Riddick (2013) User Reviews

Riddick is Back

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 19 August 2018]

"Riddick" is an action sci-fi movie with the return of Riddick. The story is entertaining and simple with top-notch special effects. Riddick is left alone in an arid planet with predators. His only way out is activating an emergency beacon that alerts two groups of mercenaries that land on the planet with their spaceships to chase Riddick. There are many funny moments and quotes and for fans it is worthwhile watching. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Riddick 3"

Maybe you're all scared of the wrong thing.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 19 March 2016]

Unsurprisingly reactions to this, the third outing for Vin Diesel's sci-fi based anti-hero, has been very mixed. In truth it's hardly a great film of the "must see" kind, and it does in fact cleave very close to Pitch Black, the first and most superior of the Riddick trilogy. However, there's a whole bunch of science fiction fun to be had here.

Plot has Riddick left for dead on a inhospitable planet, where he finds himself up against some alien creatures. His only hope of getting off the planet is to bring notice of his whereabouts, which brings two ships to where he is. Both with crews who have differing reasons for wanting to capture the enigmatic convict...

And thus we get a beautifully filmed sci-fier that features beasties of both the human and alien kind. Action and moody histrionics are never far away, and Diesel is wonderfully muscular, macho, course and scary. Some of the CGI is weak, and naturally much of the film's coincidences and contrivances have to be forgiven if one wants a popcorn and beer good time of it. So the requisite here is to chill out and enjoy me thinks! 7/10

Surprisingly entertaining third action sci-fi.

[amesmonde · 30 October 2013]

Riddick is left for dead on an unknown planet with hostel indigenous predators. With a bounty on his head he calls upon the very people who want to have him killed in order to escape.

Director/writer David Twohy certainly delivers a fan pleasing sequel that fittingly harks back to the first instalment's roots in both story linkage and tone. While not as grand, fans of Chronicles will also be pleased with the stripped continuation back story and a cameo from Karl Urban's Vaako.

It's a good piece of science fiction action entertainment with decapitations, shootings, spaceships, a hostile planet, yes it's familiar and debatably derivative as the characters get picked off one by one, but as with Pitch Black Twohy effortlessly manages to create a convincing environment with new memorable biological creatures which is no easy task, to his credit it's no often lighting strikes twice given how many forgettable alien creatures have been put on screen. Yet, even though reminiscent Alien (1979) he manages to recreate what he did with the photosensitive, reptilians in his breakout 2000 film.

Vin Diesel returns as the character created by Jim Wheat & Ken Wheat- Riddick, this time he rekindles his previous edginess but the 'one Riddick and his dog' aspect expands the character, sneakily retaining some likability (especially for animal fans).

Given the way the production was funded the special effects are a mixed bag but serve their purpose. The first act is a special effect survival piece with sparse dialogue and smart action, with the second act taking place after an (unstated) amount of time when Riddick finds a small base. From then on its full of action setups, space motorcycles, conflicts and one-liners as the mercenaries and bounty hunters have to make an alliance with Riddick to survive an impending alien onslaught.

The supporting characters are developed just enough to be both identifiable, memorable and you almost care just enough to invest your time. Spanish actor Jordi Mollà gives a standout performance as the head hunting, unsavoury Santana, Total Recall (remake) actor Brokeem Woodbine gives some weight with his limited dialogue. Katee Sackhoff while feeling a little typecast still delivers the goods, even the remaining groups stereo-types are more fleshed out than they should be of the genre which adds to the enjoyment. Matt Nable is a good lead as Boss Johns whose character gives the story a (satisfying) little twist that those familiar with the original will see coming a mile off.

The closing is arguably abrupt but is possibly intentional as it leaves you wanting more. The critiques maybe a little hard on Riddick but considering it is a third in a film series spurred from such humble beginnings, an inviolate first (small comparison to is sequel) Riddick is entertaining viewing.

Back To Basics, or How Old School Rules

[Greekguy · 6/10 · 8 September 2013]

A good antihero is a wonderful thing, and Riddick is a commendable example. Having watched the evolution of this character over the course of one very good Sci-Fi outing (Pitch Black)and one very passable Sci-Fi mega-production (The Chronicles of Riddick), it was nice to welcome him back to smaller budgets and the authentic claustrophobia that befits an interstellar fugitive.

"Riddick" is a film that delivers what its core audience wants: the story never strays from what has been established, although there is the unfortunate drift towards "How Incredible Is This Guy?" that afflicts so many film series (cf. "Iron Man","Dirty Harry", "Rocky"). Nonetheless, the action is both gloriously implausible and entertaining, and director David Twohy does a great job of keeping you in the same universe where you first joined this ride. In short, Riddick is spot-on, while "Riddick" is a little overblown.

