PITCH BLACK – UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT (2000)
***/**** Image A Sound A Extras C+
starring Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David
screenplay by Jim & Ken Wheat and David Twohy
directed by David Twohy
DARK FURY (2004)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
*½/**** Image A Sound A Extras D+
screenplay by Brett Matthews
directed by Peter Chung
THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK – UNRATED DIRECTOR'S CUT (2004)
***½/**** Image A Sound A+ Extras C
starring Vin Diesel, Thandie Newton, Karl Urban, Judi Dench
written and directed by David Twohy
by Travis Mackenzie Hoover At the dawn of the century came a little movie called Pitch Black that didn't seem like an opportunity for blockbuster inflation. Produced for a mere $20 million, it turned out to be only moderately successful yet built up a cult following on video and cable. In the interim, its star Vin Diesel did smash business in The Fast and the Furious and xXx, positioning him as the next bankable action hero and generating a hunt for properties with which to exploit his appeal. Thus did the chamber piece Pitch Black beget the big-budget extravaganza The Chronicles of Riddick, a sequel nobody was particularly salivating for but which showed up anyway to widespread confusion and audience indifference. The two films couldn't be more disparate: where the former is a guilt-ridden ensemble piece in which the ensemble rapidly dwindles, the latter is an over-designed star spectacular with a glut of supporting supplicants and plenty of action set-pieces.
But this is one of those rare situations where greed didn't adversely affect quality. Both films are uncommonly entertaining–on completely different terms. You can sort of respect the mind at work in Pitch Black, a film with a greater moral dilemma than most genre fare that depends on us caring about who lives and who dies; it aims low in terms of scope but has a mournful texture unheard-of in studio science-fiction. The Chronicles of Riddick, meanwhile, aims high in pursuit of Big Themes and thoroughly misses the mark, but its failure as drama renders it a triumph of straight camp. Everything is scaled beyond the point of reasonability: the insanely lavish Art Deco Giger sets and costumes serve to position Diesel as the Maria Montez of the new century. Pity that it occasioned the dtv filler Dark Fury, the middle, completely disposable chapter of the "Riddick Trilogy." Life is full of disappointments.
We begin before anyone really knew what a Vin Diesel was, with the under-the-radar 2000 hit Pitch Black. It's sort of a beefed-up rewrite of Alien: a small spacecraft crash-lands on a desert planet with a rag-tag band of passengers, led by officer Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell) and containing the corpus of murderer Richard B. Riddick (Diesel) and his policeman keeper William Johns (Cole Hauser). Where Alien is about physical peril, however, Pitch Black is about guilt. Fry is tormented by the fact that she nearly jettisoned the human cargo in order to save her own skin, and she's further fearful of exposure, with Riddick and Johns serving as avenging consciences/Devil's advocates in sly little moments. Worse, the discovery of light-fearing carnivorous monsters–which are unleashed on the landscape after the planet's three suns eclipse–facilitate touch-and-go judgment calls that cause her further moral anguish.
Fry is caught between two immovable objects: there's the aggressively posturing Johns, revealed as a drug-using mercenary in cop drag who tries to override her trembling authority; and then there's the amoral Riddick, who repeatedly expresses that he doesn't give a damn and will use anything at his disposal to live. Undaunted, Fry tries to redeem herself for her earlier weakness by pledging to whisk everyone to an abandoned spaceship before their lights fail and the monsters devour them. This is more than you expect from a low-budget sci-fi horror romp, and it's a credit to co-writer/director David Twohy that he very nearly makes good on all of Pitch Black's ambitions. Fry's dilemma has real pathos, though it's perhaps a little too underwritten to kill.
If I'm leery of awarding the movie top marks, it's because I know full well that Fry's isn't a dilemma that would ever face a male hero. Either she's allowed to waver because it's expected of a woman, or she's forced to shoulder ethical burdens that would never be put on a man's shoulders. I'm waiting for the day when Cattle Annie bursts into the saloon and guns down the Man with No Name without a shred of guilt. Still, there's no denying that the film has more heft than one expected to find close to the end of the '90s, harking back to the kind of knotty stuff that grew out of the '70s-'80s underbrush, when genre indie productions were plentiful and nobody was paying attention.
The 35-minute animated bridge ostensibly connecting Pitch Black to The Chronicles of Riddick is, alas, a poorly-written blip directed by "Aeon Flux"'s Peter Chung that's engaged in a plot covered much better in the Edogawa Rampo gloss Black Lizard. Dark Fury begins with a vampish weirdo named Chillingsworth (voice of Tress MacNielle) picking up Riddick and the other survivors. At first it's assumed she's a mercenary, but she turns out to be a collector who captures murderers and then freezes them to appreciate as sculpture. Less than eager to join Chillingsworth's collection, Riddick battles a couple of tentacled robots and a variety of flunkies in his escape attempt.
