Perfect Pitch

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2000)

A new sci-fi thriller was released this past Friday. It stars nobody famous, was directed by David Twohy (who is responsible for some pretty major flops, like G. I. Jane, The Arrival, Waterworld, Critters 2 and Terminal Velocity), and was written by the brothers Wheat, Jim and Ken, who have also spent most of their time penning some pretty dreary stuff (Birds II, The Fly II, and Nightmare on Elm Street 4). Aside from the fact that Twohy once directed The Fugitive, this movie has nothing going for it right out of the starting block.
It's called Pitch Black. And, as my dad always says, "This movie will eat your lunch." That means its good, for those of you who don't speak the language of my dad.
Let's talk plot. Taking place in the distant future, a space ship is carrying some passengers to an unnamed planet. Among the denizens is a dangerous convict, who is our narrator. For no explained reason, the ship's hull is punctured full of holes, causing an understandable and intense crash, depositing the surviving members of the group on a large deserted planet that has three suns. Unfortunately, a major solar eclipse is on the verge of occurring, and the planet just happens to be infested with a horrifying race of aliens that can only live in the dark. Needless to say, the aliens begin feasting on the poor survivors like they're Human McNuggets. Pass the popcorn!
Perhaps the most admirable trait of the movie is its patience. It jumps into the story with just enough exposition to keep it sensible, but it doesn't rush anywhere from there, doesn't make any excuses, and doesn't explain itself any more than it has to. Each element of the story (including the nicely designed and unobtrusive sub-plots) achieves a mythical quality within the confines of the well-measured story.	Of course, the cinematography helps. The first half of the movie, establishing the mood and situation, is almost over-exposed, glaring a hot white. The three suns (one of which is a silver blue) shine beautifully on the shimmering and humming planet, and everyone's faces become bleached masks. And then, suddenly, it's dark.
There's nothing devouring about the film. It certainly doesn't swallow the audience whole, the way Aliens did. But it does provide a context and a story that, in its own element, is believable and suspenseful, the way Alien did. Sure, Pitch Black has its cheesy moments, but it's the type of cheese you don't regret, and most of it provides a welcome relief from the constant swarthy forms rushing by in the darkness. Balanced out by moments of intense creepiness, the cheese helps keep the movie from falling into total self-importance.
But what makes the flick (despite nicely underplayed acting all around) is the visually enchanting tricks the director opted to add. The convict narrator spent most of his life in a prison with almost no lighting. Upon his release (i.e. breakout) he got a doctor to give him night vision. (C'mon, it's the future) At many points the movie adopts his point of view, which is simultaneously gorgeous and chilling. Add to that the alien point of view (which is an array of crystalline shards, intended to represent the way they "see" things in a manner similar to bats: via echoes), and you have a flick well worth just watching, if not experiencing.
It's hard to know who'll like it and who won't, but I don't hesitate to say this is a good movie. Playing out like a live action version of Myst plus Doom, this show has its weak points and its strong points, its silly moments and its strong moments, but doesn't disappoint. And although some of it may be gross, some of it disturbing, and some of it a little dopey, it's an engaging story without a predictable resolution, tuned to an almost perfect pitch.
Get it? "Pitch?" Pitch Black? Just go see the movie, for crying out loud.