Thandie Newton Movie:

		List Price: $29.98		Label: Universal Studios Salesrank: 10324 Released: March 31, 2009
		Our Price: $17.69
		Used Price: $12.70
		MPAA Rating: Unrated Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:

Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: UN
Release Date: 31-MAR-2009
Media Type: Blu-Ray

Description of Chronicles of Riddick [Blu-ray]:
Pitch Black
Owing a major debt to Alien and its cinematic spawn, Pitch Black is a guilty pleasure that surpasses expectations. As he did with The Arrival, director David Twohy revitalizes a derivative story, allowing you to forgive its flaws and submit to its visceral thrills. Under casual scrutiny, the plot's logic crumbles like a stale cookie, but it's definitely fun while it lasts.

A spaceship crashes on a desert planet scorched under three suns. The mostly doomed survivors include a resourceful captain (Radha Mitchell), a drug-addled cop (Cole Hauser), and a deadly prisoner (Vin Diesel) who quickly escapes. These clashing personalities discover that the planet is plunging into the darkness of an extended eclipse, and it's populated by hordes of ravenous, razor-fanged beasties that only come out at night. The body count rises, and Pitch Black settles into familiar sci-fi territory.

What sets the movie apart is Twohy's developing visual style, suggesting that this veteran of B-movie schlock may advance to the big leagues. Like the makers of The Blair Witch Project, Twohy understands the frightening power of suggestion; his hungry monsters are better heard than seen (although once seen, they're chillingly effective), and Pitch Black gets full value from moments of genuine panic. Best of all, Twohy's got a well-matched cast, with Mitchell (so memorable with Ally Sheedy in High Art) and Diesel (Pvt. Caparzo from Saving Private Ryan) being the standouts. The latter makes the most of his muscle-man role, and his character's development is one more reason this movie works better than it should. --Jeff Shannon

Dark Fury - The Chronicles of Riddick (Animated)
Taking a page from The Animatrix, Dark Fury is part of a new trend of bridging theatrical sequels. As an official product of a franchise, the 35-minute anime benefits from having the original actors voice the characters, including Vin Diesel as Riddick. This story opens with the new action hero and the two other survivors of Pitch Black already caught by a giant spaceship filled with dread. The sinewy leader has a unique--and creepy--jail for master villains and she has her sights set on Riddick. The film--indeed the series--is indebted to animator Peter Chung, who brings his techno style from his Aeon Flux series. His smooth animation for Riddick doesn't reinvent the character as much as give him a new, appealing fluidity. As anime goes, there's nothing really new here--plenty of action, cool killers, and dramatic spurts of blood--but it's a building block for how this genre might enliven movie series and sequels in the future. --Doug Thomas

Chronicles of Riddick [Blu-ray] Reviews:
OOH Vin Diesil Great Movie
2009-11-12 - I have seen this movie a halfe a dozen times and still love it .. I got it right away like new , I would buy from this seller again any day .. thanks again .

Chronicles of Riddick... If Mozart wrote a Space Opera!
2009-11-06 - Chronicles of Riddick: 6 out of 10: This movie reminded me very much of Dune. Not because of the opulent sets and costumes but simply because for the first 30 minutes or so I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

Now keep in mind I saw and loved the previous film Pitch Black (And if there was any justice in Hollywood Pitch Black star Rahda Mitchell would be getting 20 million dollar paychecks and Van Diesel would be doing walk on roles in Colin Farrell vehicles) and I saw that 30-minute anime that was supposed to fill in the plot (needless to say it doesn't).

The film Dune was criticized for its ponderous 15 minute opening narration and while I wouldn't inflict that particular torture on any other movie some idea of what is going on was clearly in order. Chronicles of Riddick on the other hand starts of mired in confusion. Even for those that had seen the previous film(s).

It then quickly hits a low point with seizure inducing battle flashes and a little girl melting Riddick's heart in a scene right out of the Grinch that Stole Christmas. But as soon as I was reaching for the eject button the movie strangely morph's into Alien 3 (or Star Trek VI the Undiscovered Country take your pick.)

See Riddick was going to save Jack the twelve year old girl who pretended to be a boy and now looks and dresses like a supermodel because she is safely located in an otherwise all male prison. Yeah that one kind of lost me too. However the action scenes pick up again and enough back story drifts in so that the biblical/Shakespearian plot comes into focus.

You see Riddick was born on a planet called Krypton, and then he was placed in the reeds to escape the pharaoh or was it King Herod. anyway the guy married to Lady MacBeth. No! Not the one with the Billy Ray Cyrus mullet. He was Lady MacBeth's lover Lancelot. See clear as day.

Sure the bad guy wears that mask from Amadeus and his troops look like Gwar started a dance troop. But many of the sets and costumes carry the day. The special effects are very well done (with the possible exception of the CGI Hellhounds) and the music certainly could have been worse.

The basic problem is the three main characters left over from Pitch Black have gotten the warm and fuzzies. I've explained supermodel Jack above and I understand why the Imam character had to be significantly toned down post 9/11 but why change Riddick?

He hugs puppies (okay Hellhounds) and children. All the appeal of the character from the first movie seems to be missing. He still talks the talk but the walk is very different. Looks like someone lost a pair.



GIFT
2009-10-12 - I have no idea what the movie is about nor do I care it was a gift and it was delivered to me in timely fashion. The end. Gave it great ratings because based on my need only delivery mattered.

Vin Diesel aka Riddick
2009-09-03 - The Riddick Trilogy, contains some really good scenes and stunts.
Pitch black, is the first movie, where you get introduced with Riddick, and get to know what he have done. In Denmark this movie is not so well known, but I believe that it is just as good as The Chronicles of Riddick, but in another way, as this movie is not a battle between human, but between bloodthirsty night creatures, whom slightly makes the group smaller and smaller, and from being 10 people on this planet, they are now only a few persons backl. A movie which I was really fond to see, and in my opinion a great beginning in get to know who this Riddick person really is.

Dark Fury is a cartoon, which is the link between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. The cartoon is made to show what happened from Riddick, and the to survivors left the planet, until you meet them again in Chronicles of Riddick. A not so great cartoon, which in my opinion should have been left out. But a good way to know what happened after they left the planet in Pitch Black.

The Chronicles of Riddick is probably the best movie in this trilogy, and also the best known, at least in Denmark. It begins with action and stunts, and just keep the pace all through the movie. A good showing of a fight between a universal tyrant, whom kill people if they wont convert to his people. But then Riddick shows up and the troubles start.

The Riddick Trilogy is a great movie trilogy, which is sure to give you the action you are looking for. I would highly recommend this, if you are looking for a good night in front of the television, where you need to relax and get you lust for action satisfied.

Not the theater release!!!!
2009-07-24 - I enjoyed the theater release of this movie. I HATE THE DIRECTOR'S CUT!



In the director's cut Riddick has visions of his home world and some angel like character gives him super natural powers. In the big fight as they are escaping the prison Riddick is basically defeated, then a miracle happens and some magic energy shockwave comes out of Riddick's body and knocks down all the baddies. LAME!!!

The theatrical release had none of this BS!



Worse, Amazon has this MIS-LABELed. It does not say director's cut above. The only place that says that is in very small print in the image.