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Pitch Black (Unrated Version)

Pitch Black (Unrated Version)

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I want more Diesel, please
Review: I've been hearing lots of comments about this movie from friends of mine, so I finally decided to buy it. Lemme tell ya, it was worth every penny! Vin Diesel was absolutely wonderful as Riddick, the convicted murderer whose ability to see the planet's indigenous, man-eating lifeforms proves to be most helpful in getting the crash survivors around in the dark, and Radha Mitchell was great as Caroline, the surviving officer of the crashed ship ... Riddick .. escapes with (the) survivors. It was also wonderful to see Keith David of Armageddon fame as the Muslim holy man. I only wish he'd had a bigger role!

My only real gripe with Pitch Black (and one, I am sure, that is shared by lots of others everywhere) was the fact that the character played by Farscape's Claudia Black was 86'ed barely halfway through the film. She was a real tough cookie who seemed to know what she was doing, and it just seemed so senseless that she got offed so early. Except for that little blunder, I found Pitch Black to be very entertaining, and the behind the scenes documentary to be very informative.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not your typical horror flick...
Review: PITCH BLACK is a rare horror movie which defies the horror formula. As is essential with most creature features, although PITCH BLACK is not about the creatures, you're always wondering and speculating about the deaths of the characters: choosing which ones look like prime meat and which ones you're rooting for. PITCH BLACK throws those expectations out the window, until the very last death, which is shocking in its choice. David Twohy certainly makes us think twice about trusting our expectations. Another formula contraption is also thrown out the window as most horror films seem to make victims out of its black characters, but again, PITCH BLACK defies convention with its fine performance by Keith David (from REQUIEM FOR A DREAM).

Twohy creates a barren landscape for which the characters to live and die. Massive skeletons like those of mammoths litter the desert, which is blinding during the day, but when the eclipse plunges everything into darkness, the darkness itself becomes a character, and Twohy is adept at manipulating it. When the creatures do appear, ashen and skeleton-looking themselves, the effect is gripping.

A few characters hold surprises: Cole Hauser's addicted cop, the little "boy" who wears a great disguise. I love the interaction between Vin Diesel and the androgynous head-shaved "boy." You can already see where I'm going with this one. Radha Mitchell's performance is affecting, but Vin Diesel steals the show, long before he got the deal to drive fast cars in THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS or play superspy in XXX. He's charismatic, smarmy, bombastic, vulnerable, manipulative, and hateful sometimes, but you keep rooting for him.

In the end, I was disappointed by one character's death, but that is to say, I wasn't expecting it, and my jaw dropped when it happened, but anything that foregoes the typical formula, made fun of by such movies like SCARY MOVIE, is fine by me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I absolutely LOVED It!!!!
Review: I will admit the only reason I rented this movie was because Vin Diesel is in it. So when I watched it I was plesantly surprised that it was a great movie. It's about a starship that crashes on an unknown planet with very few survivors, Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) an escaped murderer, Caroline Fry (Radha Mitchell) the flight something or other, she's like a piliot, and Johns ( Cole Hauser) a "cop" who is bringing Riddick back to jail, along a little kid named Jack, (don't know the actor) who becomes Riddicks shadow and look-a-like. They are all trying to survive on this planet with three suns, when they find out that their is going to be a total eclipse which means that the creatures living in the dark can come out and there is no place to hide.
My favorite scenes were actually between Riddick and Jack, they were quite funny, and between Riddick and Fry, quite a bit of sexual tension going on their. In the end you find yourself cheering for the murderer, enjoying him take on as many of the creatures as possible, and to quote riddick , "It did not know who it was F&cking with." I made all of my friends watch this movie and they all loved it. It is not exactly scary like can't sleep for days, it's just very entertaining. If you have surround sound I definately suggest it for this movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Diesel Powered!
Review: I have no idea what "Pitch Black" was about, but Vin Diesel cussed a lot. All I know it was dark and these creatures came out from the hidden and started to eat people. Vin Diesel of course survived because he's pretty much immortal. Just listen to what he says, it's comedy.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pitch Black
Review: When the movie first came out in the theaters I payed it no mind. I came upon it while surfing the channels on lazy Saturday afternoon. I am a Sci/Fi fan but for some reason this one didn't grab me...at first. I watched it that day, went out and bought it that evening. I am now a Vin Diesel fan. I do hope in the sequal that they go into more depth where Riddick is concerned. They could go a million ways with him, and Diesel could pull it off. Keep your eye on him, I see a gold statue that bears a resemblance to his profile. Not bad for a poor kid from New York !...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worth it for Vin
Review: This is actually a good sci-fi movie. although the plot may not be the most original, a small group of people stranded on a deserted barran planet with scary creepie crawlies in the dark, however it truly makes up for it in suspense and characters. Like the original " Alien", this movie builds up the tension by only giving you glimpses of the creatures. A flash here, a flashe there, some noise...it all works to build up the suspense. The plot may contain some contriviances, but they are pretty irrelevant. After all this is a popcorn flick, a movie to be watched and enjoyed but not broken down into believability.
The characters are what stands out the most however in this movie, espeically that of Riddick, played by Vin Diesel. The first time I saw this film, his performance stood out the most. Riviting and suprisingly showing depth, Vin made this criminal more than a cardboard cut out. By the end you find yourself voting for him, the convict and murderer. of course it helps, that he is built the way he is, with that voice.....
This is a good movie, go and treat yourself to it. Definately worth adding to your home collection too.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Surpasses expectations! Interesting characters and story
Review: "Pitch Black" starts out like dozens of other movies; a small group of humans survives a crash landing on a seemingly deserted planet and discovers the remains of a human settlement. Then some nasty aliens show up. Luckily this movie quickly gets past the clichés. Sunlight is lethal to the aliens and this planet has three suns. The discovery that there's a total eclipse every 22 years and the next one is on the horizon gives the movie its jolt.

