Are you afraid of the dark?

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2000)

A group of colonists become stranded on a world lit by three suns after a meteor storm strikes their ship. One of the passengers is a multiple murderer, Riddick (Vin Diesel), and his captor, Johns (Cole Hauser).
Your first instinct on seeing this scenario is that Riddick is going to escape and there'll be a desperate attempt to recapture him, the other survivors being picked off one by one. But Riddick and the heat aren't the worst of the crash survivors problems.
The film is beautifully shot, the lighting produced by the three suns is fantastic. The cast, a lot of them first time in a big film are great and the script does them justice.
The absolute star, aside from the planets inhabitants, is Diesel. He has an absolute hold on the camera; it seems to gravitate to him at every opportunity. He also doesn't let Riddick's basic character go. Riddick is evil, and right up until the end you never feel he's changed.
As a sci-fi movie the effects are another key part. These enhance the story without being overly intrusive. The monsters are also well produced and seem alive.
The editing is tight and allows the movie to linger when it needs to and zoom out of hand at other moments. The only slight concern is the shakey camera work. Those with a sensitive stomach may want to look away.
A very good film indeed. Comparisons with Alien and its sequels will be made, but Pitch Black is a film in its own right and deserves consideration.