I will not reveal the end, but I will reveal that I was a little disappointed in its neatness. Clearly the script writer has more faith in the redemptive power of revealed truths than I do. This notwithstanding, for the period that I was in the cinema, I had a good time with my dangerous friend Richard Riddick, and I imagine that anyone who liked the first two films will do so, too. It is particularly recommended to those who preferred "Pitch Black" to "The Chronicles of Riddick". David Twohy is back home, and feeling fine.

Riddick is awesome but the movie is not

[sworup_shakya · 6/10 · 21 September 2013]

Ever since Pitch Black came out back in 2000 I've always been a fan of Riddick. I guess the character of a genuine anti-hero makes itself really intriguing. Riddick's moral compass is crooked; it points toward one thing and one thing only, survival. That's in the so presumed nature of a Furyan, to adapt to a harsh environment, to call it home, Riddick has very quick skill for adaptation, which had kept him alive after most of his race was dead and wiped out.

Riddick is a mean killing machine; he has no remorse, no regrets and would do anything moral or immoral, good or bad to survive. But this is where the moral compass comes into play. Riddick would not forsake those who show mercy to him. He has the immense need to preserve the good and innocence in people who actually have it. This makes for the times Riddick would tend and take care of women (at least with the ones with fairly good moral standings) and children.

The movie Riddick comes after a long hiatus, almost nine years since the second movie The Chronicles of Riddick, and Riddick fans like me have been eagerly waiting for it since its announcement few years ago. When I heard that the charismatic and infamous Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace of Battlestar Galactica, Katee Shackoff, would be playing a bad-ass role in the movie, I was even more excited. There they were two of my favorite action heroes, male and female, and they were in the same movie. I just couldn't wait.

The Chronicles of Riddick was an epic adventure type of movie; Pitch Black was a survival horror. I liked the adventure movie too but Riddick really shines when he's cornered and kept in these survival mode situations. Riddick is not really a decorated general, born leader type of soldier that The Chronicles of Riddick leaves him to be, so it is said that he was betrayed, cornered and left for dead. That's cool, because that would turn Riddick to his survival mode; and now he's in a planet that is more hostile then the one in Pitch Black, that is supposed to be more fun.

Riddick the movie has a relatively bigger budget, and a slightly more glamorous star-cast then the first movie, but this one lacks where the first movie had most of its charm. The characters, other than Riddick, in this movie, have next to no significance. Even Dhal, the character of a headstrong woman mercenary played by Katee Shackoff, has not much of a character definition, or even a more prominent role. Riddick does everything here, and since he's highly qualified to do them, all the other guys just stand back and admire a legend at work and just step forward when it's their turn to die.

It really weakens the movie though, since we don't know much about the characters, we don't really care if they live or die, and their deaths, one by one, just seem like an excuse to stretch the movie. There is no suspense and thrill. Only time we feel some amount of thrill is when Riddick is in danger, and there could only be so many of these scenes. It would have been some fun if Katee Shackoff's character got into some trouble and kicked ass to get out, but oddly enough, despite her great demeanor as a tough girl, she never really steps away from the ship or the base. She has, as far as I remember, not one scene with her and one of the creatures in the same frame. That's not cool.

Vin Diesel is awesome as Riddick, he's always had been, and he single handedly with his presence, hold the movie together, but I always found Riddick the sneaky bastard more fun than Riddick the ultimate warrior, and this movie has none in the set of characters for Riddick to play mind games with. Everything happens so fast that they seem to have started without properly knowing each other. Riddick does try to pull a few strings in the heads of the other main characters when the movie starts but one of them an idiot, another one is genuine good guy (which makes playing mind games really hard) and the last one is a girl who seems to have done an advanced degree in putting up a wall in the head. She just could take any amount of verbal abuse and doesn't at all care for mind games. Ofcouse our good Dr. Riddick never really has enough time in this movie to show this side of his talents but then we only see his warrior side in a survival horror.

I had waited a long time for this movie, and this is not a bad movie, but it is not enough. It tries to be the same as the first cult classic in the Riddick series but it lacks the psychological profiles and even the character profile of the creatures that made the first movie such dark and grim horror/thriller. The likes of Katee Sackhoff, Bokeem Woodbine and Matt Nable, are almost wasted in the movie for the lack of good character sketches, and these are good actors. I really missed Cole Hauser's bounty hunter character and Radha Mitchell's ship pilot with a guilty conscience. This movie has none of those. It has good action, but in terms of action I think The Chronicles of Riddick was better. This movie, for me, is not up to par for my high expectations; but it's not because of Riddick's character. Vin Diesel still got it and I would still wait impatiently if they'd announce another Riddick movie, but I would have loved the writer to breathe a little more life to the other characters in this one.

A good return to form. Fans of the original will be pleased.

