A commercial transport ship and its crew are marooned on a planet full of bloodthirsty creatures that only come out to feast at night. But then, they learn that a month-long eclipse is about to occur.
We all know Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious films, but before making the original movie in 2001, he had a small part in Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” and voiced “The Iron Giant.” It wasn’t until 2000’s “Pitch Black” arrived and put him squarely on Hollywood’s map and since then, he has climbed the ladder to success with various franchises under his belt including two sequels to “Pitch Black” with a third in development, nine sequels/prequels to “The Fast and the Furious,” as well as voicing Groot in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films with a second sequel in production and he is also listed as being a part of the new “Avatar” series so the man has definitely worked his way around Tinseltown. “Pitch Black,” however, was a terrific starting point for him, and although both of its sequels were nowhere near as good as the original, his Riddick character has always been their central appeal.
“Pitch Black” is set 500 years in the future and the spaceship Hunter-Gratzner is transporting passengers in cryostasis from earth to New Mecca, a habitable planet on the other side of the galaxy. The ship is bombarded with micrometeoroids from a nearby comet, and as a result, the captain is killed, and the ship crashlands on a desert planet which is surrounded by three suns that keeps it in constant sunlight. During the crash, most of the passenger compartments are destroyed, leaving a small group of survivors, including a law enforcement officer named Johns (Cole Hauser) who is escorting the infamous criminal, Riddick (Vin Diesel), who manages to escape his shackles.
After a member of the group is killed, Riddick is immediately suspected but after his capture, another group member dies horrifically in a nearby cave and they realize that there are large photosensitive creatures lurking in the shadows. As the group continues to explore their surroundings, the ship’s pilot, Carolyn (Radha Mitchell), discovers a geological research settlement with an orrery that predicts an imminent solar eclipse that will last a long time, allowing the creatures to leave their lairs and hunt them down. With time quickly running out, Carolyn informs the group that they must make their way to the settlement’s dropship, on the other side of the valley, which will allow them to leave the planet but when the eclipse occurs much faster than they expected, and the creatures swarm the darkened sky in the thousands, they must work together if they are to survive the night.
Filming for the exterior locations took place in Lunar Plains, Coober Pedy in South Australia, and this locale was used because of its vast expanse of rocky plains that eerily resemble something akin to a lunar-like landscape. It is also littered with clear gypsum crystals and gemstones, which gives it an exceptional look and ambiance and which was used to great effect by cinematographer David Eggby (“Mad Max,” “Quigley Down Under,” “Riddick”). Three different suns surround the planet the survivors find themselves on; therefore, each sun has a unique bask, and director David Twohy utilized this story element to give the film an otherworldly, transcendental look, employing a stylized, bleached blown-out appearance that was created by David Eggby. As a result, you genuinely feel like you are watching these characters on another planet.
Vin Diesel creates a dark and menacing antihero in Riddick, a man who is more interested in his own survival but by the movie’s end, he somewhat redeems himself to the point that he can cultivate feelings for others, albeit very begrudgingly, but I would rather he was on my side than against me. To date, we have had two sequels, 2004’s “The Chronicles of Riddick” and 2013’s aptly-titled “Riddick,” and in both iterations, he is still very focused on himself, he resents having to take care of others but when necessary, he will do what has to be done. “The Chronicles of Riddick” flopped at the box office because the film was rated PG-13, a step down from the hard R rating “Pitch Black” received, and many of the fans were upset by this. Because of Riddick’s occasional violent outbursts, an R rating allows us to see his brutality in its full widescreen glory, whereas the PG-13 rating watered everything down, thereby diluting what he is truly capable of.
“Pitch Black” is a fantastic piece of sci-fi escapism, fuelled by a cunning and proficient antihero who never lets you know what is going on in his mind, until it’s too late. The creatures, known as Bioraptors, are swift and deadly, incapable of pity or remorse, and even take to killing and eating their own kind. While 2013’s “Riddick” was closer in tone and overall atmosphere to “Pitch Black” than “The Chronicles of Riddick,” the first film still remains the best, though I would recommend watching the two follow-ups, just to see what Riddick is up to. Director David Twohy recently announced that he has finished the script for a third sequel, titled “Riddick 4: Furya,” but says the title may change, which happens regularly in Hollywood. It’s also worth noting that the studio who produced “Pitch Black,” wanted Steven Seagal for the starring role but Twohy vehemently voted against him, which is a good thing because I don’t think the Riddick franchise would have gone so far with Seagal in the titular role. All I can say is thank God for Twohy. And Diesel!
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