Retrospective: Pitch Black (2000)

PITCH BLACK
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

REVIEW BY JOHN ULMER

I must say that I didn't expect much sitting down to watch "Pitch Black," 
but I got a lot back, in terms of excitement and pure fun. It's the type of 
flick where you can just lean back, relax, and have a great time just being 
entertained. This isn't a deep film by any means. Everything that it offers 
is either recycled or ripped off of other movies such as "Alien," "Predator" 
or such. But when I watch a rip-off, I want it to be good, and this rip-off 
is great.

It opens with a galaxy of stars. Some of the greatest films of all time open 
with this type of scene - "2001," "Star Wars," "Alien," "Predator." A ship 
is cruising through space when inside the entire cryogenically frozen crew 
is awoken. The ship has been hit by something. They crash land on a nasty 
little planet with three suns. Everyone flocks out of the ship when they 
find that their prisoner transport, Richard Riddick (Vin Diesel), has 
escaped confinement. They scan the desert planet in search of him and 
eventually find him, but they have no way of getting their ship to fly 
again. They search the planet for water and civilization but it seems that 
everyone suddenly disappeared from the planet not too long ago.

Then they find out that every 22 years the planets line up in a solar 
eclipse and the entire planet turns pitch black. There also happen to be 
hoards of aliens that thrive in darkness living on the planet - what are the 
chances? They happen to be on the planet right as the eclipse happens - what 
are the chances? And Riddick has a rare talent - he can see in the dark - 
again, what are the chances?

There seems to be a lot of coincedence in this movie, but a film like this 
isn't out to get Oscars for originality or believability. It's there to 
entertain the audience - it does so with ease. Vin Diesel is a big gorilla 
of a man with no acting talent whatsoever. But I've got to say if there's 
anyone who can fit the part of a trashy, homicidal felon it is Diesel. 
Listen to him mutter, "He did not know who he was fu**ing with." Great 
stuff.

The aliens in this movie are a mix between hammerhead sharks, those from 
"Alien" and Predators. They've got long, horizontal heads like a hammerhead, 
the quick-moving agility of the aliens, and the stealth of a Predator. I 
assume David Twohy (director and writer of the movie) didn't expect 
audiences to believe his creatures were truly something never seen before. 
At least I hope not.

"Aliens Redux" might be a better name for this movie, but then again, it is 
better than both the second and third "Alien" films put together. In a time 
when apparently ended series are getting revived - "Terminator 3," "Alien 
5," "Predator 3," "Alien vs. Predator" - "Pitch Black" stands out as a new 
series altogether. Two more sequels are planned. Let's just hope they don't 
get carried away. I can just picture it twenty-five years from now: "Aliens 
vs. Predator vs. Pitch Black Aliens: *The Fight of the Year."

*Fight of the Year title may be shared with the upcoming film "Freddy vs. 
Jason vs. Michael vs. Leatherface vs. Norman Bates vs. Alien vs. Predator 
vs. Terminator vs. James Cameron vs. Barny the Dinosaur."

- John Ulmer
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X-RT-RatingText: 4/5