Pitch Black 2: The Chronicles of Riddick Review

by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)
June 14th, 2004
THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK
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Last seen battling creatures which thrived in "Pitch Black," Vin Diesel returns to go up against bigger stakes in "The Chronicles of Riddick."
Writer/director David Twohy ("Below," "Pitch Black") should have quit while he was ahead. "Pitch Black" was derivative, but at least offered interesting visuals and a cast of characters defined by a "Twilight Zone" episode. This utterly superfluous sequel is plotted with pretentious pseudo-religious conflict that makes "The Matrix" sequels look profound and exists in artificial worlds that call attention to the spaces which exist outside of their matte frames. The most interesting aspect of "The Chronicles of Riddick" is how Twohy attracted such a fine supporting cast.
Riddick arrives on the Muslim-like planet of Helion in time to be made the unwitting hero who must defeat the Necromons, an undead race who only fear Furions and aspire to enter the 'Underverse.' After Helion is destroyed in an air raid reminiscent of the bombing of Baghdad as seen on CNN, Riddick makes his way to a prison planet 'so hot you can't set foot on it' in order to find Jack, "Pitch Black's" stowaway, before returning to duke it out with the Necromons' head honcho, Lord Marshal (Colm Feore, "Paycheck").
The best things about "The Chronicles of Riddick" are Thandie Newton's ("The Truth About Charlie") campy costumes, one action scene where Riddick saves Jack from a 700 degree sunrise, and the 'lensers,' creepy dive-masked bloodhounds that sniff out the warmth in Necromons's living enemies. Nick Chinlund ("Tears of the Sun") is entertaining as Riddick's mercenary nemesis Toombs and Linus Roache ("Beyond Borders") meets an interesting demise as the Necromons' Purifier. All else is hogwash, from the "Stargate"-like mechanics of the Necromons' trappings to howl-inducing dialogue like 'My place is at your side, dear husband, from here to Underverse come.' Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench ("Die Another Day") is Aereon, an envoy from the elemental race, whose ability to become transparent perhaps reflects the actress's wish to disappear from the screen.
In Twohy's defense, his film improves from a spectacularly awful first half hour to the better-paced cheesy action that follows. His conclusion, however, ripped off from "The Man Who Would Be King," promises another installment, with Diesel's love interest rumored to be a character established here as even years younger than Jack's in the first flick.
D+

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