Rating: Summary: Pitch Black Review: For those people who actually watch movies for entertainment and not to try to annoy every other person in the theatre, this would be a good movie. There are substancial artsy features in the movie that made me like it all on their own....the fantastic lighting and color scheme for example. The plot is okay for the new movie season...if you can make a COMPLETELY origional movie up in your mind then you are a millionaire waiting to happen. The movie is nothing like alien or aliens...it has no super gun fights, and its not a super-human standoff against the aliens either. Its simply an entertaining movie with very good visual effects...and i would recommend it to everyone.
Rating: Summary: Pitch Black "stuff that goes swoooosh in the night" Review: This movie makes me want to get my eyes "shined." After you see this movie, you'll understand what I mean. Vin Diesel is a great anti-hero. You can help but cheer him on.He is a bad-a$$ that means business. The aliens that he fights are awesome although you never get a real good look at one for an extended period of time. They are a cross betweer the bugs from Starship Troopers and the aliens form Alien 1-4. It has a twist ending that I will not spoil, but to say the least, I didn't see it coming. Good flick to buy! Do it now. PLus, add U571 or Gladiator, and you will be eligible for the Universal buy 2 get 1 free!
Rating: Summary: Better rent this before you buy Review: There are quite a lot of new movies that try to copy the emotional hi of Alien. But this one was a cheap try. The story and dialog were fairly good, costumes lacked common sense in space exploration.....
Rating: Summary: An Intelligent scifi Review: I went to see this movie expecting the usual movie clichés, but found an entertaining story with a brain. The characters have more dimension and depth than they usually do in this type of movie. They question their motivations for having taken a course of action which may or may not have been the best decision-depending on the contex. The movie begins with an emergency crash-landing on a planet that has three suns, so it's always day time-24 hours a day. The planet is inhabited by strange beings- or animals?- that only come out to feed when it is dark. But since this planet has three suns, the survivors of the crash have nothing to worry-yet... Later they find out that every 22 years there is an eclipse that turns the planet-pitch black-waking the voracious beings that fly-and guess how many years have past since the last eclipse occurred? What I liked about the movie is that the traditional good guy/bad guy hero line was erased or smudged here. One of the survivors is the correctional officer who is to take a dangerous criminal to a prison, and he has a few skeletons in the closet ( the officer). The criminal named Riddick, is a muscle bound tough guy with an attitude, who as the story develops turns out to be more than meets the eye- so to speak...The actor who plays Riddick, Vin Diesel has a lot of character,(seldom found on young actors souch as himself) so much so that even when he's silent he delivers a strong performance. There are other survivors, a 13 year old boy, a religious man, among others. The pilot of the ship,is a woman called Fry, is constantly trying to keep command as the commanding officer and has a hard time keeping morals, survival and ethics in balance. The monsters will not attack if they keep a light source on. Soon they have no power to keep a light on, and the question is, how will they survive in the dark in an unknown landscape on a strange planet? The special effects are well done, and the movie always keeps us watching, never a dull moment. The pace of the movie is good, never to slow or to fast that you don't know what's going on. It's a very good movie to watch on a sunday afternoon with a bunch of friends.
Rating: Summary: Huge Build Up Huge Let Down But a Must See Review: The characters in this movie, especially Vin Diesel (Boiler Room, Shout), set the stage for a great story. The character developement and interactions are very realistic, adding a little bit of credibility to an otherwise cheesy plot. Following the characters as they unravel the rogue planet's mystery adds much needed suspense that is often missed by other similar genre movies (i.e. Supernova, Mission To Mars(uggh)). Past the 30-45 minute mark into the movie it's all climax. The character developement comes to an screeching halt as the action sequences start. These very dynamic characters start to take on the stereotypical roles as the movie starts to wrap up. The ending does somewhat redeem the latter part of the movie by throwing in one last character twist, but in my opinion it is too little too late. The main reason I recommend this movie to everyone is Vin Diesel who plays an escaped convict with exceptional(and very convenient) abilities named Riddick. His character is very well developed and extremely dynamic. His role alone makes me beg for more. Any good chef will tell you that if you serve food in small portions and the person is still hungry when they are done their mouths will water. That is exactly what Twohy does with Pitch Black. I'm going to add this movie to my collection, but unless your the kind of guy who watches Starship Troopers at least once a week, I'd probably recommend this as a rental. I personally hope to see Vin Diesel in a sequel that goes into more detail of this very elaborate life and universe Riddick is a part of. Final summary, great background and characters, poor story and follow through.
Rating: Summary: on hindsight, its not such a bad movie, after all Review: I saw this when it came to the theater in my home town. I walked out disappointed mainly with the creature effects. But for that reason alone, I wouldnt put the whole movie down. The other weak point being the narration of Vin Diesel because you know right off the bat who will survive. But other than that, it is a decent flick over all. The terrestrial outlay is outstanding which lends to the overall stranded feeling of the film. The part when the planets allign and cause an eclipse is astounding, both visual and audio-wise. Yes, it is predictible. Yes, a lot of the film was ripped off from its predecessors like Aliens. However, for a cheap thrill ride, and a 90-minute break from reality, do yourself a favor and check out Pitch Black.
Rating: Summary: The best Alien Movie Review: This film is wonderful.I liked it very much Its story is well written and its screenplay is well designed.Everybody should own one.Strictly Recommended.
Rating: Summary: This movie was so good I bought the book! Review: This has to be the best movie that I saw in 1999. For those who were not satisfied with the movie because of weak characters and plots you must have missed the great special that was on the sci-fi channel. Also the book goes deeper into the individual characters. (esp. Riddick). He is not even a "true criminal", the only people he killed where bad men. The in the dark special effects had me at the edge of my seat, and I have to say it Riddick was very sexy. Though I wish you could see the creatures better, it was still a great movie. I can't wait till I can get my DVD!
Rating: Summary: No Alien's but effective still. Review: Pitch Black certainly borrows some of its story line and caracters from the 1986 classic (ALIENS), and fails on that level, but hits home else where. Vin Diesel is superb as the heartless villan (RIDDOCK), and his performance steals the show, you don't know wheather to love, or hate his cold blooded caracter. He moves across the screen with the cool cold attitude of a cobra, and his one liners are great, (EX: How do you get eyes like that? Kill a few people first!). The rest of the cast does well, but the story of the creatures on the desolate planet with nothing to live on is obsurd to say the least.
Rating: Summary: The Sci-Fi must see of the year Review: Athough i haven't yet bought the DVD for Pitch Black, I did see it in the theaters which is where it belongs. In my opinion the movie was a great sci-fi thriller with an outstanding cast of relative unknowns. I always admire a filmaker's ability to cast actors who aren't widley known, which really makes the viewer focus on the strenghts of the story and effects instead of being wowed by the star-power. Vin Diesel played the perfect anti-hero and i hope to see him in alot more movies. He played the part with such precision, adding his own physical appearance to the aura of a mass-murderer. The story, while very entrtaining, did have a couple of weak points, not to mention was pretty predictable. From the opening monologue of diesel's character, you knew right away that he would end up saving their lives somehow. The irony of your greatest fear being your only hope was just plain as day. Weak points aside, it was a very entertaining movie and plane to get the unrated DVD to see the extra footage!
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