A Gigantic Disappointment!

Rating: 3/10 (25 December 2000)

I expected Pitch Black to be entertaining, fun and horrific. It was neither of them, and it has few good things about it.
After a freak mishap, a spaceship crash lands on a desolate planet. The survivors include an escaped convict (Vin Deisel), his captor, and a bunch of devout Muslims among others. This unlikely collection of people have to team up together when they realise that the planet they have landed on not only has no water, but it is also infested with a bunch of nasty aliens intent on eating them. These aliens don't like the light, so it's a good job the system's three suns ensure 24 hours a day light ... or at least, that is, until a total eclipse arrives.
This is basically an Alien clone done in a dumb-ass I've-seen-it-all-before style. There is one good performance from Diesel, who was given a poor script and crap, newcomer co-stars with no potential or future. There are no scary or tense scenes in the film, just a mix of moving shadows, slimy tenticles and objects going through people's stomachs, which isn't disgusting at all, just, embarrassing, try-hard horror. The use of colour is unwatchable and the cinematography is blurry and done in a boring way, unlike most horror films. The set decoration and art direction are neither bad, but they can barely save the film.
Seriously not worth your time. You have been warned.
I rate Pitch Black 2 out of 10.