The main surprises in "Pitch Black" are the characters. Instead of the typical cast of hero, agitator and victims, the writers did a great job of making each distinct and memorable. The meatiest role is the one of Riddick, played by Vin Diesel, a killer with the strength and personality of an alien monster himself. Riddick has a wonderfully ominous voice, the best lines in the film, a great presence, and coincidentally he's got surgically enhanced eyes that allow him to see in the dark. There are some other conveniences like that and a few inconsistencies but the film stays on target well.

I'm growing tired of seeing computer generated effects but I enjoyed them here, particularly the way these aliens move in mass. It's like watching an enormous flock of birds or swarm of insects--more realistic than the animation in "The Mummy Returns" but not as good as "Jurassic Park". The best shot in the film is one of the monsters lit up for a split second while closing in on a guy who ends up being dinner. There are some beautiful horizon shots of the eclipsing planet's rings which take a great deal of photographic liberty. (Two planets couldn't possibly be that close without one of them suffering real damage and you don't have to know much science to know that.)

Despite the problems, "Pitch Black" is a better film than you'd expect it to be and could easily become cult favorite. Fans of Vin Diesel or science fiction films like the original "Alien" will enjoy watching this one more than once.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Example of good short science fiction...
Review: This is a good example of the classic short science fiction tales that I used to read when I had time. It isn't all that scary overall, but for short science fiction, that isn't the point. Most short science fiction stories focus on putting people in a situation that can't happen in the real world and see how they react (like this story), or to show value of some unusual property of a person or thing (think the Cube).

The acting is okay (Riddick is very well done), but it does well exploring the characters of the story put in a position of learning out their new environment and, eventually, of time running out (and when it runs out, it runs out). Just like the cube, the facts of the setting are unlikely at best, but that isn't the reason for the story.

I would look elsewhere if you want to see a good horror flick. If you enjoy good science fiction (no, not Independence Day), you should enjoy this movie a lot.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Thomas's Reviews
Review: Well it is a pretty good movie. I like the special effects and i think it has a good plot that doesnt really cram it all in at the end. It just lets it go. I love watching it in dts.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Pitch Black"
Review: Pitch Black (NR) *****/5
Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Rhiana Griffith.
Directed by: David Twohy.
Synopsis: Survivors of a crash are stocked by creatures of the night when the planet they have crashed on is engulfed in total darkness from a total eclipse.
Special Features: Making-Of Featurette, Commentaries, Raveworld Event, Trailers.
Review: When a fantastically filmed ship crashes on a remote planet with 3 suns the survivors must find away off the planet. However they discover that creatures of the night live beneath the planet, and when a total eclipse falls they must survive the dark as well as each other. David Twohy has a knack for writing engrossing sci-fi films ("The Arrival") and this is a great film. I'm a big fan of animal attack films, and sci-fi so naturally I wanted to see this. I was not disappointed superb special effects, acting, and direction highlights this gripping sci-fi/horror film. Vin Diesel owns the show. The rest of the actors turn in brilliant performances especially David, Hauser, and Mitchell, but Diesel surpasses them. He proves here he is the action star of the future. Twohy uses colors, images, and lighting all to his advantage. He puts a masterful style into this film and deserves to be proud. As for the DVD? I like the Unrated version better than the R rated one. Not a lot of features, but well worth the money.


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