Rating: 
Summary: Very Effective Horror Sci-Fi Chiller - Stunning on DVD!
Review: I'm finally writing this review after having owned this film on DVD since December of 2000! (Wow, has it really been over 4 years already???) To be honest, I first saw PITCH BLACK (2000) in the theater after having been so intrigued by the teaser/trailer shown on TV--and I didn't like it back then. At the time, I found the visuals too muddy and the characters too broadly stroked and one-dimensional. I mentally rated the film two stars out of five (I never officially reviewed the theater version on here). Indeed, the only thing that saved this film from a one-star rating was the surprising, star-making performance of Vin Diesel as convicted murderer and prisoner Richard B. Riddick; he ended up being the only character that I had found interesting! Well, I had a change-of-heart when PITCH BLACK came out on DVD. The more I remembered the movie, the more aspects of it I liked; plus, I had a feeling that it would end up being like THE MATRIX, which looks much better on DVD that it ever did in the theater. I don't know why I thought so, but I had a strong feeling about that. My instincts were correct: I played the DVD soon after having received it for the holidays, and it just completely rocked! For some reason, everything that I found disjointed on the big screen just totally came together on the small screen. Plus, we had just bought and installed a Surround Sound system for the first time, and I believe that PITCH BLACK was the first DVD we played on it. Oh man, what an experience! This film is ten times creepier with Surround Sound--it's truly amazing. If you didn't already know by now, PITCH BLACK is a Sci-Fi Horror chiller dealing with a small band of military space travelers, who are looking for a new planet to colonize and on which to incarcerate the dangerous Riddick. Australian actress Radha Mitchell (this film was shot in the Australian desert) plays Carolyn Fry, who becomes commander when an unfortunate accident kills the previous leader and causes the spacecraft to crash-land on this seemingly barren planet. Having been content playing second-fiddle for a long time and being clearly uncomfortable with her new role, Fry must learn how to lead this ragtag band, which includes, among others, William J. Johns as the macho, Rambo-like, self-proclaimed hero (Cole Hauser), a devoted Muslim (Keith David) and his two young sons, a scrappy teenage tomboy (Rhianna Griffith) and the aforementioned Riddick. As Fry sets out to seek life on this sun-scorched desert planet, with Johns challenging her every step of the way, the enigmatic and unpredictable Riddick escapes. Just as they begin to discover the truth about this ultra-bright planet served by three suns, things suddenly take a dark turn for the worse as the natural order of things begins to change--in the form of an extremely rare triple-solar eclipse. It is then that this group find the danger lurking within the planet--the hard way. This film is very sharply shot (and looks really incredible on an HDTV screen), with alternately red and blue camera filters which make us feel the extreme differences in conditions faced by these characters. This DVD offers some really tasty extras including commentary tracks by director David Twohy and stars Diesel & Hauser; however, the four-and-a-half minute "Making Of" featurette is disappointingly short. All-in-all, PITCH BLACK, with its plot holes & all, is an extremely entertaining movie that is best watched in the type of conditions described by the title, and--of course--it certainly helps to have Surround Sound and to turn it up! RECOMMENDED
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR HORROR/SCIFI FANS!)
Rating: 
Summary: A fun, disposable sci-fi flick
Review: I'm not a fan of Vin Diesel. His ego has inflated to a size his talent cannot match. He's better off in smaller movies and in smaller roles. I refuse to watch utter crap like xXx or A Man Apart but he's better than average in Pitch Black.
He plays Richard B. Riddick, a convict for massive, infinite crimes that are never defined in the slightest way. This was probably done to add mystery but I say it's bad writing. He's being transported on a spaceship on his way to spacejail but the ship crashes on a desert planet (as the original series of Star Trek proved, most planets are deserts) and he escapes.
But hold on, the planet is just entering an extended eclipse that only happens every 22 years. And when pitch blackness falls upon the nameless rock zillions of hungry bat-type thingies come out of hibernation to gobble-up whoever they can. So guess who the motely crew of survivors call on to help them.
Most of the film is simply going through the motions of killing the characters off one by one and it's nothing new. Sure it distracts one's attention for 110 minutes but it's nothing new or astonishing.
The best thing about the film is the presence of Keith David. Let's be honest, the man is 10 different kinds of cool. And he acts Mr Silly Voice off the screen very easily.
The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby/DTS 5.1 sound and a bunch of extras I simply do not care about.
Rating:
Summary: Better than it should have been.
Review: In a world of cheap knock-offs, bad scripts, and assembly-line plots, Pitch Black shines. Arguably an Alien derivative, this film could have been another sci-fi, big effects, lame catch-phrase waste of 120 minutes, but it found quality where other films of this genre find crap. Pitch Black did not need to be this good. Instead of flat, cliche characters, Pitch Black delivers suprisingly human, unique, diverse, sympathetic survivors. Instead of a reaching, ridiculous tale filled with pathetic attempts to spark a sense of morality, it delivers a solid sci-fi/horror punch and lets the character development reveal its humanity. And instead of over-dramatized, over-used, commercial direction, it pulls the viewer into a beautiful, haunting, frightening world where the nightmare creatures are just another hurdle for our heroes (and anti-heroes) to survive. Granted, the story had some holes big enough to drive a truck through, but they were truly lost in the overall feel of this new sci-fi classic. Pitch Black is a staple in my collection, because it is far better than it had to be.
