Riddick - K

I am now terrified of looking forward to another movie ever again.  Riddick is just one more movie this year that’s been at least slightly disappointing.  That said, Riddick is not a bad movie, it’s just not Pitch Black. 

D and I went to see it opening night because I wanted to get out of the house and it looked like a great in theatre movie.  My number one warning for anyone going to see this movie is – the first half of the movie is storybuilding, Riddick is not just compromised of all the action shots they show you in the previews, it has a LOT of setup. 

I’m not going to touch on the action, much, except to say that when anyone goes to watch a movie like Riddick, is better not be for the great acting.  Solid acting, sure, even fairly believable, but nothing that is going to stay with you forever because the actor did such an amazing job. 

Also - the disappointing part to me is not just because it’s not a Pitch Black quality movie, but that Pitch Black was a sci-fi thriller, emphasis on the thrill, with plenty of gore involved.  Riddick is a sci-fi trying to include thrill, but mostly relying on the gore to obtain the thrill.  The monsters were quite disappointing and I never had that edge of my seat feel wondering where the next attack was coming from or who would be next.  Oh, and that the end was rather, meh, didn't help.

All told, I think my expectations might just be too high.  I love Vin Diesel, and in my opinion the action movies he’s been in have been pretty darn fun – xXx, All of The Fast & the Furious movies that he’s involved with, even Chronicles of Riddick was interesting, and Pitch Black of course was an awesome thriller.  I think Riddick, because I had expectations, let me down in ways it wouldn't have if I hadn't had expectations.  If that even makes sense.

Would I see it again in the theatre knowing what I know now?  Sure, as I said above, it’s not a bad movie, I like Vin Diesel and I loved Pitch Black.  Suggest to someone else seeing Riddick in the theatre?  If you have money to spend, sure, but if you’re saving your pennies for good quality theatre movies, keep the pig intact for now and rent it, borrow it from someone else, or buy it if you have the other two, like I do.