Riddick

'So this, this ain't nothing new' are some of the unfortunate first words to Riddick, the third film in this series that bares a strong resemblance to the cult hit original Pitch Black. 13 years after the release of the original and Riddick once again finds himself facing off against vicious mercenaries and native monsters, but does Vin Diesel do enough to offer something new?

After a surprising cameo from Karl Urban, Riddick (Diesel) is quickly knocked off his throne and betrayed, being left for dead on a remote planet. Gradually restoring his health while battling it out with the local beasties, he soon comes across an outpost and triggers a distress call in the hope of hijacking the next ship to arrive. But it's not an easy ride home when two separate groups land with the intention of claiming his bounty, dead.

While some of its effects do edge on the dated side for a film from 2000, Pitch Black is still a very enjoyable action thriller flick and offered Diesel one is first standout roles prior to The Fast and the Furious. Riddick's premise risked mimicking the original and there was some skepticism against this. Instead, director David Twohy crafts a visually striking and well-paced action adventure that keeps the story engaging even if the dialogue could have benefited from a few extra drafts. But it is Vin Diesel himself who holds the film together playing the iconic character with his dry charisma and who could not be more at home.

With that said, unlike the original, this is a very CGI film in a similar way to White House Down where everything looks like it was shot in a studio. This left me with a very artificial feeling, particularly for a film that is set 95% outside. Thankfully, the artistic minds behind this do a fantastic job and it doesn't hinder the film.

Minor criticisms aside, this was a surprisingly enjoyable sci-fi action film. I never saw the critically panned second film, and even if you haven't seen the first, I would still recommend this to anyone with an interest in the genre.