Culture

Rating: 3/5

It’s hard to believe, but despite his brawny machismo and horrific repertoire of films, Vin Diesel is a gigantic nerd. It is Vin’s inner geek that has driven him to champion the Riddick franchise, in which he plays the central figure, Richard B. Riddick. At the start of the millennia, Vin Diesel pushed for the creation of two films and two video games in the series. Now, nearly 10 years since the last film (The Chronicles of Riddick), a third film in the series has been made.

Riddick tells the story of Riddick (Vin Deisel) struggling to survive on, and ultimately escape from, the hostile planet on which he has been stranded. Fans of the series will immediately recognise that this is the exact plot of the first film, Pitch Black. If you watch the movie, however, it will soon become obvious that this is not a poor coincidence, but rather a return to what made the franchise a cult favourite to begin with. Riddick combines the best elements from the series’ first two films while also adding a number of great new ideas, such as periphery characters with genuinely believable emotions – not something the series has been known for in the past! Riddick also incorporates plot points from the previous films without alienating viewers new to the franchise.

The film is cringeworthy at times, with some truly horrible dialogue and seemingly-obligatory nudity: science fiction superstar Katee Sackhoff gets naked in what is perhaps the most undignified moment in cinematic history. Luckily, this is offset by some excellently written, directed and performed set moments, which colour the spaces between the conventional science fiction thriller moments. The film also has some really great action, which is handled more intelligently than in most science fiction films. Such scenes thus become more about the psychological thrill than your standard “blood and explosions” fare.

Riddick is mostly a pretty standard science fiction thriller. A must-see for fans of the genre or the Riddick franchise, friends and partners being dragged along to watch this film will also be pleasantly surprised – for what it is, it’s pretty darn entertaining.