[mwburrows · 7/10 · 9 September 2013]

The third instalment in the Riddick series sees the titular anti-hero conned into returning to his native planet by the necro-mongers whose favour he was won, if only temporarily. When he is double-crossed and left to die, Riddick embarks on a journey of survival as he "resets the clock to zero" and starts all over again.

Riddick has improved on the sequel to Pitch Black, "Chronicles of Riddick", in that it goes bigger but at the same time holds true to the original premise. Chronicles failed because it was TOO big, and too loosely tied to the ideas of the original. 2013s Riddick really goes back to basics with a small cast of characters and a focused plot - in fact, in some ways I think there was potential for three sequels squeezed into this film. The first act is a kind of wilderness survival, the second a tit-for-tat game of cat and mouse, and the third an epic confrontation between all the forces at play. It really changes direction several times and I wasn't quite expecting what I got.

There is some quality comic relief on show and the rarest twinge of an emotional bond between Riddick and an alien dog he adopts, but it is underdeveloped and underused, which irked me as it had great potential. The writers also tried to form some kind of sexual innuendo between Riddick and "Dahl", the only female character. It is ultimately ineffective and leaves much to be desired. The Riddick-dog relationship yields the most emotional investment for the viewer, who will see as I did the waste in ending that bond too early in the film.

Another note on sex: there's some very crude aforementioned innuendo in Riddick. It feels kind of unnecessary and threatens to drag the film into B-movie territory at points. No amount of good storytelling can excuse it, as the blatant sex talk feels like something a teenager would write and serves no real purpose. The character of Dahl too, feels unfairly used as a vehicle for it, and it never amounts to anything but more bad jokes.

There's a couple of annoying clichés besides the "tough chick", including the "religious guy", for example. The writer acts wisely by limiting our exposure to them, especially the preachy kid who really annoyed me. "Santana" and "Johns" were the highlight of the supporting cast, providing just enough charisma and identity for you to enjoy their on screen presence.

Story aside, Riddick looks spectacular. I'm not sure if it was filmed in 4K, thought it certainly looks like it. Some of the CGI was of such a high quality I found myself questioning whether it was prosthetics or not, or a combination of the two. It's really reached a level of quality so high that it feels like the creatures occupy the same physical space as the actors, adding to a grittiness that captures the action well. Creature design is great (although some obvious inspiration is taken from Alien), and rivals that of the original.

Though carefully paced and (at times) not quite sure what it wanted to be, Riddick is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy that returns to the territory Pitch Black first explored. Those who didn't like the sequel Chronicles will definitely enjoy this 2013 offering instead, as it has all the essential components of the original mixed with some new ideas and a twist or two keep the story going. It's a flawed epic and won't win any awards, but it certainly will keep you entertained and is well worth the two hour investment.

The Extended Cut

[dk777 · 8/10 · 31 March 2021]

Back to real action movie and R rating.

The film is exactly as it should be, brutal, bloody and with a dose of humor. Again it's action on a desert planet, fighting monsters and surviving, but this time without some of the irritating characters we saw in the first part of the saga (Pitch Black).

The film is well directed, the cinematography is good, the cast is not bad, the action scenes are great.

The cinematography is good, the film is visually interesting, and some of the scenes are spectacular. The atmosphere is tense, and yet with a dose of dark humor.

The extended version of the film is more complete than the theatrical version, contains more action and fills in some gaps. Vin Diesel is good in the role of Riddick, but the other characters are just as fun and interesting.

A film that wants to entertain the viewer and definitely succeeds at it.

Brutal, dark and entertaining.

Good genre movie for science fiction fans

[quinnox-1 · 7/10 · 9 September 2013]

"Riddick" was better than I thought it would be. I had read some mixed reviews and went to see it not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised, it was a good science fiction and action movie, and I think fans of the genre would be pleased. The storyline is a little bit confused, especially if you forgot what happened in the previous movies, but you can follow it along good enough and make sense of most of it.

The movie starts out very strong, with Riddick stranded on an inhospitable and deadly alien planet filled with forbidding vistas and predator type wildlife that would love nothing better than to snack on a human for a quick meal. Riddick, the ultimate survivor, must contend with these creatures, and also with basics such as finding water and a place to shelter. I really enjoyed this opening act, and also the special effects and general look of the planet are very well done. I especially liked the colors used, a lot of yellow and orange hues that are striking to look at on screen and its effective in creating a rich atmosphere of a forbidding alien planet.

I thought the acting of Riddick and the other characters in the movie was good overall, and even though most of the characters are minor, the actors did well to create a memorable impression.

The movie is no masterpiece though and has its problems (some lame dialog, some of the action gets a bit tedious, and the movie also runs too long, should have been 90 minutes), but it has a definite appeal for fans of the previous movies and fans of the genre, and is entertaining to watch.

