straight up sci-fi actioner whose quality belies its meagre budget

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2000)

Saw this movie at a preview screening last year. I don't think is was the final cut, but pretty close to it.
The basic scenario is quite familiar - a disparate group of space travellers is thrown together when their ship crash lands on a seemingly desolate planet whose barren exterior hides a nasty surprise. However, this film has a gritty edge more reminiscent of independent "cinema verite" than the glossy coating applied to standard mainstream fare. This "down and dirty" approach is if anything more evocative of Alien than any plot similarities. The dialogue is sparse and terse and generally manages to stay away from the cliches which so many other films in this genre seem so ready to embrace.
The greatest strength of this film is its relatively unknown cast. The anxiety of this group who don't know or like each other is palpable. Their grudging agreement to work together under the direction of Fry, the sole surviving ship's officer (played by Radha Mitchell) is borne of necessity and practicality - there is no attempt at "chemistry" here, just the believability of desperate people facing the facts. The resolution of clashing personalities as the situation rapidly worsens forms the meat of the story and exposes the character's weaknesses and - more importantly - their true motivations. At the core of these revelations is the relationship between Fry and the convicted criminal Riddick (played with muscular vidour by Vin Diesel), everyone's survival will ultimately depend on whether these two can resolve their distrust of each other.
The film is well crafted. The effects work is excellent but never obtrusive, serving the story well. The cinematography adds a truely weird feel to the alien desert landscape. For a film that in total cost around what Shwarzenegger gets for a single movie this is an impressive offering from director David Twohy.