Rating: 
Summary: Pitch Black, great sci-fi scary movie!
Review: It seemed like a cross between JAWS and Hitchcock's Birds attacking a whole town. I loved it, the monsters were actually frightening! They looked like flying hammerhead sharks, plus they had that "Vampire" flesh which burns in direct sunlight thing going for them that was a nice touch...lol...
All in all I loved the movie and I loved watching everyone panic and get mauled to death. If you're a fan of gore and sci-fi you'll love this movie! I actually saw it in the theaters when it first came out, I hadn't even seen previews for it and didn't expect much, let me just say this is NOT a B movie, the effects were awesome especially the first scene when the ship gets hit by micro-meteorites and starts burning up while entering the atmosphere of this alien desert planet.
Rating:
Summary: Richard B. Riddick, Escaped Convict, Murderer.
Review: Oh, the joy that is Pitch Black. It starts out in space, with a voice-over by Vin Diesel. All you know about him is that he's a criminal being transported. Suddenly, the confusion starts...the ship is being hit by something, and a crash landing is necessary. The first huge moral dilema is presented within the first four or five minutes of the film. It is brilliant because it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Cole Hauser plays Johns, the man in charge of transporting Riddick...he's concerned only about his payday. There's Jack, the young boy running away from something, and Imam and his students/proteges, on a trip to New Mecca. The fun really begins when they finally find some water...and realize they're not alone on the planet. The planet goes dark for the first time in 22 years, and the creatures come out for some feeding. Survivors start getting picked off one by one, internal debates heat up, and you really wonder what Riddick will do...or even Johns, for that matter. I love movies where there's no clear-cut "hero" character. We all have our flaws, and they are all on display in this movie. The DVD presentation is fantastic. The picture and sound quality are top-notch. There's not as much behind-the-scenes stuff as you might want, but this movie was made years ago on a small, $20 million budget. The best special feature is the commentary by Twohy, Cole Hauser, and Vin Diesel. They give a lot of cool insights into the film, discuss what they think worked and didn't work, and what they tried to add to the film. I highly recommend this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too Bad, but not Great either!
Review: Pitch Black brings to the screen the story of a spaceship carrying a wide variety of passengers that experiences technical problems while en route and is forced to crash land on a planet dominated by flying pterodactylus type monsters.
The acting is very poor to the point that acting lessons are needed ASAP for everyone involved.
The "bad guy" is much more like the usual pompous high school jock/"pretty boy" seen over and over again in those types of movies. Apart from his weak appearance he fails to convince in his role as a mean and greedy drug addicted mercenary.
Furthermore, he somehow manages to kick Vin Diesel's butt repeatedly!!!
Moreover, what was that with the Muslim cleric with his four acolytes???
Or the Australian woman and the arrogant Englishman for that matter?
Not to mention the obnoxious, spoiled kid who for some reason is not scared at being stuck on "hell planet" and who has a "surprise" for us later on in the movie.
Unless of course the whole point of having these annoying characters in the film was for the audience to enjoy seeing them picked off one by one in true B-movie fashion (as I've seen other reviewers characterize the movie).
In a nutshell, it's an average plot, the acting and the actors are very weak, the dialogues are poor and the special effects are very good.
The potential for a great movie was definitely there, but the surprisingly poor acting/casting and the full of holes plot prevented it from becoming anything more than average. As other reviewers have pointed out, this is a B-movie so one should not expect too much.
Overall, both Vin Diesel as well as the rest of the "cast" do a rather poor job of trying to cover up for the mediocre plot; wait `til Pitch Black is shown on TV.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling, entertaining, slick film.
Review: Pitch Black features a fairly common sci/horror plot about a spaceship crash landing on an apparently desolate planet that happens to be inhabited by flesh-eating creatures. There's nothing unusual to this plot, and it offers basically no surprises. This would seemingly offer up a boring movie, or at least one that doesn't rise far above made-for-TV status. In fact, just the opposite is true of Pitch Black. It is exciting and thrilling, and occasionally even a little scary. The actors are all really, really good in their roles. And the screenplay is written to allow even minor characters a bit of fleshing-out. The visuals in this move are also very, very good with scary creatures that look like the old "Aliens" film and hunt like the raptors of "Jurassic Park", a character with strange but cool shiny eyes, and computer graphics that are light weight enough not to distract. The cinematography in this movie is awesome! With light shifts of red to blue, and back again, it gives the wonderful anticipatory thrill missing in many of today's sci/horror flicks that rely solely on explosions and blood drenching scences. The direction is also very good in this movie. Basically, what the makes of Pitch Black did was take an old story and clean it up with great acting, cinematography, direction, and writing. The total of their efforts brings us a movie which thrills, even though the plot is old news, because perhaps for the first time, it was done well enough that we could believe it. My only complaint about this movie is the vagueness of the Riddick character and what he is about. At the end, it is left unsure whether he really was an evil criminal that somehow 'became' good on this planet, or if he was a misunderstood character. Because of this unclearness, it leaves the viewer in doubt about his character even after the movie is over. It would have been nice to get more inside the head of this character at the end. I can only hope that the coming movies will give us a little more. DVD contains a typical, boring 'making of' and some interesting commentaries. Nothing spectacular or worth making a buying decision over.