Riddick Returns to Darkness

[ninjaeatingataco · 9/10 · 6 September 2013]

There have only been a few time this year that I have gotten to leave the theater with a giant grin on my face, Riddick was one of those times.

I spent a little bit of time reading others reviews before I started typing this up and, I won't lie, they kind of ticked me off. Riddick is a movie that took its 40 Million dollar budget and stretched it to the absolute MAX, I also feel like this is one of Vin's best performances to date. There is no sexism in the film...There is no horrible see through acting...there is no moment during this movie when I was bored...It's a thrill ride. A brief summary

Act 1-Riddick is stranded on what might be his home planet and has to re-man up after becoming soft while leading the Necromongers (Riddick being the only person hard enough to ever soften up when taking over a galaxy dominating army) There is a dog in act one but it plays very well into the story and I personally got attached to the pup...think of Will Smith's dog in "I am Legend"

Act 2-Mercs are brought to the planet and the fun begins...for the next forty five minutes the story is about the Mercs and Riddick becomes what we all love...a monster in the Darkness.

Act 3-It starts raining...I'm going to stop there on act three because I want to spoil nothing... The End-Was exactly what I wanted and had me leaving the theater with a giant grin on my face.

WARNING: This is not a happy sing along movie with a perfect hero who saves the day in the end…this is also not "A Piece of Art." This is Riddick it's Muddy, Bloody, Painful and as always FUN!

Good addition to the series

[Valkonian · 7/10 · 2 June 2021]

I enjoyed this movie, and it holds up on repeated viewings.

Riddick is his pure badass self in this. I really wish we had MORE Riddick movies than the utter trash Fast and Furious movies we've been given. Vin Diesel is much better in this role. The female actor here I don't know why they went out of their way to make her so tough it ruined her character, and her acting was overplayed with the lines she was given. Some minor gripes but still a good action movie and good addition to the Riddick franchise.

Back to the original formula

[said-buet10 · 6/10 · 24 July 2017]

If you liked Pitch Black you will like this.

The story is again written in the original structure of 'Pitch Black' after taking a messy detour with 'The Chronicles of Riddick'. This coupled with some good action and common badass nature of Riddick resulted in a decent sci-fi flick.The direction and over all making is good. CGI is significantly better as we should expect from this time period.

The casting I must say was pretty good. The actors playing all those heartless mercenaries were so good at their roles that this easily became a very likable solid action movie. And Riddick with his one liners and almost ridiculously planned schemes is too impressive to say the least

I personally have some issues with the third act of the movie but even with that this is a good action movie. I would easily recommend this to the action lovers.

7/10 You Must be Crazy

[JS-War17 · 7/10 · 26 November 2019]

Looking at some of the reviews I think that there is far too much undeserved hate being attached to this film. I think that the overall final product is an enjoyable movie about a bad alien ruler who finds that he has lost who he is. Stranded on a deserted island he is forced to adapt becoming his bad original self. Although there is not much implicit meaning when it comes to this film, this is not an artsy non-mainstream movie and it should not be unfairly judged as one. This movie is a blockbuster meant to entertain the masses and I think that it does this perfectly, and maybe it is just my childhood love of this franchise that has allowed me to overlook the lack of depth but all and all this is an awesome movie. Vin Diesel fights alien scorpions for got sake, how can that be anything less than spectacular. So if you find yourself debating weather. or not you should watch this movie, please do and don't hate it for what it isn't love it for what it is.

So that being said I give this movie a 7/10, and I hope that everyone will give it a chance. (However start by watching Chronicles of Riddick and Pitch Black first)

Pitch Bla-- I mean, Riddick!

[starlimitz2 · 7/10 · 13 May 2014]

It's pretty much Pitch Black. It may be hard to believe that they would rehash the same basic premise from the very first movie so much that, aside from a few changes in character archetypes, it was almost plot- point to plot-point the same movie. This leaves a horrible smudge on the movie that is very hard to shake. Still, once you get past that little fact, there are still some good action sequences, as well as some new little tricks that one would come to expect from our main protagonist. There are some decently set up bounty hunters and space police clashes that bring a good tension, as well as some well-deserved horrific death scenes. As a stand alone movie, this could have been a great science fiction/horror film, but that's the problem, so was Pitch Black upon its first release. It had everything other than a massive budget, but that's what made it very unique. It introduced Riddick, who was a mysterious, and unknown bad ass at the time that the fans seemed to favor quite a bit. It's just a shame they had to scrape his character and stretch him over a franchise that should have stopped a long time ago.

Riddick - just as bad-ass as the previous ones!