Lacking the surreal madness of "Aeon Flux", Dark Fury is aesthetically ugly: the character design is pretty unappetizing, fitting Riddick with a nose that makes the live-action version look like Audrey Hepburn. There are a couple of nice touches, such as a slug-like monster fitted with robot legs, but the script doesn't have the grotesquerie to back them up, and Riddick's final fight with the head henchman is anticlimactic, to say the least. I could draw parallels between Pitch Black's quivering woman and Fury's vengeful bitch caricature, but that would be saying that the final product is worth reflection. You can feel the tick of people marking time and cashing paychecks, making its inclusion on the Riddick Trilogy DVD useless to all but the most obsessive completist.
No matter: they've saved the best for last with the crazy steel-grey marzipan of The Chronicles of Riddick. Our man is very nearly overshadowed by the Necromongers, a warlike faith that converts or kills the planets it conquers–but as he's part of a nearly-extinct race that's prophesied as their demise, he's somewhat necessary to the plot. That plot is practically invisible next to the absurdly oversize nature of the production, which attacks you with some kind of fascist Chrysler Building setting down on planet Helion Prime and cramming the screen with puffy-costumed soldiers bent on the destruction of the universe. There's nominal ideology spouted near the beginning about something called the Underverse and soul-stealing and alla that good stuff, but it's so ridiculous as to enhance the experience of overdressed cast members queening around the set.
We of course are supposed to be rooting for the people in tank tops (chiefly Riddick and fellow Pitch Black survivor Kira (Alexa Davalos)), the whole thing depending on their lo-fi get-up contrasting with the rest of the movie's design. (Everybody in The Chronicles of Riddick is either comically buff or dressed up like a Goth linebacker.) Gone are Pitch Black's tension-filled moral choices and agonizing dead ends: this film is about whether Riddick is going to wise up and be the big he-man empire-hater he's been set up to be. It has less to do with character choices than with character poses: Riddick looks cool with his goggles and shaven head; the Necromonger leader Lord Marshall (Colm Feore) shouts orders like the Canadian ham he is; and the rest of the court and the recalcitrant Helionites scurry around with their tricked-up intrigues and stands for decency.
Strangely, this does nothing to damage the film's credibility. However distracting the dressing, the core underpinnings are sound (and, as Walter remarked in his theatricalreview, soundly archetypal), keeping the whole thing from collapsing under its own weight. It doesn't make the movie complex, but it does make it a more convincing camp scenario. As much as I loathe the use of Joseph Campbell as all-purpose justification, the fact is that Riddick's is a hero's journey based on myth while vain enough to dress the basic structure in the best of haute couture. And it means that this completely frivolous movie somehow sticks to your bones. I had more fun watching three minutes of Riddick than I did the entirety of the new Star Wars trilogy, since it's drunk enough on its dubious ideas to dress them properly and send them out to have a good time.
Reconfiguring the three films onto two discs, Universal's "Riddick Trilogy – The Franchise Collection" comes packaged in a swingtray keepcase, itself tucked inside a cardboard slipcase with a velcro-sealed gatefold cover. (Opening it reveals simple graphical ephemera.) Pitch Black looks great in its extended-cut glory. (This is the Unrated Director's Cut, which, like that of The Chronicles of Riddick, has more or less supplanted the theatrical cut.) The 2.35:1, 16×9-enhanced image is remarkably rich and well-saturated considering the movie's parched palette; the hated "Universal jaundice" that taints so many of the studio's titles is absent here. The complementary Dolby Digital 5.1 audio features subtle gradations that give a sense of distance rather than just slamming you with effects. Surround cues are excellent and the whole mix is beautifully harmonious.
Dark Fury transcends its afterthought status. The 1.85:1, 16×9-enhanced image is very sharp and vivid with little colour bleedthrough; one can observe all of Chung's weird details with pinpoint accuracy. The DD 5.1 sound is perhaps a tad loud but offers more creative work than a knockoff of this calibre would normally attract, and some nutty surround cues soften the blow of the flabby script. The Chronicles of Riddick is the best of the bunch. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, it surpasses Pitch Black in terms of lustre and the jump cuts indicating scene extensions Twohy prepares us for in a brief introduction to this Unrated Director's Cut prove a non-issue. Better still is the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, which floods the speakers with incredibly subtle–or, just as often, extremely powerful–aural cues. The faint sound of a cowardly soldier fleeing from the rear-right speaker is praise enough for what stands as a fantastic mix.
Extras are as follows:
DISC ONE, PART ONE: PITCH BLACK
Commentary with David Twohy, Vin Diesel, and Cole Hauser
A standard, convivial commentary in which the two male leads trade jokes about how cold it was and the director tries to fill in bits of technical detail. Their mutual wit justifies a listen, especially when Diesel discusses the many uncomfortable things his character had to do.
