Director: David Twohy
Writer: David Twohy (Screenplay) Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat (Characters)
Starring: Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, Thandie Newton, Judi Dench, Karl Urban, Alexa Davalos, Linus Roache
Plot: Riddick (Diesel), now a hunted man, finds himself in the middle of two opposing forces in a major crusade. Lord Marshal (Feore) a warrior priest who is the leader of a sect that is waging the tenth and perhaps final crusade 500 years in the future. Aereon (Dench) an ambassador from the Elemental race. She is an ethereal being who helps Riddick unearth his origins.
Verdict: Riddick Origins
Story: Yes this is a sequel and we do get the returning survivors from Pitch Black. Five years has past and Riddick is still a wanted man, but it is an old friend who has put the bounty on his head. Riddick returns to find himself the animal killer needed to fight a war he has no part of. We get to see a lot more of Riddick’s combat skills but to make things more interesting we have plenty of different parties wanting Riddick to be a pawn in their games; be it just for money, to fulfill destiny or to protect a small planet. Each group has different agenda that has been slowly building before the catalyst Riddick turns up. We end up getting a good story that takes a character out of a claustrophobic environment and putting him into a politic war, brave but effective. (8/10)
Actor Reviews
Vin Diesel: Riddick we knew what he was capable off from the first one, we heard the stories, but we never saw how effective a fighter he really was. We also learn about where he came from and the people he is the last off. Good performance where he gets to build his character from the first one. (8/10)
Colm Feore: Lord Marshal the leader of a group of destroyer of worlds, you either join them and their faith or you die. He wants to destroy Riddick but is also determined to keep him around and turn him into one of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy. Good performance but never needs to do more than is asked. (7/10)
Thandie Newton: Dame Vaako the wife of the man who wants to be the leader of the invaders, she is a good planning and motivator with her seductive ways. Good performance playing the smart sexy leading villainous lady. (7/10)
Judi Dench: Aereon a peaceful leader against the evil Marshal who has extra powers including invisibility and gliding, she is wise and can see what could happen in the future. Good supporting performance with a character which would need a bit more back story to really make a true impact. (6/10)
Karl Urban: Vaako the want to be leader of the group, he waits for his time and even gets involved with a small side mission just to make sure that he remains in the good books of Marshal. Good early performance from Urban who has gone onto bigger and better performance. (7/10)
Alexa Davalos: Kyra you remember Jack from the first one well she grew up and now she is in prison, a skilled fighter who still wants to be Riddick, she takes not prisoners while fighting and always has a trick up her sleeve. Good performance with plenty of fighting scenes becoming the bad girl of the picture. (7/10)
Director Review: David Twohy – Good direction to take three characters from one genre and move them into another genre, creating a big intergalactic war. (8/10)
Action: Action from start to finish, mainly hand to hand combat or use of whatever is handy, including a tea cup. (9/10)
Sci-Fi: New planets, new species, new religions, new weapons what more can you want in a sci-fi film. (10/10)
Thriller: The story builds up nicely keeping you right in the story from start to finish. (9/10)
Settings: Each setting adds more tension to the story with the stand out location being the prison planet. (10/10)
Special Effects: Great special effects but some have dated a bit now. (8/10)
Suggestion: This is one that the action fans will really enjoy, but the fans of Pitch Black will be disappointed due to the lack of similar story involved. (Action Fans Watch)
Best Part: The race against the sun
Worst Part: We could have learnt more about the supporting characters war.
Action Scene Of The Film: The Race against the sun leading into a battle.
Kill Of The Film: Tea Cup
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Has one more sequel.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $115,772,733
Budget: $105 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 59 Minutes
Tagline: All the power in the universe can’t change destiny
Trivia:Vin Diesel wanted Judi Dench to play Aereon and went to great lengths to get her. A long-time fan of Dench, he had her dressing room filled with bouquets of flowers and also advised her that they could not begin casting the movie until she agreed to accept the role.
Overall: The Rise of Riddick
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