An impressive homage to the genre

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2000)

Truth to be told, I went into "Pitch Black" unsure of what to expect. I'd read a couple of reviews in the paper, largely forgotten shortly thereafter, and naturally seen the previews and ads. Given how movies have disappointed in the past, these days I go into theatres with as few expectations as possible.
I was thoroughly impressed by this movie.
In the tradition of Aliens, Predator, and the like, Pitch Black makes a fine addition to the genre. All such films share some common factors -- unknown beasties, a limited area in which to move, and people getting killed off in sundry nasty ways. But although the basis is similar, the plot and implementation was still impressive. The cinematography and imagery were superb, the acting excellent, and the special effects impressive. (My primary concern with effects-generated beasties is whether or not you can tell it was effects-generated, that is, does it look like a Harryhausen stop-motion beast. Pitch Black passed that test with flying colours.)
I have to give a nod to Vin Diesel, who probably was a significant part of why this film was as good as it was. Each of the main characters had their flaws nonetheless, Vin stands out above the rest of the pack, and not merely in physical stature (though that certainly was a part of it). In sheer presence and in deeds his was the character that had the audience's attention. The entire theater was clapping and cheering at one point!
This movie portrays an interesting trinity of protagonists and how they react to the situation they've been placed in. The "taste" of the movie, if you can consider it so, was savory and thick. It's certainly the best sci-fi movie I've seen since "The Matrix" -- "The Phantom Menace" was shallow and ephemeral, "Galaxy Quest" was decent but too much of a satire to find a place in my memory, "eXistenZ" was too bizarre, "The Astronaut's Wife" possessed of a weak storyline, "The 13th Floor" not bad, but too predictable- you get the picture. And let's not even talk about "Supernova".
The only real difficulty I had with it was the choppy editing during the first 20 minutes or so. A few more moving shots, used to emphasise transitions, would have upped my rating that final point.
Overall: 9/10.