Pitch Black
"Pitch Black", with Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser and Keith David. Written by Jim and Ken Wheat, directed by David N. Twohy. MPAA rating R, for violence and language. Run time 110 minutes.
Assuming the moovie industry works a lot like major league sports, it seems "Pitch Black" is a moovie that might never run up against its salary cap. No names to speak of, although Vin Diesel - I love that name - was in "Saving Private Ryan" as well as providing the voice for the title character in "The Iron Giant". Truthfully, the lack of star drawing power didn't hurt this moovie in the least, and though I admit I went in with low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised.
Once you get past the hackneyed formula plot and the lack-of-common-sense predicaments some of the characters get themselves into, "Pitch Black" is pretty well done. It follows a standard "Alien" plot outline, with a passenger spacecraft, disabled by a collision with a comet's debris field, crash-landing on a desolate and arid alien planet with three suns. (See also Fred MacMurray) The crew's first run-in with evil incarnate is Riddick (Diesel), a Hannibal Lector-ish criminal in transport, and who, by virtue of having had his eyes re-engineered in prison, can see in total darkness. This will, it seems, come in handy later on in the moovie. Naturally, he escapes during the crash. Naturally, he wears sunglasses.
After a short cat and mouse game, the evil Riddick is back in chains, harassed and tormented by what's left of the crew and passengers. The mantle of leadership falls squarely on the petite shoulders of Docking Pilot Fry (Radha Mitchell) and the morphine addicted shoulders of Johns (Cole Hauser).
The planet they crash on is largely uninhabited, at least by humanoids, although it becomes apparent that at one time, a sizable population did exist. Hey, what happened to everybody? Little by little, the facts start to fall into place in a sort of Myst-inspired collection of clues. When they finally figure out what happened to the former residents, they realize the same fate is about to befall them as well. Just below the surface of the planet lies a swarm of ravenous flying alien bug things, which, fortunately on a planet with three ever present suns, only come out at night. As luck would have it, every twenty-two years, all three of the world's suns are eclipsed at once by a large ringed planet, and tonight's the night. Before you can say "Nostromo", it's nighttime, the bugs are everywhere, and they seem to be upset about something. They're probably just hungry.
I like the way this moovie is filmed - see also "Three Kings" - the desert planet scenes are filmed in a sort of high-key bright sepia duotone that intensifies the feeling of endless dry heat. The night scenes are, well, nearly pitch black, with little pools of anti-bug light for the principals to survive in. There are a few flaws, but mostly in logic and direction, and usually in an attempt to push a little too hard. The first part of the moovie tries to play Radha Mitchell as a little too sexy, with a gratuitous "Hey, look at my boobs!" cleavage shot and a forced full moon perspective on her intergalactic panty line. Fortunately, someone realized that she didn't have the required chemistry for the part and they let her settle into her role a little more gracefully.
Overall, the plot could use maybe one or two fewer little twists, and should trust the power of the story more. It's not the most original plot in the world, but it has everything it needs to survive on its own.
Vin Diesel keeps his evil edge all the way through "Pitch Black", even unto the realization that the worst among us has value and maybe even a shot at redemption. Or maybe not.
The special effects are extremely well done - the re-entry and crash sequence at the beginning is a frenetic fireball of an appetizer for what follows, a generally well paced and well acted moovie.
I liked "Pitch Black". As sci-fi goes, you could do a whole lot worse. A less than epic adventure, it is, all the same, a good effort, and a worthy escape from reality and into darkness - unless your reality is really dark, in which case it becomes a documentary.
Take a few extra batteries for your Mag-Lite and three cows for "Pitch Black".
Assuming the moovie industry works a lot like major league sports, it seems "Pitch Black" is a moovie that might never run up against its salary cap. No names to speak of, although Vin Diesel - I love that name - was in "Saving Private Ryan" as well as providing the voice for the title character in "The Iron Giant". Truthfully, the lack of star drawing power didn't hurt this moovie in the least, and though I admit I went in with low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised.
Once you get past the hackneyed formula plot and the lack-of-common-sense predicaments some of the characters get themselves into, "Pitch Black" is pretty well done. It follows a standard "Alien" plot outline, with a passenger spacecraft, disabled by a collision with a comet's debris field, crash-landing on a desolate and arid alien planet with three suns. (See also Fred MacMurray) The crew's first run-in with evil incarnate is Riddick (Diesel), a Hannibal Lector-ish criminal in transport, and who, by virtue of having had his eyes re-engineered in prison, can see in total darkness. This will, it seems, come in handy later on in the moovie. Naturally, he escapes during the crash. Naturally, he wears sunglasses.
After a short cat and mouse game, the evil Riddick is back in chains, harassed and tormented by what's left of the crew and passengers. The mantle of leadership falls squarely on the petite shoulders of Docking Pilot Fry (Radha Mitchell) and the morphine addicted shoulders of Johns (Cole Hauser).
The planet they crash on is largely uninhabited, at least by humanoids, although it becomes apparent that at one time, a sizable population did exist. Hey, what happened to everybody? Little by little, the facts start to fall into place in a sort of Myst-inspired collection of clues. When they finally figure out what happened to the former residents, they realize the same fate is about to befall them as well. Just below the surface of the planet lies a swarm of ravenous flying alien bug things, which, fortunately on a planet with three ever present suns, only come out at night. As luck would have it, every twenty-two years, all three of the world's suns are eclipsed at once by a large ringed planet, and tonight's the night. Before you can say "Nostromo", it's nighttime, the bugs are everywhere, and they seem to be upset about something. They're probably just hungry.
I like the way this moovie is filmed - see also "Three Kings" - the desert planet scenes are filmed in a sort of high-key bright sepia duotone that intensifies the feeling of endless dry heat. The night scenes are, well, nearly pitch black, with little pools of anti-bug light for the principals to survive in. There are a few flaws, but mostly in logic and direction, and usually in an attempt to push a little too hard. The first part of the moovie tries to play Radha Mitchell as a little too sexy, with a gratuitous "Hey, look at my boobs!" cleavage shot and a forced full moon perspective on her intergalactic panty line. Fortunately, someone realized that she didn't have the required chemistry for the part and they let her settle into her role a little more gracefully.
Overall, the plot could use maybe one or two fewer little twists, and should trust the power of the story more. It's not the most original plot in the world, but it has everything it needs to survive on its own.
Vin Diesel keeps his evil edge all the way through "Pitch Black", even unto the realization that the worst among us has value and maybe even a shot at redemption. Or maybe not.
The special effects are extremely well done - the re-entry and crash sequence at the beginning is a frenetic fireball of an appetizer for what follows, a generally well paced and well acted moovie.
I liked "Pitch Black". As sci-fi goes, you could do a whole lot worse. A less than epic adventure, it is, all the same, a good effort, and a worthy escape from reality and into darkness - unless your reality is really dark, in which case it becomes a documentary.
Take a few extra batteries for your Mag-Lite and three cows for "Pitch Black".