Rating:
Summary: If Riddick Ruled The Planet...
Review: PITCH BLACK is a very well thought out thriller, that on premise alone sounds a lot like ALIEN, but upon execution, is not. When a spaceship crashes on a remote planet, the survivors must face their darkest fears, to stay alive. Their power supply is at a minimum. When the planet loses the warmth of daylight, horrible creatures attack, and their only weakness is the light. The ranking crewmember, Carolyn Fry, (Radha Mitchell) must turn to a psychopathic killer passenger for help to defeat the creatures of the dark. Actor Vin Diesel is the man known as Riddick., who is evil, put in charge of the group's very lives. Diesel's first star turn after SAVING PRIVATE RYAN suits him. His deep voice, shaved head, and imposing manner make his Riddick, one of the best anti-heroes in recent memory. Co-written and directed by David Twohy, the film is creepy, and its effects are well done. The unrated version of the film, inserts about 3 minutes of footage into the movie, not seen theatrically. The new stuff does very little to enhance the plot (more gore). Anyone who is a fan of sci-fi/horror will like this film. The DVD has a by the numbers "making of" featurette. There is an excellent commentary track with Twohy, Diesel, actor Cole Hauser, producer Tom Engelman, and VFX supervisor Peter Chiang. It also includes a rather freaky Raveworld event deadicated to the film and its theatrical trailer. Personally, I would recommend the unrated film over its rated counterpart, because I happen to like the "new" scenes. **** Stars
Rating:
Summary: are YOU afraid of the dark?
Review: Pitch black is easily one of my favourite sci fi films, as it combines more than just the typical 'kill/run from the aliens' scenario, it actually has good characters, and a few surprises. The plot is as basic as any other sci fi flick: a ship crash lands on a deserted planet. It's passengers include a dead captain, the pilot forced into command, a cop, a religious man, a few children, and a deadly prisoner, who makes a hasty retreat from the ship shortly after the crash. During their search for water while bearing the heat of the 3 suns that scorch the planet, the group comes across many skeletons and a tiny ship, that only needs a bit of fixing up to leave. But the escaped convict and whatever lives underground in the darkness has other plans. This movie has a lot going for it, especially the great acting from it's stars Vin Diesel, the underrated Keith David, and the beautiful Radha Mitchell. The special effects are great as well. The violence is a little weak (although women and children are not spared), but it's enough. As for the dvd itself, i was very surprised. Most of the time movies set in darkness are very fuzzy looking (like the horrible transfer of The Relic), but there were only a few moments in Pitch Black where it looked mildly grainy. The special features of the disc aren't very special, but i'm happy with what was included. It could have been worse, and had just a trailer with it. Bottom line: awesome movie, awesome transfer, and good dvd features.
Rating:
Summary: A Slick Sci-Fi Thriller
Review: Pitch Black is the story of a ship that crash-lands on a planet that is a scorching desert with three suns. The survivors of the crash include Fry the ship's pilot (Radha Mitchell), Riddick a prisoner (Vin Diesel) and Johns (Cole Hauser) who is guarding Riddick. While searching their surroundings the cast eventually finds some nasty aliens that live in darkness. And it turns out an eclipse is coming also. The story is relatively simple, however there are quite a few plot twists thrown in that keep the viewer constantly guessing. The effects are quite impressive for a movie of such a low budget. And Vin Diesel is one of the best anti-heroes. Keith David also provides solid support as a Muslim Priest. The cut presented on the Unrated DVD is 3 minutes longer than the rated. There is no more violence then the R-Rated version. It is actually more character development and a few more scenes that only serve to add to the film. The picture on this DVD is quite impressive. Just watch all the colors that the three suns emit when they are walking along the horizon and you will see how impressive this DVD is. The sound is also very impressive. Especially the DTS track, just watch the opening crash scene with it on and get ready for a full on surround workout with amazing depth and clarity. The extras however are not as impressive as the sound and video transfers. There are two audio commentaries, one with Twohy, Hauser and Diesel and another with the FX crew and Twohy. The first commentary is more casual were as the second is a technical one. Other than these two commentaries there is nothing of great value on the rest of the DVD. The 20 Minute Pitch Black Rave Event is a waste of space and should be avoided. This is quite a good Sci-Fi film that is much better than Supernova and most movies that came out in 2000. The Unrated DVD presents the film with an excellent video transfer and two amazing soundtracks with limited extras.
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