20141004: Action Review--Riddick

Riddick

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American/British live action feature length film, 2013, R, 98 minutes, action, scifi, thriller.
2. IMDB: 6.4/10.0 from 94,798 audience ratings.  Estimated budget, 38 million USD.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 59% on the meter; 54% liked it from 94,628 audience ratings.
4. I saw this on HBO.
5. Directed by: David Twohy.  Writers: David Twohy, Jim Wheat.
6. Starring: Vin Diesel as Riddick, Matt Noble as Boss Johns, Jordi Molla as Santana, Katee Sackhoff as Dahl, Dave Bautista as Diaz, Karl Urban in a cameo as Commander Vaako.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Riddick follows Pitch Black (2000) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004).  The third film takes up after the middle film.  Riddick was ruling the planet in Chronicles, but he became homesick for Furya.  Vaako sends him on an expedition, but to a place that is 'not Furya.'  Further, Vaako sends with Riddick an escort of Necromonger assassins to help delay his return, perhaps permanently.


2. The assassins do a fairly good job, but Riddick lives through the assault.  While healing, he tames a feral dog, and renders himself immune to the poisonous venom of the dominant local predators.  Having done this, he goes exploring, and finds a remote camp which has supplies and equipment for bounty hunters.


3. After more than a bit of preparation, Riddick summons the bounty hunters.  Two groups arrive, one led Santana, the other by Boss Johns.  Both are after the bounty on Riddick's head, but Johns has an extra axe to grind.


4. The majority of the film is about harsh interactions of the two bounty hunter groups and their attempts to kill or capture Riddick.  Who comes out on top? For a bit, it looks like the hostile planet and its predators might.


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Riddick tries to go home.
2. Eight of ten


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 8/10 On the whole, fine.  I liked the artwork for the planet, the spaceship designs, and the local animals.  Some of the costumes were close to terrible, though.


2. Sound: 8/10 No particular problems.


3. Acting: 7/10 The principal actors (Diesel, Noble, Molla, Sackhoff) were rather good.  The actors for the smaller roles, not so much.


4. Screenplay: 9/10 This was easily the best of the trilogy in terms of plot development.  As with the first film in the trilogy, the alien environment was well crafted.