An OK Sci-Fi Horror Flick (if you're into that kind of thing)

Rating: 6/10 (31 July 2001)

(Might contain minor spoilers.)
Watched this on DVD last night and really enjoyed it. Don't expect this to become a classic or in fact be anything more than a rather unoriginal yet entertaining and rather well made sci-fi horror experience.
This film does have many weaknesses. You can tell right from the start who's cannon fodder and who's not, some of the effects are a bit cheesy (the creatures POV was irritating to say the least), and there's heavy borrowing from films like Alien, so no points for originality.
Pacing is quite off at times, but the film always manages to get back on track before this becomes annoying. Unfortunately this makes some of the scenes meant to be suspenseful fail embarrassingly.
I liked the performances. Yes, the characters are stereotypes, but this is how it works in these kinds of films (see Alien), and the actors deliver these stereotypes convincingly (if this isn't a contradiction in itself).
Vin Diesel plays the see-in-the-dark tough guy in a wonderfully over the top fashion. In fact, this is one of the most enjoyable tough guy impersonisations I have seen in quite a while.
Dialogue is what you would expect from a film like this - it mainly propels the story. There are a few memorable lines, mostly for "coolness", and always delivered by Riddick (Vin Diesel).
Expect to see a nice amount of eye candy, both in terms of CGI effects and photography.
All in all, if you're into Sci-Fi I would say that you should see this film. If it's not your preferred genre, stick to the classics instead.
I rated this at 6. But strictly within the realm of Sci-Fi I would probably give a 7.