Movie Review: "Riddick" (2013)

Movie: "Riddick"
Director: David Twohy
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

Image Source

Continuing the story of Riddick (Vin Diesel) five years later, he has struck a deal with Vaako (Karl Urban) to find the location of his home planet Furya and a ship to take him home in exchange for Vaako's secured place as next Lord Marshall. Riddick was double-crossed and the ship lands on a desolate planet; upon realizing this, he kills the crew except for one person, leaving him stranded. Riddick comes across a dog-like creature whose mother has been killed, and befriends the pup. Later, he finds a mercenary station and sends an emergency distress call, revealing his location on the planet, even though he is still a wanted man with a huge price tag on his head. Two ships quickly arrive at the planet, carrying mercenary teams armed with a box for Riddick's head. He warns the teams in a message in blood to leave one ship for him and leave the planet immediately, and if they don't comply, he will kill them all. Of course, they do not comply, and one by one, the teams begin suffering casualties. Riddick is not the only thing they have to worry about on this planet: a storm is brewing in the distance and closing in fast, and with it comes aquatic, slithery, vicious serpent creatures that are hungry for blood.

Karl Urban is in the movie for 5 seconds. I feel so deceived.

...and this is just another movie to add to the pile where Vin Diesel continues to make this face.

BigJ has seen "Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick," whereas I have not, so I had no frame of reference. He enjoyed this movie more than I did. I'm not impressed with Vin Diesel whatsoever, he basically just plays Dominick from the "Fast and Furious" franchise in everything he's in, and Dominick is just Vin Diesel, period. Don't go into this movie expecting good acting, you're never going to get it from Vin Diesel. If you expect to, SHAME ON YOU.

This is a relatively low budget sci-fi action film and that's about it. Don't really expect or look for anything else in this movie. If you're a fan of the first two in the franchise, this movie will probably tickle your fancy as well. A lot of people get murdered in cool death/fight scenes. The special effects are what we like to call "video game graphics," something you'd find in a video game, not realistic creatures/beings. They are severely lacking, but again, this may have to do with the low budget.

The movie is left open for a 4th installment, if someone so chooses. As long as they don't make the mistakes they made with "The Chronicles of Riddick" by over-inflating the budgeted and forcing a PG-13 rating, they'll continue to be made AND make money.

My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 60%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?