[bobbo204 · 8/10 · 6 September 2013]

Just saw the movie and loved it. I greatly enjoyed the first and second films so I've been looking forward to this since it was announced. It's a great sci-fi bad-ass action movie. Plenty of cheesy one-liners and good action scenes set in a sci-fi world.

The story wasn't anything spectacular, no breaking new ground here but it does set the stage for the next (hope we get a next!!!!). Graphics were well-done, alien life wasn't anything unique but were suitably scary.

If you liked the 1st and/or 2nd film you'll enjoy this. It pays more homage to the 1st than the 2nd. Vin Diesel does another great job acting as Riddick and you'll be cheering for the anti-hero as usual.

I personally am hoping the series continues, can't get enough of this! hope you enjoy!

Riddick: Crippled by one poorly chosen scene

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 26 October 2018]

I've been unimpressed by the Riddick franchise, I think Pitch Black (2000) was both where it started and it peaked.

This final entry was rather a surprise, who'd have thought that they'd have made another movie considering how badly Chronicles of Riddick (2004) bombed? Partially funded by Diesel himself it's hard to argue his commitment to the project.

So almost a decade after the last full entry (Not including the animations) we pick up where we left off. Riddick is Grand Marshall of the Necromongers but things quickly go south after they turn on him and leave him for dead.

The plot is actually sound as is the general creation of the movie. I found myself impressed which I certainly didn't expect. The movie is more akin with Pitch Black than Chronicles of Riddick, they clearly went back to the drawing board and the movie is considerably better for it.

On a budget out about quarter of the previous movie it's shocking just how much better it all looks, in fact every aspect is superior. Also starring the excellent Katee Sackhoff I was gripped more than I had been since the first movie, it was really quite enjoyable.

Fairly early on however I was hoping that a certain death wouldn't occur, I knew if it did then the movie would be damaged beyond repair and about halfway through my fear materialised. Had this event not transpired you'd have me just ranting about how much of a wonderful surprise Riddick was and how much I enjoyed it. Instead I'll say it's the second best movie in the franchise, but should have been the best. Poor decision making killed the film and has left it merely passable.

Good addition despite the hefty flaw.

The Good:

Katee Sackhoff

Looks considerably better than the previous film which had 4 times the budget

Well played out story

The Bad:

"That" death should not have happened

Sets up for a sequel that will never come

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Even in the future on other planets people are stupid enough to smoke

More than a fun sci-fi flick

[LumpysFriend · 8/10 · 4 September 2013]

I wasn't expecting much. When I heard of the sequel I assumed it'd be a bigger and "better" chapter in the Richard D. Riddick series. Then I saw the trailer and thought that going back to the basics of Pitch Black felt like Twohy didn't know how to go bigger and was reverting into his safe bubble. I was wrong. This is by far Twohy's strongest script with a surprising range of fleshed-out characters. The first ten minutes of the movie has no dialogue and right from the get-go I was pleasantly surprised. It begins to feel like an appropriate direction to take the character. There are jokes that don't work but most do. While Riddick's monologue is a little... quaint (and a cgi dog companion that feels a tad out of place; but i get why it's there) i really think it's important that 'Riddick' is a success at the box office -- to help open the way for genuinely fun, inventive sci-fi narratives with a budget.

Nice third installment in which Riddick is left for dead on a sun-scorched planet and faces off brutal bounty hunters and an alien race of predators

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 27 November 2018]

A cool and nail-biting sequel that will keep you on the edge of your seat , being well starred and splendily made. Intriguing as well as intelligent Sci-fi movie , being compellingly directed by a good filmmaker , David Twohy . It stars an awesome cast :. Jordi Mollà , Katee Sackhoff , Dave Bautista , Matt Nable , Bokeem Woodbine , Raoul Trujillo , Conrad Pla , and , of course , Vin Diesel . Thrilling film packs intrigue , intense scenes , noisy action , chills and astonishing suspense . In this is a science fiction thriller Riddick (breakthrough film role of actor Vin Diesel) is at an unknown planet with apparently no life and where mysterious events spread across the land full of bloodthirsty creatures and he finds himself as a survivor who is marooned on a strange location . Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered .The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty . As there appears various warriors , ominous killers and bloody bounty hunters who go after him . But then , they learn that a merciless enemy is about to appear . The invaders find themselves being hunted by the planet's flesh-eating alien inhabitants when the planet is engulfed in darkness .The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy . Then , the group is stranded in the desert and the greatest danger facing our starring has been the planet's best kept secret...until now .Rule the Dark . Survival Is His Revenge

