“Pitch Black & The Chronicles of Riddick 2-Pack” Blu-ray Review
While little splash was made by the 2000 release of Pitch Black (although the modestly budgeted film did more than double back when worldwide gross is taken into account), it was the 2004 release of the loud and proud Chronicles of Riddick that brought further attention to the series. With Vin Diesel’s career at a high at that moment in time, it seemed like no better time to bring the anti-hero back to the big screen in an absolutely massive sci-fi world that took its viewers on a visually stunning journey. Unfortunately for Riddick, the budget that was five times bigger than Pitch Black weighed it down and film barely made back its budget worldwide (although it undoubtedly did more than amazing in home video sales).
Pitch Black (Synopsis)
When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick (Vin Diesel) isn’t the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced to turn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there’s only one rule: Stay in the light.
I’d heard of Pitch Black only after Riddick had already bowed out of theaters, but based on two things I knew I’d eventually want to watch the films. Those two things? Well one, I kind of enjoyed Vin Diesel; his movies are loud and usually quite superfluous, but they’re at least fun. The second thing is that the world of Riddick was about the most stunning looking thing since Star Wars in terms of grand scope. It’s an impressive and amazing film to gaze upon and based on those two things alone I wanted to check out the films.
So here’s my chance. I start off with Pitch Black and immediately I’m already caught up in the sci-fi world. Unfortunately for the film it starts out as Alien and ends as such as well; the film is really nothing more than a different take on sci-fi horror, but it does add in a few unique elements. For one the “hero” of the film really being a convict or villain is a nice little twist on the sci-fi genre and the being hunted by creatures also added some nice horror elements to it. It’s kind of a hard film to fault because when it comes down to it, how many Alien like films are there really? This may follow the same formula, but it is really just a slightly re-arranged tale.
Still, the visuals of the film, often caused by the various suns in the film and how they light the world, are intriguing and Riddick’s personality is also easy to warm up to. The whole film is quite predictable, but it’s still a fun little ride to take, especially considering you know there’s a longer feature to enjoy afterwards as well. And that brings us to…
The Chronicles of Riddick (Synopsis)
Vin Diesel (xXx, The Fast and the Furious) stars in this electrifying special-effects-fueled action spectacular! After years of outrunning ruthless bounty hunters, escaped convict Riddick suddenly finds himself caught between opposing forces in a fight for the future of the human race. Now, waging incredible battles on fantastic and deadly worlds, this lone, reluctant hero will emerge as humanity’s champion – and the last hope for a universe on the edge of annihilation. Powered by groundbreaking visual effects and pulse-pounding, thrill-a-minute action, The Chronicles of Riddick is “a roller coaster ride that leaves you kicking and screaming for more!” (Hollywood Hotwire)
After a sci-for horror tale I was very surprised to see the turn of events that the films sequel took. No longer was it an Alien universe, but instead something more akin to Star Wars (with a dash of Stargate thrown in for good measure) with its vast world and alien creatures. In a way I was almost disappointed now by the visuals that intrigued me about the series in the first place; they were certainly pretty to look at, but they really served no other purpose other than that.
The story was really the worst part of the film; Riddick’s return to civilization was entertaining, yes, but once he is enveloped into the world of Keith David and Judi Dench (how the hell did she end up in this film?), the whole film becomes boring and slightly redundant. Very little of Riddick feels like Pitch Black and aside from Vin Diesel kicking a ton of ass, there really isn’t a whole lot to hold the film up. The plots weak, the characters are dull and aside from the special effects, you really just don’t have much to hold your interest.
It’s kind of depressing, really; Pitch Black’s biggest flaws stemmed from its budget and shoddy CGI, while Chronicles of Riddick had the CGI, it just didn’t have a decent story. Neither one of the films felt like they couldn’t be something produced for the Sci-Fi channel in some way or another and that’s really what felt most disappointing about them. Here the films had a lush and vibrant world to sort through and yet we were limited to a dictatorship style world that we often see in these sci-fi films.
Together the two films certainly stand together better, but separately I’d have to take Pitch Black over Riddick. Riddick really worked on a superficial level because of the history that preceded the film; to have it not build upon the horror that made the first one so interesting, Riddick really just became another typical sci-fi flick with fantastic visuals. Overall the two films are only Recommended if you’re a fan of sometimes cheesy and hokey sci-fi; if you aren’t, however, then Skip on by them, as they won’t offer anything new to you.
The Blu-ray
Both releases come in a standard Elite Blu-ray case with the usual Universal Blu-ray advertisement (although instead of the hodge-podge of various titles for the insert cover, they advertise the new Riddick video game). Menus for both releases follow the “blade” system style and are simple and easy to navigate.
