Fun on a budget

Rating: 7/10 (18 February 2000)

Usually special effects movies are very expensive but "Pitch Black" does not respect this rule. And it succeeds in creating an excellent movie. Well, excellent within its limits. The movie is an "Aliens" clone but it works very nicely on its own.
The cinematography is the victim of the low budget. It took me half an hour to become accustomed to the almost 'black-and-white' images. The colours are very basic and general. But the special effects are flawless and scary. Another problem is the very small screenplay. Read out loud and it wouldn't have taken more than 30 minutes.
Characters are more or less sketches, with one exception. The anti-hero Riddick is the only character well written. Under the very odd and evil eyes, lies a good conscience that just needs help to come to the surface. But Riddick needs help in order to do that. He is the only character that I cared about and I am very happy that he survived. The actor, Vin Diesel (don't laugh at his name) is one of the best looking out there, and I hope he is also talented.
I recommend this movie entirely and I give it 7/10.