Fast-moving , creepy , scary and gory Sci-Fi with thrills , chills , suspense and some familiar elements from the previous outing in which the infamous Riddick arrives on a planet , he has been left for dead on a sun-scorched location that appears to be lifeless and finds himself up against monsters and nasty enemies . "Riddick" takes place five years after the former movie , "The Chronicles of Riddick," which was set five years after the original film "Pitch Black." This means that "Riddick" takes place a decade after "Pitch Black" even though "Riddick" was released thirteen years after "Pitch Black." This is a pretty good as well as bloody movie with violent events ,thrills , intriguing incidents , starked outdoors , and chilling scenes . This is a decent sequel to ¨The chronicles of Riddick¨ (2004) with nteresting screenplay from Jim Wheat , Ken Wheat and David Twohy , though the character of Riddick was a woman in an early rough draft of the script. The Pitch Black (2000) original film was supposed to be a standalone film. But, during production, Vin Diesel, and the cast and crew had become intrigued by the character of Riddick, and the ending, in which Riddick was supposed to die, was changed, so a possible sequel with Vin Diesel returning as Riddick could happen. The original film spawned three sequels, Dark fury (animated) , Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and Riddick (2013). Vin Diesel gives a hard-ass acting , as usual , as an escaped He-man with a bounty on his head who has nothing to lose . The contact lenses Vin Diesel wore in the movie, while a prototype during production, were briefly available to the public from Lens Quest following the release of the film . Diesel said that while shooting the scenes where his character was in a suspended animation , he had a claustrophobia attack at one point during shooting and had to be taken out of the chamber. Vin Diesel agreed to make a cameo appearance in The fast and the furious : Tokyo Race (2006) in exchange for the rights to the "Riddick" franchise from Universal Pictures. This allowed him to produce this film independently. Nice support cast such as Jordi Mollá , Karl Urban , Dave Bautista , Bokeem Woodbine , Raoul Trujillo , Conrad Plá , and the beautiful as well as tough Katee Sackhoff . It was given a "PG-13¨ for intense sequences of violent action , profanity and some bad language. An unrated version, with more violence and language was later released. The fantastic creatures and various monsters were perfectly designed and excellent production design by Joseph C. Nemec III , though excessive use of computer generator , especially on the mascot-dog . Pulsating and stirring musical score by Graeme Revell . Colorful cinematography by David Eggby, he shows splendidly the bizarre images from Montréal, Québec, Canada Burnaby , Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada . However , due to a large number of visual effect shots, the movie had to be shot digitally. As a compromise, David Twohy added a subtle film grain effect throughout the film .

The motion picture was well written and directed by David Twohy , it had a 60 days shooting schedule. David is an expert writer and director of competent Sci-Fi movies . As his first picture was the acceptable ¨Timescape¨ . He also wrote ¨Warlock¨, ¨Waterworld ¨, a script for ¨Alien 3¨ in 1988, but it was rejected . Back in May of 2000 , Fox Studios once inquired for his availability to write and direct "AVP: Alien vs. Predator" , but turned down the offer due to scheduling conflicts . David subsequently directed ¨Below¨, the successful ¨Pitch Black¨ with Radha Mitchell , Cole Hauser , Claudia Black , Lewis Fitzgerald , Simon Burke , John Moore and Keith David . It was followed by ¨Chronicles of Riddick¨(2004) with a good cast as Colm Feore , Thandie Newton , Judi Dench , Alexa Davalos , Karl Urban , Linus Roache and Keith David , here Riddick against an invading empire called the Necromongers, whose leader is a warrior priest who is the chief of a sect with a powerful army commanded by Lord Marshal . Furthermore , a third installment this ¨Riddick¨ (2013) .

They needed to push the release date back for this....why?

[quahogman78 · 4/10 · 6 September 2013]

Were they trying to get a box office bump on the heels of F&F6? Certainly the extra time didn't make this movie any better. I loved the first one (Pitch Black) and liked the second one even though the Chronicles of Riddick was panned by some. I found the CoR to have some interesting characters and a novel story line.

David Twohy is capable of much better writing, but in this movie "Riddick", Twohy just mails it in. I was hoping much of Riddick's back story would be filled in, but very little was added. The dialog was sophomoric and over the top even for an action flick. Even worse, the rest of the characters were shallow and uninteresting. I know this movie was supposed to be made less expensively than most of this genre, but why does the writing have to suck?...and suck badly?

In Pitch Black, the appearance of the aliens were not completely revealed until the tension had a chance to build a bit. This made PB more suspenseful. On the other hand in Riddick, the aliens that Riddick and company are to do battle with later are completely revealed at the beginning. This is a mistake in the plot. By the time the aliens start their rampage, I'm not scared at all, (especially since I haven't been made to care about the dull and flat characters).

The CGI was OK, visually the movie is decent. Riddick's pet Tasmanian Tiger was sort of a sweet touch. The best thing I can say about Riddick is that it didn't seem that horrible compared to the mindless schlock of other movies in the 17 minutes of previews, that I had to endure before Riddick started.

