A well developed sci-fi horror film

Rating: 8/10 (15 July 2014)

Sometimes being known for only a few things can benefit an individual greatly. Vin Diesel has the luxury of this phenomena. Most of time, when actors become known for doing the same roles, they become forgotten and non-existent. So in order to break free of that, the actor takes on new and different roles to either round out their skills or grab their fans attention. Jim Carrey was like this early on in his career. Originally, he was the funnyman with hits like Dumb & Dumber (1994), Ace Venture: Pet Detective (1994) and The Mask (1994). But then he went on to do The Truman Show (1998) which was a totally different step for him. Again, Vin Diesel hasn't had any problems sticking to what he's good at. This franchise and The Fast and the Furious (2001) series continue to cement him in Hollywood fame without having to take on completely different roles. He has tried but they never took off.
Here, Vin Diesel plays his second best known character to that of Dominic Toretto - Richard B. Riddick, a convicted killer who's got nothing to lose. While being transported, the ship ends up crash landing on a foreign planet with flying Dracula hammerhead shark like creatures. The catch is that they only come out at night. And the crew that is stranded is just in luck because a full eclipse is on its way. Ahh,...gotta love how convenient these situations happen. But for writing, convenience is the only problem. The rest is a well-written script that develops its main cast to the point of where they must come to grips with certain events that possibly audiences may not see coming. I know I wasn't, the actions of certain individuals continued to keep me guessing. This is important because that means it can keep the attention of its audience with ease. Plus, with the element of the unknown and high tension continuously keeps viewers on their toes.
Diesel as Riddick is convincing enough. He has snarky dialog and definitely has a presence that's hard to find boring. In charge of the rest of the crew is Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell) and although at times she's not sure of herself, she does become strong over time. Then there's her second in command William Johns (Cole Hauser) who has a grudge to settle with Riddick. His interactions with Diesel are comical at times because of how much they resent each other. Adding to the story is Abu 'Imam' al-Walid played by Keith David who adds a bit of a religious agenda into the mix. For him at least, he too as a character is tested, not only by the creatures but also by his peers. It is these kinds of moments that are critical in defining characters and not making them feel all the same.
The special effects for 2000 are good at points. The alien creatures don't look recycled but visually, they do look fake at times when it came to CGI. There are physical props but most of it is CGI, which makes it less frightening. The action and gore are commendable. Vin Diesel has the chops for such requirements. The cinematography by David Eggby looks great. For the planets terrain, it looked and felt very dry. I do question the color scheme at times. It would swap between yellow and blue. Both looked great but just one should've been picked. Graeme Revell's score to the film is interesting. It incorporates tribal drums to match Diesel's prologue of animal instincts but other than that, it feels light. No theme or tune was memorable. Come on Revell, you're better than this. Altogether still a very satisfying franchise entry.
The writing contains highly developed characters that will keep its audience guessing until the very end, along with its unique creatures. The only parts that feel weak are some of the visuals and Graeme Revell's musical score.