'Riddick' review: A charm in Diesel-powered action series
Vin Diesel in a scene from "Riddick." Credit: AP
There are few things as pleasurable as high-quality pulp, and "Riddick," starring Vin Diesel as humanoid ex-convict Richard B. Riddick, fits the bill. It's B-grade cinema made with A-level intelligence and imagination -- skillfully directed, surprisingly well acted and gratifyingly preposterous.
It's the third installment in a sci-fi franchise that began promisingly with 2000's "Pitch Black" but got derailed by two things. One was the 2001 hot-rod flick "The Fast and the Furious," which launched a successful series that stole Diesel away. The other was 2004's "The Chronicles of Riddick," a toned-down space fantasy that was poorly received. The title of "Riddick" suggests a reintroduction, and writer-director David Twohy, the man behind all three movies, seems thrilled to be back in the game.
Granted, he takes a while to get things warmed up. After a lengthy flashback to the previous story line (a distant kingdom, a nefarious betrayal) and some corny, noirish narration ("How did I let them blindside me like that?"), "Riddick" finally gets down to brutal business. It begins as a man-versus-nature story, with Riddick traversing a hostile planet full of freaky CGI creatures. Things get complicated when two teams of bounty hunters begin competing for Riddick's head. And wouldn't you know it -- a looming storm may force everyone to join forces.
"Riddick" repeats many a beat (and scene, and line) from the first film, but there are several improvements. Diesel mixes vulnerability into his machismo -- he at least winces while hand drilling screws into his shinbones -- which makes him more likable and less predictable. He's supported by a colorful, crackling cast, including Jordi Mollá ("Colombiana") as the unscrupulous Santana and Katee Sackhoff (Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica") as a hard-hitting hottie named -- what else? -- Dahl.
What's more, the special effects can be startlingly good. Riddick's alien-jackal companion, a combination of puppetry and computer animation, seems so alive that he should have shared top billing.
"Riddick" has plenty of flaws, but there's something refreshing about a genre flick that isn't winking at itself (like, say, "Iron Man") or trying to be profound (like "Elysium"). "Riddick" is dead serious about being ridiculously entertaining.
"Riddick" fans sure are patient -- it's been nine years since "The Chronicles of Riddick," film No. 2 in the franchise. But that's nothing compared to how long it took for the threequels in these film series to get made.
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