Both releases sport a VC-1 encoded transfer and in terms of clarity, Riddick has a definite leg-up since it’s the more recent of the two. The world of Riddick is absolutely stunning, with incredible detail abound in every image. Pitch Black is slightly hammered with a softer than normal transfer, but for the most part it’s a decent effort (unfortunately the already mediocre special effects look even worse in 1080p). Both transfers are bolstered by terrific DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes, however, as surrounds are utilized to their full extent. The subwoofer pounds away as guns are fired or ships blast off and if anything, fans may want to trade up to the new Blu’s just for the audio boost (depending on how much you enjoy the films to begin with, at least).
Extras for the two releases are pretty much identical to their HD-DVD/DVD counterparts. For Pitch Black:
EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF:
• U-CONTROL: Universal’s exclusive signature feature, U-Control puts viewers one click away from
going deeper into the making of the film without ever leaving the movie.
o PICTURE IN PICTURE: Access interactive cast and crew interviews and behind-thescenes
footage, all while you watch the movie.
o PITCH BLACK RAW: Explore the making of a special-effects fueled action epic through
side-by-side comparisons of raw CGI to finished sequences, and raw dailies to final
scenes.
• BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to get even
more content, watch the latest trailers, and more!
o MY SCENES: Pick your favorite scenes from the film to create your own video montage.
STANDARD BONUS FEATURES:
• AN INTRODUCTION BY DAVID TWOHY
• THE GAME IS ON: Utilizing animatics and concept art created during the development of the
game, this feature summarizes the events preceeding Pitch Black.
• JOHNS’ CHASE LOG: A visual, animated and interactive day-by-day diary of the merc Johns’
pursuit of Riddick. Viewers will gain a broader understanding of how Johns’ was almost killed by
Riddick, but also how he eventually tracked and captured Riddick. Voice-over by Cole Hauser.
• THE MAKING OF PITCH BLACK
• DARK FURY: ADVANCING THE ARC: A tantalizing first look THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK:
DARK FURY, the animated prequel to RIDDICK.
• THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK VISUAL ENCYCLOPEDIA: Using an interactive interface
coupled with production art and drawings, the consumer can familiarize themselves with the
complex worlds, language and terminology from THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. Voice-over by
Cole Hauser.
• A VIEW INTO THE DARK: An early look into the THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, featuring new
interviews with Vin Diesel and director David Twohy.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH VIN DIESEL, COLE HAUSER AND DIRECTOR DAVID
TWOHY
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR DAVID TWOHY, PRODUCER TOM ENGELMAN
AND VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR PETER CHIANG
For Chronicles of Riddick:
EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF:
• U-CONTROL: Universal’s exclusive signature feature, U-Control puts viewers one click away from
going deeper into the making of the film without ever leaving the movie.
o PICTURE IN PICTURE: Access interactive cast and crew interviews and behind-thescenes
footage, all while you watch the movie.
o COMPLETE CHRONICLES: Explore the history and mythology of Riddick.
o CHRONICLES COMPENDIUM: Multi-tiered, dossier on characters, races, planets,
religions, weapons and spacecrafts.
o ANATOMY OF A FIGHT: Investigate select fight scenes to demonstrate the real-life
science of Riddick’s hand-to-hand combat skills.
• BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to get even
more content, watch the latest trailers, and more!
o MY SCENES: Pick your favorite scenes from the film and share with your BD-Live™
buddies.
STANDARD BONUS FEATURES:
• INTRODUCTION BY DAVID TWOHY
• DELETED SCENES WITH COMMENTARY BY DAVID TWOHY
• VIRTUAL GUIDE TO THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: Immerse yourself into the world of The
Chronicles of Riddick from the perspectives of the characters.
• TOOMBS’ CHASE LOG: Track the hunt for Riddick from bounty hunter Toombs’ perspective.
• VISUAL EFFECTS REVEALED: A play-by-play breakdown of the most complex and compelling
visual FX in The Chronicles of Riddick.
• CREATION OF NEW MECCA: Visit New Mecca on Helion Prime and explore this futuristic world
from concept to completion.
• RIDDICK RISES: Learn about Riddick’s past, present and future including and in-depth view of his
training, weapons and more.
• KEEP WHAT YOU KILL: Discover how the Necromonger Empire has mastered the art of war,
learn their dark secrets, their strategies and witness their powers and fighting prowess.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH WRITER-DIRECTOR DAVID TWOHY AND ACTORS KARL
URBAN AND ALEXA DAVALO
As you can see the releases are certainly not lacking in the extras department, as the commentaries are informative and entertaining to listen to (the lack of Diesel on the Riddick track, however, is a bit strange) and there are plenty of little featurettes and making-of’s to check out. There’s also a wealth of Blu-ray goodies, although with them being made up of picture-in-picture material, they require you to watch the movie along with them.
Overall these are two decent sci-fi outings, but only real die-hards will enjoy them. They each have their flaws but they’re stronger as a set. Recommended if you enjoyed the films but don’t previously own them.
The Chronicles of Riddick 2-Pack arrives on Blu-ray on March 31st.