“The Chronicles of Riddick”
2 out of 4 starsSequels to successful films can be a tricky proposal, especially if the original was a cult favorite. In 2000, “Pitch Black,” a dark sci-fi thriller took the genre by storm. With its reliance on tension built by a relatively unseen set of villains, David Twohy’s film was a revelation of what could be done with a relatively low budget, unknown actors and a smart script. Four years later, Twohy reemerges with “The Chronicles of Riddick,” an overblown quasi sci-fi opera that, at times, is pleasing to the eye yet is overall numbing to the mind.
The story opens with Riddick, the bad guy turned hero from “Pitch Black,” living his life on a lonely planet until he is captured by bounty hunters and brought to Lord Marshall, the leader of a warrior race called the Necromongers.
Marshall and his crew are intent on destroying mankind across the universe, or “Underverse” as it is called here. Riddick is imprisoned and a conversion begins through mind scanning and pseudo-masochistic floggings, though this is left mostly to the imagination of the viewer to preserve the PG-13 rating of the film. That seems to be the major downfall of this pic. In an attempt to corner the adolescent male market and their lucrative spending potential, Twohy and his crew seemed to have forgotten the rest of us who have a working brain.
Plotlines are introduced and quickly forgotten. Characters appear and seem to function as nothing more than glorified coat hangers for the rather impressive costumes.
If the filmmakers had only thrown caution to the wind and allowed themselves to not be bogged down by a ratings board, then the result may have been entirely different. We may have had an intelligent science fiction film instead of a piece of expensive fluff that serves as nothing more than a tie-in to a more impressive video game.
“The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay”
Platform: Xbox
4 out of 4 stars
Exclusively ported for the Xbox, “The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay” may just be a reason for late comers and PS2 die hard fanatics to break their piggy banks and invest in the console. Possibly the most exciting and addictive Xbox title since “Halo,” Butcher Bay is the only stealth/first person shooter that delivers on its promise.
A prequel to the film “Pitch Black,” the action begins in one of three levels of Butcher bay prison, where Riddick has been held. Through stealth moves and hand-to-hand combat, the hero must overpower guards, fight other inmates and solve simple puzzles to advance to the next level. Sounds easy but it isn’t.
When the game starts out, the only weapon at Riddick’s disposal is his bare hands, forcing him to sneak up on his unsuspecting victims and snap their necks with a spine cringing crack. Though the guards carry guns, they are DNA protected and Riddick is not able to utilize them until he adds his profile into the mainframe computer.
This game rocks! The artificial intelligence employed by the game designers is both reactive and surprising. No getting away with the cheap tricks involved in other games, the guards and other inmates react quickly to every move you make.
The voice work is chilling as Vin Diesil barks his gruff comments to his cohorts comprised of other actors like Cole Hauser and rapper Xzibit.
The only downside is some pixilation in the cut scenes but this is easily overlooked because you are too busy thinking about the quests ahead. Did I mention this game rocks? If you are a “Halo” fan, pick this one up; you won’t be disappointed.
