since Dieties and Demigods was a new book. Apparently Chronicles of Riddick has been his dream to film for quite some time. It’s nice to see some of his personality and dreams come out on the big screen, instead of the dumb jock roles he’s been typecast as.

    E

    • Re: Riddick rules the galaxy!

      Wow was this movie a breath of fresh air. Probably the best sci fi I’ve seen in years. It’s a cross between Conan the Barbarian and Warhammer 40,000. There was also a bit of the “Dune” feel to it in some places. I also find it interesting how there is a theme of “crusaders vs arabs”, portraying the crusaders as the ultimate evil. Sure there was lots of cliche, but there was also a lot of interesting, innovative plot twists. And the SFX was so good that it was fairly effortless to suspend disbelief.

      If you like Conan, especially the REH way, and if you like 40K, then this movie is for you. This movie is definately worth paying $15 to see on the big screen.

      It’s also interesting to know that Diesel is a hardcore gamer. It’s intriguing to know he’s been a gamer since Dieties and Demigods was a new book. Apparently Chronicles of Riddick has been his dream to film for quite some time. It’s nice to see some of his personality and dreams come out on the big screen, instead of the dumb jock roles he’s been typecast as.

      E

      I quite enjoyed this movie myself. Just saw it today and it seemed to never slow down. Having read peoples’ comments in here I was reluctant to see it, but I thoroughly enjoyed the show, I was pleased to note the continuity was not as jarring as I had expected, and I overall felt I spent $5.00 (the matinee price) well.

      I will probably buy the DVD.

      On the other hand, if the same sort of thing had been done to the sequel of Aliens there would have been no beasties, Newt and Hicks would have gone their separate way from Ripley after returning to Earth, Hicks would inexplicably lose Newt and Ripley would have to fight half way across the galaxy to find her, and Ripley would end up running Weyland – Yutani Corporation. :)

      -Joe G.

  8. A dark horse I liked to ride… (Spoiler)
    The movie was interesting and entertaining set some five years past the (?)Prequel to the Chronicles of Riddick; fade to black. We find the lone badass being hunted by mercs because of a bounty on his head. Riddick finds it was a lure to engage him to help save the priests people from the crusading Necromongers. He refuses, instead learning that Jack is in prison; something he did not want. He leaves to free her, but the elemental who tried to recruit him to save the universe shares with the leader of the Necromongers that he is the last of a dying race known as the Furians, fortold to kill this selfsame leader. This prompts the leader to send his men after Riddick as Riddick plots to free himself and Jack from a hellhole of a prison.
    The Necromonger cohort catches up to Riddick as he nearly escapes. The leader assumes him dead and leaves with Jack to convert her to the Necromonger cause. Riddick survives and follows to free her from their influence. This eventually sets him against the Necromonger leader in the climactic showdown.

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