The Chronicles of Riddick ** (2004, Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, Colm Feore, Thandie Newton, Karl Urban, Alexa Davalos, Linus Roache, Keith David) – Classic Movie Review 1624

Vin Diesel again stars as Riddick in writer-director David N Twohy’s great-looking, extremely expensive and highly ambitious but sadly failed 2004 sequel to 2000’s hit sci-fi thriller Pitch Black, based again on the characters by Jim and Ken Wheat.

It is set five years after the first film, and the hunted wanted criminal Riddick arrives on the Helion Prime planet and finds himself in the middle of two opposing forces in a major crusade, battling the army of an invading empire called the Necromongers, who plan to convert or kill all humans in the universe.

Diesel asked for Judi Dench to play his co-star, but she really shouldn’t have bothered. She gives one of her very rare poor performances as Aereon, the ethereal ambassador from the Elemental race who helps Riddick unearth his origins, but then she’s miscast and has terrible dialogue to intone. There’s nothing really ethereal about Dame Judi and sci-fi really isn’t her thing.

Colm Feore has a slightly better time as Lord Marshal, the warrior priest leading the sect waging the tenth and perhaps final crusade 500 years in the future.

Thandie Newton, Karl Urban, Alexa Davalos, Linus Roache and Keith David (re-creating his role of Imam for the original) also star.

Twohy’s often puzzling, pretentious screenplay really does inspire the question ‘what is The Chronicles of Riddick about?’ The Chronicles of Riddick runs 119 minutes but the much more satisfactory and explanatory director’s cut runs 134 minutes. Long though it is, at least it makes sense in this version.

Vin Diesel and director Twohy rebooted their franchise as Riddick in 2013.

Alexa Davalos is the daughter of actress Elyssa Davalos and the granddaughter of actor Richard Davalos, who died on 8 March 2016, aged 85.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1624

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