quote:

Originally posted by Cinemaddiction
I took in "The Chronicles of Riddick" yesterday at a 2:00 PM showing, and figured I'd share my thoughts, being a fan of the "Pitch Black" franchise.

Synopsis



I went expecting absolutely nothing, and I was very pleasantly surprised! The characters were extremely interesting and reminded me of something closer to "Dune," with some H.R. Giger inspired sets. Very elaborate, very futuristic.

While I really didn't see the point in Thandie Newton's character, Dame Vaako, I think all the other characters played into the story well, especially the converted Necromongers who had some very morbid, yet futuristic costume designs.

Vin Diesel as Riddick was on point, as he was in Pitch Black. There were merely a couple of dodgy one liners, which are to be expected in a summer blockbuster w/ an action hero, still few and far between.

To be absolutely honest, I think the best part was the end, knowing full well there was already going to be a sequel, it was a very big emotional Catch 22 for Riddick, one that should be interesting to see over the next two movies.

Pros:

I don't think I was ever bored with the story itself! There were a few elements to it. An evil Lord hell-bent on conquest, another Lord who wants to steal the crown, with a new Queen in the wings, and a new hero who has to get himself out of the stickiest situations, and is expected to save the planet.

The characters didn't seem flat at all. There were a lot of different walks of life. Overlords, criminals turned heroes, whimsical beings, all of which played their parts quite solid. Dench, Diesel, and Urban especially. Very believable.

The CGI was actually quite impressive. The Lord of the Necromongers, Lord Marshall has the [SPOILER - highlight to read]: ability to steal peoples souls, and the CGI during those times was very interesting, and what I thought, well executed. It was similar to [SPOILER - highlight to read]: the soul stealing scenes in Prisoner of Azkaban for those who have seen it.

Cons:

Some of the supporting background characters kind of overplay their roles, especially the "Mercs," and the crooked prison wardens. There is such a thing as being too creepy, thus uncredible as a bad guy.

The CGI during the "wolf raid" was just kind of stupid. Just poor execution when it comes to the CGI beasts.

At times, the dialogue was a bit choppy. i.e. the lead Merc advised his crony to "put on a fresh pair of panties." It wasn't so bothersome as it was just overkill for the character.

In Closing..

If you do go see this movie, please don't be so analytical of it. Keep a couple of things in mind, especially when viewing any "Summer Blockbuster" such as this.

One, it's a big budget Sci Fi movie based off of a cult classic hero. It's made to appeal to a summertime crowd, it's safely rated PG-13.

Two, the dialogue isn't going to be that of some magnificent screenwriter. This is a cast of virtual unknowns, save Diesel and Dench, who nail their roles. The dialogue is going to be like that of Star Wars, Dune, Highlander. Just typical, grand scale science fiction, dealing with a hero, a villain, and a plot to take over the world.

Lastly, keep in mind that this being the initial installment of a 3 part franchise, much like Harry Potter, there is going to be a lot of set up in this movie. Lots of characters, less character development, and it will seem stuffy. That's to be expected. It's not worth breaking down, just have fun with it!

So, leave your brain at the door, suspend reality, and give Riddick a chance!