Random Movie Review: Pitch Black & the Chronicles of Riddick
I think Pitch Black is a good movie. I think the storyline is well constructed and I think putting Riddick into that situation was a perfect way to make him a hero without converting him from his criminal way.
However, I do not think they had any intention of making more films because of the very different character he is made out to be in the Chronicles of Riddick. That is not to suggest that I found the Chronicles of Riddick to be a bad movie, despite the fact that it was ill-received by audiences and critics, but there are aspects of the movies that disconnect them from each other.
The most notable is probably the thing with his eyes. I thought it was well played that Riddick, who expected to spend the rest of his life in the pitch black of a prison planet, got his eyes redone so no one could sneak up on him in the darkness. And then in the movie and all that falls after, they try to dispel that idea as something Riddick lied about and he's always had those eyes because, surprise, he's a Furyan!
I guess the main problem with the Chronicles of Riddick that I didn't see until after I had finished seeing the movie is it moved him from a criminal who just happened to do a good thing into someone destined to be a good person in spite of his criminality. Does that even make sense? I liked the movie because it was the kind of thing I like: but at the end of the movie, sitting back and thinking about it as a whole, they seemed to portray a different character from Pitch Black that I have to playfully wonder if they were just too lazy to think up a new character to put in this futuristic world. I don't think Riddick makes a good savior and I don't much like him as a savior.
I did like how he reacted to being bowed to at the end of the film. "You keep what you kill."
Another thing I thought to myself as I was watching the film: the Elemental added absolutely nothing to that movie. She narrated the beginning and offered some advice to the Big Bad and made an observation at the final battle. I found her character completely useless.
So while I feel there is a disconnect between the Riddick of Pitch Black and the Riddick of the Chronicles of Riddick I don't think that can stop me from liking the films. I'll just have to maintain my understanding that they didn't think they'd make more than one film and when given the opportunity, decided to take it in a completely different direction. It's fine. I'll enjoy the new films and whenever I want good ol' Riddick, I'll just watch Pitch Black again.
However, I do not think they had any intention of making more films because of the very different character he is made out to be in the Chronicles of Riddick. That is not to suggest that I found the Chronicles of Riddick to be a bad movie, despite the fact that it was ill-received by audiences and critics, but there are aspects of the movies that disconnect them from each other.
The most notable is probably the thing with his eyes. I thought it was well played that Riddick, who expected to spend the rest of his life in the pitch black of a prison planet, got his eyes redone so no one could sneak up on him in the darkness. And then in the movie and all that falls after, they try to dispel that idea as something Riddick lied about and he's always had those eyes because, surprise, he's a Furyan!
I guess the main problem with the Chronicles of Riddick that I didn't see until after I had finished seeing the movie is it moved him from a criminal who just happened to do a good thing into someone destined to be a good person in spite of his criminality. Does that even make sense? I liked the movie because it was the kind of thing I like: but at the end of the movie, sitting back and thinking about it as a whole, they seemed to portray a different character from Pitch Black that I have to playfully wonder if they were just too lazy to think up a new character to put in this futuristic world. I don't think Riddick makes a good savior and I don't much like him as a savior.
I did like how he reacted to being bowed to at the end of the film. "You keep what you kill."
Another thing I thought to myself as I was watching the film: the Elemental added absolutely nothing to that movie. She narrated the beginning and offered some advice to the Big Bad and made an observation at the final battle. I found her character completely useless.
So while I feel there is a disconnect between the Riddick of Pitch Black and the Riddick of the Chronicles of Riddick I don't think that can stop me from liking the films. I'll just have to maintain my understanding that they didn't think they'd make more than one film and when given the opportunity, decided to take it in a completely different direction. It's fine. I'll enjoy the new films and whenever I want good ol' Riddick, I'll just watch Pitch Black again.