Review of The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) by Dzimas — 03 Apr 2020

The things you watch during a lockdown. I would give this a 1 but you have to admire the audacity of making a film like this that borrows so liberally from past science fiction classics, namely Dune and Blade Runner, and pass it off as something original. Of course you can blame Alan Dean Foster for the gross plagiarism. Twohy merely adapted this twaddle to the screen, throwing in a few Chinese flying kicks for good measure.

What you get is a very low grade science fiction adventure that looks like something from the early 80s. I'm shocked by the $120 million budget. It looks like something you could have made for $5 mil. I could only marvel that Colm Feore, Thandie Newton, and Dame Judi Dench would attach themselves to what is essentially a Vin Diesel vehicle, although he looks just as badly out of place in his cheap black goggles and tank top. There's no point telling the plot as it is so predictable you will figure out how it ends within the first few minutes. You watch it only to fill time, however two hours feels like ten given the lugubrious pace of this so-called action yarn. As a game, this might be fun to play. At least you can manipulate the outcome a little. Here you are at the mercy of the director.

If there is any saving grace to this mess it is the fetching Alexa Davalos. You would like to see much more of her, but alas this is a Vin Diesel vehicle so you have to put up with his hulking image throughout, as he tries to protect Kyra from the evil clutches of the Lord Marshall. Seems like Colm Feore really beefed himself up for the role, either that or he had a great costume designer.