I like Diesel and Sackoff and really wanted to like this movie. After 9 years of waiting this is a big disappointment. This movie probably killed the franchise. If they do manage to do another sequel, Twohy and the other writers need to be fired. The first run of this movie should have been on the Syfy channel. Save your money and wait for it on cable.

Getting to Know Riddick More

[3xHCCH · 6/10 · 20 September 2013]

As the movie begins, we see Riddick abandoned in a strange planet only inhabited by vicious predatory beasts. His will to survive is strong even in such inhospitable environment. He tames an alien dog to be his companion. Later, mercenaries come and try to take Riddick back with them for bounty. These mercenaries clearly do not know who they are up against.

"Riddick" is already the third of a series that began with "Pitch Black" (2000), followed by "Chronicles of Riddick" (2004). If "Riddick" is the first one of the series you are watching, you will not really appreciate it as well as one who has seen all three. I don't think it stands alone by itself. I believe you should at least see the first film, "Pitch Black" to get introduced to this unlikely lead character with the shiny eyes.

"Pitch Black" is a great science fiction film with a great story and awesome special effects. Riddick is a murderer who has special eyes which can see in the dark. He was a passenger of a spacecraft that was forced to crash land on a planet with flying predatory beasts that thrive in the dark. When an eclipse plunges the planet into pitch black darkness and the beasts come out in deadly swarms, the crew needed Riddick's unique abilities to get them out of there.

The events of "Riddick" happen about 10 years after those in "Ptich Black." Basically, "Riddick" follows the same progression of story: Riddick on a new planet with violent beasts, Riddick to interact with new human characters, Riddick fights the beasts to get out of the planet.

Among the mercenaries who try to capture Riddick are the crazy psychopath Santana and a man with a connection to a character in Riddick's past, Boss Johns. The best scene of the film was that one where Riddick makes good his promise of getting Santana's head in a box. As for Boss Johns, you may not pick up the connection right away if you have not seen "Pitch Black" where one of the guys on the ship with Riddick back then was also named Johns.

The most interesting facet of "Riddick" is with the character development of Riddick in the first act, from a broken man to one who rediscovers his inner animal instinct and confidence to fight and survive. We will get to meet the softer, more human aspect of this ruthless killer. These aspect elevates "Riddick" from being a one- dimensional violent sci-fi kill-fest into one of deeper meaning.

Surprisingly enjoyable

[Troy_Campbell · 6/10 · 13 September 2013]

Similar to Sly's return to action hero status in the last 8 years, the ultra-successful F&F franchise has allowed Vin Diesel to reclaim the clout he once had in Hollywood, both as star and producer. This means we get a belated third outing for futuristic outlaw Riddick – a morally-corrupt protagonist made famous by Diesel in the excellent 2000 film Pitch Black – despite the critically hammered, box-office-flop sequel that was 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick. Don't roll your eyes like I did when I heard of this threequel, it's actually pretty darn enjoyable and certainly a welcome return to form for the cool-as-a-cucumber killer. David Twohy makes his relatively small budget of USD$38m go a long way, with visually intriguing beasts, an apocalyptic landscape and a handful of memorably gory moments all realised with surprisingly strong CGI. The cast is also fairly decent considering the second rate premise they're working with; Diesel gives 100% in a role he clearly cherishes, 'Battlestar Galactica' fan favourite Katee Sackhoff holds her own as the sole female amongst a bunch of rowdy men and Matt Nable anchors the movie as the non-flashy mercenary leader, however Jordi Molla hams it up way too much as a mouthy bounty hunter and Nolan Gerard Funk (you couldn't make that name up) is a complete waste of space as a young bible basher. When it's all over and you have ample time to think back over the film, the sheer stupidity of Twohy's own script - with plot holes galore - becomes evident, but in the moment this trashy sci-fi delivers the b-grade goods.

One of the more interesting characters on screen today - but get a better writer

[azanti0029 · 6/10 · 22 September 2013]

'Riddick' is the sequel that Vin Diesel put his house on the line for, and you can see he enjoys playing the character, he's played his twice before in the original Pitch Black, and the more epic, but less well realised 'Chronicles of Riddick' The visual images of these films have always been very strong, and the same can be said here of the third in the trilogy. Marooned and betrayed on a hostile world. Riddick seems happy enough to cut a living to survive in a hostile environment. He catches a young pup wolf (A cross between a wolf and a tiger) trains him, and has him as his companion. The first 30 minutes is not unlike the 1986 film Enemy Mine, as he learns how to combat the various beasties on the harsh planet and decides eventually he will have to leave, trekking to a mercenary outpost and calling its emergency beacon. It's here that the plot begins to weaken. Two teams arrive to collect Riddick, one wants his head, the other wants him alive. To ensure their ships cannot be stolen they remove key drives from each and lock them in a small tin cupboard which they attach an explosive device to (Seriously? The ships don't have a lock on the door or anything? Maybe you could just programme a code that needs to be entered on take off) Unfortunately the possession of these drives by one side or the other make up much of the remainder of the film. The dialogue here from some well drawn characters is especially weak and this is the films main Achilles heel. Diesel himself must have had a fair bit of sway with the director, so next time a good writer to work on the dialogue should definitely be called for. That said this is a beautifully made film, the CGI dog is actually very real and far less annoying than it could have been. Diesel does well with the lines he has and all but acquits himself and the supporting cast fill out their roles as needed. So its worth seeing and seeing on the big screen, but with the last twenty minutes a total retread of 'Pitch Black' it would have been nice to see some more original ideas and some variation.