Commentary with David Twohy, Producer Tom Engelman and Visual Effects Supervisor Peter Chiang
This more technical commentary is somehow that much more joke-laden, though it does get into the nitty-gritty of how things were shot and why. Engleman and Chiang, perhaps surprisingly, are the ones doing most of the cutting-up.
The Johns Chase Log
An interactive feature that allows you to read and to listen to William Johns's notes on the chase for Riddick. It's pretty dull stuff but liberally dosed with profanity to keep you interested.
"The Making of Pitch Black" (5 mins.)
Standard EPK bull complete with micro-minuscule sound bites and blink-and-you'll-miss-'em clips from the film. No real information imparted.
"Dark Fury: Advancing the Arc" (2 mins.)
An even shorter and less edifying promo for the animated sidetrack, with Peter Chung talking guff about the challenge of using pre-existing characters. Skip it, life is too precious.
The Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia
Another interactive glossary illuminating the terms "slam," "merc" and "orrery," none of which come as any surprise to those who have seen Pitch Black and possess an IQ above twelve.
A View into the Dark (4 mins.)
This looks forward to The Chronicles of Riddick (many of these supplements are recycled from Pitch Black's pre-The Chronicles of Riddick tie-in release) but pretty much repeats the formula of the making-of with the usual glad-handing about how everybody can identify with Riddick. Again, no real useful info.
DISC ONE, PART TWO: DARK FURY
"From Pitch Black to The Chronicles of Riddick: Bridging the Gap" (8 mins.)
Several parties (including Twohy and Diesel) explain that a bridge was needed to link the early film to the later one; nobody points out that Dark Fury doesn't really do this, but never mind. Writer Brett Matthews and director Peter Chung neverthless reveal a few choice tidbits, not that the finished product was worth chewing over.
"Peter Chung: The Mind of an Animator" (5 mins.)
This is a far more in-depth talk with the "Aeon Flux" creator, but while he's very articulate and smart, he talks in vague generalities like most other special-feature talking heads. That said, the piece is remarkably free of the cloying gush that usually marks these things.
"Into the Light" (5 mins.)
More cross-promotional hoo-ha about the impending release of The Chronicles of Riddick. Diesel and Twohy explain it was interest in the character–and not commercial expediency–that changed the would-be franchise's direction from sci-fi horror to sci-fi adventure. About what you'd expect.
DISC TWO: THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK
Commentary with David Twohy, Alexa Davalos, and Karl Urban
Twohy comes off as bright as ever as he launches into exegesis for The Chronicles of Riddick, helpfully pointing out which scenes were cut from the theatrical version in addition to providing hugely convoluted rationales for artistic choices that barely register. While Davalos and Urban would appear to be flummoxed by the format, Twohy helps keep us engaged.
Deleted Scenes (8 mins.)
Three clips, including: a) a wisely-excised exposition scene with Elemental Judi Dench explaining why the Necromongers must be stopped; b) the original capture-of-Riddick sequence that was reshot for increased drama; and c) Toombs's untimely demise during the race to escape Crematoria. With optional Twohy commentary.
Virtual Guide to The Chronicles of Riddick
Another entirely superfluous interactive glossary, although this one will sometimes give you the choice of two characters to explain ten places and people in the Riddick universe.
"Toombs' Chase Diary" (10 mins.)
Merc Toombs talks big from a computer screen and annoys the hell out of you with his jabbering about how he's going to take down Riddick. A big waste of time.
Riddick Insider
A pop-up trivia option that can be used while watching the movie. Alas, much of this is totally needless background information ("The four faces on the Lord Marshall's mask represent his all-seeing astral eyes"). Though fanboys will swoon, mostly it just gets in the way of enjoying the sensual array offered by the film itself.
Riddick's Worlds
Interactive 360-degree views of eight of the film's sets, with appropriately ominous Graeme Revell music. I don't exactly see the point, but it's nice to see the sets with the studio ceilings visible and much empty space in front. Kicks off with Diesel offering hyperbolic accounts of their awesome might.
- Pitch Black
112 minutes; Unrated; 2.35:1 (16×9-enhanced); English DD 5.1; CC; English, French, Spanish subtitles; DVD-9; Region One; Universal - Dark Fury
35 minutes; Unrated; 1.85:1 (16×9-enhanced); English DD 5.1; CC; English, French, Spanish subtitles; DVD-9; Region One; Universal - The Chronicles of Riddick
135 minutes; Unrated; 2.35:1 (16×9-enhanced); English DD 5.1; CC; English, French, Spanish subtitles; DVD-9; Region One; Universal
