Really good science fiction film made better by the character Riddick.

Rating: 9/10 (22 September 2006)

"Pitch Black" is the perfect example of a film that clones most of its elements from a previous classic (in this case it's "Aliens") and yet still manages to be entertaining and amazingly appear somewhat fresh. Both movies involve a group of people stuck on a distant planet being hunted by an extremely dangerous species. After the initial onslaught, both movies then see the remaining characters attempting to survive while desperately working to get off the planet as soon as possible. So how can "Pitch Black" possibly seem fresh despite all these similarities? Well, the difference is in the details.
When a spaceship is critically damaged by some sort of asteroid storm, the pilot is forced to crash-land on a desert planet that has three suns. Due to at least one of the suns being above the horizon at all times it at first appears as if the planet exists in constant sunlight. Soon after they arrive it becomes apparent that the survivors are not alone. A species of creature takes a few of them out before they have a chance to figure out what's happening. This reptilian looking animal appears to have a severe reaction to light of any sort and so the climate seems to be ideal for the marooned travelers to avoid contact. But when the three suns and a planet all align in a massive scale eclipse, the creatures are free to roam the planet, attacking any life-forms that they come into contact with. The crew will soon come to realize that they need to rely heavily on a convicted killer they were previously transporting if they are to have any chance of survival.
The setup is a good one. The suspense builds dramatically as the light begins to fade away. But the thing that takes the movie to another level completely is the cast and the special effects. The effects are awesome, particularly when you consider that "Pitch Black" did not have a huge budget. In particular the initial crash scene is grippingly intense and kicks proceedings off with one heck of a bang. The creatures look real and frightening and the use of light and shadows works well for both the story and the budgetary constraints. The movie was filmed in Australia yet the planet appears alien due to the strange overexposed lighting used throughout the daytime scenes as well as the alien looking skeletal remains that dot the surface. Each member of the cast has a distinct persona as well as their own story to tell. Carolyn (Radha Mitchell) is an attractive young woman that comes awfully close to intentionally killing most of the crew during the crash landing in an attempt to save her own life, only to be considered a hero when they all live to see another day. She struggles throughout the movie with this cowardice and the undue praise that followed. William (Cole Hauser) is a morphine addicted mercenary intent on making sure a convicted criminal comes to justice. But the star of "Pitch Black" is undoubtedly Vin Diesel as Riddick, an escaped prisoner that the rest of the crash survivors rightfully fear. Diesel doesn't say an awful lot during the movie, yet every time he is on screen, he simply demands attention. I do feel that the creators tried perhaps a little too hard to make Riddick appear insanely dangerous, yet it's a credit to Diesel's performance that the audience still finds themselves in awe of him as well as hopeful to see more of him in action. The character was so successful that there is now a sequel called Riddick as well as a computer game based on him alone.
"Pitch Black" is most definitely ripping off previous films as stated above, but it does what it does tremendously well. Considering the amount of dreadful monster films that have come out in recent times, the grittiness, setting and Riddick make this movie a complete success. I highly recommend it to any fan of science fiction and horror.