Worth your time, but its one of those films that when you leave you find yourself having wanted to like it more, which makes its flaws all the more glaring.

Great to see him back

[moby1974 · 9/10 · 6 September 2013]

OK big fan of the 1st one, and I do like the 2nd one (directors cut though) and I can also see why some did not like the 2nd, it has some issues but the main one was the ALIEN 3 problem, that been after Aliens and all its army and guns, ALIEN 3 was no guns no army......people wanted more of the same, which in this case its funny to see that a 3rd Riddick film which gives people Riddick vs monsters is getting "its a rehash" Not sure what people want from a film like this, its pure comic book action, and I loved it, but you have to see what they were playing with, less than half the budget of the 2nd film and half as long to shoot, this is a labour of love for the Director and Vin, by today's PG13 Hollywood standards its a miracle it was made as a R/15, as for the film itself they seemed to make good use of the low budget, some very nice setups and yes in parts the low budget shows but as a whole its good, and that about sums up the film...GOOD, I rate it higher than most of Joe public but I am a fan and get more of a kick out of it, and going by the others in the cinema the feeling was "a good action film" while fans came out "great, been waiting ages for this, now give us a 4th, finish the story" I will go see it again and look forward to the BluRay

You can't get a better Sci-fi flick within 38 million $ of budget....

[shashank-mishra2008 · 7/10 · 11 September 2013]

Riddick - RULE THE DARK I've been a fan of this film series since its inception. Pitch Black was, by all accounts, an interesting and different film. What otherwise should have been a modern cult classic in the making (on its own); turned out to gain a sequel in Chronicles Of Riddick. I wasn't completely fond of Chronicles, it seemed to me like an over the top expansion of a universe that we were seemingly interested in, and ended up not really wanting.

THE BAD - The beginning of the film dragged on for a very long time. The writing was tenuous at various points of the film. To some degree, nonsensical dialogue tied to continuation of the story that had almost no purpose.

THE GOOD - I was extremely interested in seeing Dave Bautista (Batista) in this film, because I wanted to see his acting ability prior to Guardians of the Galaxy. Bautista handled himself well overall,the few lines he had were relatively memorable & funny.

Once the movie (actually) gets started, which is about 25-30 minutes in, you get immersed in what feels like a proper Pitch Black sequel, and that part of the film is fun, action packed, anxious, and filled with randomly interesting characters that help you understand Riddick out of context. And Vin Diesel was GREAT like always.

IN ALL, A DECENT WATCH .

Probably the worst film I've seen in a long while

[da_lune · 1/10 · 14 September 2013]

The whole film is totally pointless, it's literally just a series of "Vin Diesel is so hard that... " quotes.

Most setup stories had no real foundation or logical progression, just crap, crap is what I have to say.

Most of it seemed to be padding, and some extra nonsensical "I'm so hard that I'll do this to you" or "He is so hard that he'll do that to you" or Let's show some muscles and boobs for no apparent reason, preferably in the moonlight even though he couldn't walk at all in the previous scene.

But oh! See the heartless murderous antihero has a soft spot for animals, and for that reason he must be alright.

PS: Vin Diesel is so hard he turns lesbians straight!

Loved it !!

[mr-hasanaoun · 10/10 · 5 September 2013]

I really don't get some people. Everyone was saying how Chronicles was so much more different than Pitch Black (which personally I don't find a negative thing)and they should have stuck to something more like Pitch Black. Then Riddick comes out and people are saying its like watching Pitch Black again. Make up your minds people !

Second, if you're expecting this movie to win an Oscar, please don't watch it. It's a sci fi movie with action, killing, fighting and blood. If you got any problem with any of those I don't know why you paid for a ticket really.

The movie itself was very good. I've been waiting a looong time for this movie to come out. I've watched the other two Riddick movies waaayyyy too many times for me to remember. If you're a Riddick fan or feel like watching a kick-ass movie then I would recommend going to see Riddick. You don't really need to have watched the first two movies, but I would recommend seeing them anyway if you haven't.