Holed but excellent film

Rating: Null/10 (25 January 2002)

Pitch Black is the kind of film that elicits controversy. The same sort of people who Ridley Scott's classic Alien to that awful B grade flick Starship Troopers cry over a lack of gory action scenes, while all the time missing the point. Never mind.
There are major flaws in its story and setup, but these are not directly apparent when watching it for the first time and can be overlooked. Firstly there is the ridiculous coincidence of managing to crash-land less than a few kilometers away from the previous settlement. Then there's the fact that the eclipse (which occurs every 20 years or so) happens not much more than a few hours after they arrive. Then of course there is the planet itself - no thought was given to creating a realistic ecosystem or environment. Again, never mind, although these are issues that could have been addressed by the script writers, and it's a pity they weren't.
This is the film which introduced Vin Diesel to me (had seen Saving Private Ryan, but never really took much notice of Camparzo). Along with Radha Mitchell he was excellent, really made the character. Riddick is an interesting creation with some depth not often seen in a film like Pitch Black - his religious beliefs, expressed in a scene cut from some releases of the film, impressed me deeply. Unusual to see such a character prevail. ** SPOILER ** Fry also attracted some attention - seeing her die at the end created an emotional response which implies Mitchell had created a character you will care about.
To contradict those who complain about that issue, Fry's death is of course necessary to the story. It finalizes her character - she states at the beginning that she will not die for the others, then finally proves that she actually would (and does). It also sets an example to Riddick who is no doubt impressed by her.
Technically the film has its ups and downs. The crash is actually a little disappointing - the entry into the planet's atmosphere was unrealistic and improbable, as was the initial 'collision' with the comet's tail. The boiling clouds shown on the surface below are silly - a desert should have greeted them. Once on the surface, however, the following scenes are brilliant. The washed out filters used create a wonderfully gritty feel, and you really feel for the characters as they become tired and dehydrated. And the scene showing the simultaneous sunsets and eclipse is amongst the most beautiful graphics I've ever seen in a film. The second half of the film loses the other-worldly feel with the light, but by then the scene has been set and other things occupy your mind. And the final scene showing the spacecraft moving out of orbit over the planet's rings is certainly a picture to end on.
Grade A, awesome film, see it - but don't be too technical.