Riddick movie review
(Science fiction, action)
Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press
Friday, September 06, 2013
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Riddick movie review
Cast:Vin Diesel, Jordi Molla and Matt Nable
Director: David Twohy
Somewhere along the way I lost a step," says Vin Diesel, aka that gravelly voiced, visually impaired, planet-hopping outlaw and badass they call Riddick. "I went and got sloppy."
He's talking about how he ended up on a desolate planet facing murderous canine creatures and giant deadly serpents. But he could just as easily be talking about the lethally inadequate screenplay he's up against. "Sloppy" is a kind word, actually, for the ridiculously clumsy dialogue in Riddick, the third and latest installment of the sci-fi saga.
Of course, none of this will likely matter to the hard-core fans who've been waiting for this movie since the 2004 Chronicles of Riddick, a successor to the 2000 Pitch Black. Even though that megabudget film tanked at the box office, it fed the franchise's avid cult following, as have a pair of video games.
And fans will no doubt be especially happy that in Riddick — its title now streamlined, along with its budget — no compromises have been made for a wimpy PG-13 rating. No, it's an R this time, which allows for a few characters to meet a particularly gory end (don't run out for popcorn during the second half!), not to mention free-wheeling profanity and one gratuitous nude scene.
Not all is bleak. The bald and beefy Diesel, whose sturdy commercial appeal is proven again and again with the huge success of the Fast & Furious franchise, is always fun to watch. But his presence alone, comfortably durable as it is, can't make up for the total lack of other interesting characters in the screenplay by David Twohy, who also directs. Alas, that includes Katee Sackhoff as the lone female, a feisty bounty hunter named Dahl. The name sounds exactly like Doll, which is basically her role; she's pretty but has no interesting backstory or dialogue, save one profane comeback sure to draw hearty cheers.
