The Chronicles of Riddick

There’s something fascinating about flawed science-fiction films; all that cinematic effort at world-building, even when gone awry, is always worth a second look.  Pitch Black (2000) was a rousing horror-sci-fi hybrid with low expectations that writer/director David Twohy turned into a sleeper success and unleashed Vin Diesel upon the world as the next action star.  Its flaws were few because its ambitions were relatively small.  But with The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), both men took a deep dive into Dune-style space operatics, stitching together a universe full of patchwork inspirations lifted from better material whose individual parts are still surprisingly captivating.


Even though he has a price on his head, Riddick (Vin Diesel) is recruited to help prevent the Necromongers – a cult of Underverse-worshipping weirdos – from destroying the system of Helios Prime.  It seems there’s prophecy regarding a young Furyan destined to put an end to their Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), information passed down by a mysterious Elemental (Judi Dench) and politically useful to a pair of social climbers in the Necromonger high ranks (Thandiwe Newton and Karl Urban).  But first Riddick must escape from a high-security prison planet and rescue Kyra (aka Jack), the young female apprentice abandoned after the first film.

 

Sounds complicated but it all essentially boils down to establishing Riddick as the baddest mofo in the universe.  You could make a drinking game out of how many times characters stare into the camera and say his name in respect, awe, fear or wanton lust.  Twohy turns the character into James Bond on steroids – or Conan who missed some time at the gym - and gives him a backstory built on flashbacks (in the director’s cut, at least) that hint at his messianic origins and future adventures to come.

 

But The Chronicles of Riddick drifted too far away from what made the character so intriguing in the first place, forcing a creative backtrack for the third entry which settled for a more reasonable one-and-done adventure.  Still and all, there’s a lot to admire here, especially in the second act which, for most films, is usually spent just spinning the narrative wheels.  Here, we find Riddick at his best: stuck in a prison 26 kilometers underground, facing lava panthers and corrupt guards only to outrace a planetary inferno when he finally does manage to escape.  It’s the best 45 minutes in the film and makes up for all the overly complicated bad guys and franchise pretensions.

 

Initially released at the height of the studio-produced physical media era, The Chronicles of Riddick already had a wealth of EPK and promotional material to work with, including a successful video game and animated prequel.  But Arrow’s new 4K UHD sports brand-new transfers (a Blu-ray set is available separately) of the theatrical and director’s cut utilizing an HDR10 compatible Dolby Vision encode…along with a 1.78:1 ratio presentation of the theatrical cut on a third disc (my viewing preference, in this case).  Visually, besides some suspect CGI effects, it’s still a stunning looking film, working with a super-saturated color palette at odds with today’s bland grading.  All those old archive featurettes, commentaries and interviews are still there, plus a new hour-long documentary that puts the sequel into perspective, extra interviews with Twohy, storyboard artist Brian Murry and actor Keith David.  Also included but not available for review is an illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film.

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