Riddick is betrayed by the Necromongers and left for dead on a desolate planet he thinks is Furya, but he learns he isn’t on the right world.  He fights to survive and lures bounty hunters to that world before something worse comes after him.

 

RIDDICK is a solid sequel to the first two movies (PITCH BLACK, CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK) in the series written and directed by David Twohy.   Most of the film is the sign of a strong sequel, but the last thirty minutes feels like we have already seen it before in PITCH BLACK with a couple of twists.  The ending under whelms, but it doesn’t undermine the film and yet it doesn’t have the same wow factor for a climax like the first two films.  I think my favorite part of the movie has to be the first half as RIDDICK plays out like a sci-fi version of ROBINSON CRUSOE with Riddick in the Crusoe role.  His only companion is a wild alien dog he raises from a puppy.  When the bounty hunters get involved, I like how Riddick plays his game with him which does recall how he seems close and not seen unless he wants to be seen.  Katee Sackhoff is great as Dahl (and some fanboys will be happy to see her briefly topless in one scene) while Matt Nable brings a decent presence to man searching for answers relating to what happened ten years ago (this is related to PITCH BLACK).

 

Vin Diesel is in love with the character of Riddick.  He secured the movie rights to the character after THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK failed to perform to Universal’s expectations in exchange for doing a cameo in FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT.  He also financed the movie himself by taking out a mortgage on his house and so RIDDICK is a personal project for Vin.  I hope the next two movies that David Twohy ahs planned do get made as I want to see Riddick finally get home to Furya and set his revenge against Vaako.  I want to see a resolution to the Necromonger story as in what roles  Furya has in stopping the Necromongers (the Lord Marshal was so afraid that a Furyan child would kill him that he went out of his way to destroy the race) and if any more of them survive beyond Riddick and the Purifier.   RIDDICK isn’t huge in scale like CHRNICLES OF RIDDICK, but it does reaffirm who Riddick is as he is on a quest to find his home with questions dangling like who set a price on his head which is doubled if he is brought in dead.   This latest entry brings something new and something familiar, but I do think they need to take more risks like Twohy and Diesel did with CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK.  See RIDDICK and support it so every fan can see the conclusion to the Riddick saga.

 

This DVD review is (c9-6-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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