Gripping Sci-FI Thriler

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2013)

Director David Twohy and scenarists Ken & Jim Wheat have fashioned a grim, claustrophobic but exciting sci-fi, horror chiller about a commercial vessel in space that is struck by meteor shower. Not only is the ship Hunter-Gratzner knocked out of its shipping lane, but also the captain dies. The spacecraft crash lands on a desolate planet inhabited by some weird looking creatures that can fly, resemble Pterodactyl with forked tails, and have hammerhead-shaped heads with a mouth full of steak knife teeth. These ravenous critters will munch you in a minute and they will even eat each other if the occasion arises. Our heroes are the ship's surviving pilot, Kyra (Radha Mitchell), a bounty hunter named Johns (Cole Hauser), Muslim Imam (Keith David), a little boy masquerading as a little girl named Jack (Rhiana Griffith), and convict Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) who is in restraints. They locate an alternate spaceship to get them off the planet. Other than being a convict, Riddick is a little different because he can see in the dark. One by one these characters are whittled down by the ugly monsters. Part of the problem is that we never get to clearly see what the lethal bird-like monsterys. Twohy stages with action with enough expertise and never lets up on the suspense. Vin Diesel is perfectly cast as an murderer with a gravel voice. There are enough surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat.