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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 2.35:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer (RSDL 68:34)
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    English
  Extras
  • 2 Theatrical trailer
  • 4 Featurette

The Chronicles of Riddick

Universal/Universal . R4 . COLOR . 114 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

The Chronicles of Riddick is one of those very rare films that proves that a decent screenplay isn’t everything. In the case of recent atrocities released in 2004 (Van Helsing, The Day After Tomorrow), a flawed screenplay has been the primary reason for their demise. However, in the case of The Chronicles of Riddick, the need for a Kaufman-esque screenplay is somewhat quelled. We’re presented with an ass-whopping anti-hero in the form of Vin Diesel, and enough CG to have us questioning the level of influence George Lucas has upon today’s film industry. What more do you need?!

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No-one understands the pressure surrounding the 'saviour of the universe'!

Following the success of cult sci-fi/horror Pitch Black on DVD, Universal suggested a big-budget sequel to come in the shape of a PG-13-rated mindless action nightmare. Writer/director David Twohy is only human, and couldn’t resist the US$110 million Universal threw at him. Early 2003 saw the dawn of pre-production, and by mid-2004 post-production and editing had finished. American film-goers didn’t flock, as expected, to see The Chronicles of Riddick and the film was subsequently flagged a “box-office flop”, with good reason.

The Chronicles of Riddick continues along the path of character Richard Riddick (following his success in Pitch Black) through a futuristic universe inhabited by socialist societies and religious renegades, the Necromongers. These evil Nazi-like Necromongers travel from planet to planet, executing or converting all its inhabitants on their way to a heaven-like ‘underverse’. Riddick belongs to a race of unique warriors, the Furions and unfortunately for him he’s the only one left. Grand Master Adolf, Lord Marshall, knows that the rare Furions are the only living beings that threaten the glorious reign of the Necromongers. Upon hearing the news of Riddick’s existence, Lord Marshall orders the immediate execution of Riddick; one order that cannot be accomplished.

To add to Riddick’s anxieties, he’s a wanted criminal. Various characters throughout the film pop up in attempts to collect the $1.5 million bounty on his head (which due to inflation would be enough to buy them an ice cream). This leads him into a subterranean prison, where he meets his sweetheart from Pitch Black, Kyra (who has spontaneously changed names).

"It’s been a long time since I’ve smelt beautiful."

The Chronicles of Riddick’s drawcards aren't in its plot, or its characters. And as mentioned before; it’s definitely not its mind-numbing screenplay. The only reason any sane individual would go out of their way to watch this film is due to its fantastic special effects. A horde of films released in 2004 have featured stunning CGI integrated with live-action (I, Robot, (Spider-man 2, Van Helsing), and The Chronicles of Riddick competes competently. Vast worlds, hovering space-ships and infinite marching armies are digitally created with flawless detail and accuracy.

However, all this CGI has a very ‘Lucas’ feel to it. Director Twohy obviously loved both Star Wars Episodes 1 & 2, and this is seen in a number of scenes that are entirely digital, containing no real actors. Even the subterranean scene where the audience is first introduced to Count Dooku in Star Wars Ep 2 is mimicked in the prison sequences on planet Crematora in The Chronicles of Riddick.With some leniency to Lucas’s efforts, the digital effects used in The Chronicles of Riddick work much better than both seen in the recent Star Wars films.

The patented ‘Lucasfluence’ essentially ruled significant portions of the film, which was a shame as it would have been interesting to see some of Twohy’s original visual work. To move to the audio department, a very clear musical influence from composer Alan Silvestri is present; specifically Silvestri’s work in the ’87 Arnie classic, Predator. Many of the sound effects surrounding the Necromongers are direct lifts from the highly original sound design of the Predator character. I initially expected this to be a major deterrence; however it provided as an interesting and often humorous addition to the film.

Even though characters remain heavily underdeveloped, and subplots seem to run in and out of no-where The Chronicles of Riddick can still prove entertaining. Vin Diesel proves to be a fantastic action-hero character (perhaps the Schwarzenegger of the 21st century?), adding hysterical one-liners and amazingly cheesy monologues just when the action starts to fade. Some fantastic special effects work is to be seen, which will either impress or shock its audience!

  Video
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I have a strange feeling George Lucas had something to do with this film...
The Chronicles of Riddick is presented in a first-class visual transfer. Digital compression artefacts seem to be a thing of the past, much to the delight of home-theatre fanatics world-wide!

The fantastic colour detail and contrast level adds to the high quality of this transfer. The film contains a wide variety of colours, from the dusty sepia-tones of the planet Helion to the dark blues aboard a Necromonger ship. Colours never appear saturated and remain very detailed and crisp throughout the entirety of the film. Black levels were always solid and dark, blending seamlessly into the black of the monitor. The majority of The Chronicles of Riddick is either at night, or inside a darkened house; so these strong blacks add to this excellent video transfer.

The picture remained beautifully sharp and crisp throughout the vast majority of the film. Only in a select few sequences (mainly those on the prison planet) did any softness or grain appear; however they seemed to perfectly suit the environment. One can safely assume that this isn’t the fault of the transfer, rather a decision by the post-production team.

Some minor aliasing became apparent in a small number of scenes, mainly those aboard the Necromonger ship (or within their costumes). Only at one point did this become distracting, as it featured in a dialogue-heavy scene. All other aliasing blended in with the action and never became off-putting.

This is a very good visual transfer, which was to be expected from a big-budget film of the past year. Universal have done a fantastic job. Apart from some minor aliasing (that was only obvious in one scene) this is a reference quality transfer.

  Audio
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"Some are just born with tragedy on their blood."
Universal’s The Chronicles of Riddick Dolby Digital 5.1 mix does not fail to deliver. Excellent use of the surround channels, and perfect sub-sonic booms combine to perfectly suit this nature of high-budget, epic-scale sci-fi action. During outdoor scenes, armies march across the front three channels, while with aircraft simultaneously sweep through the rear and LFE speakers. This results in an extremely atmospheric and dynamic experience. The front soundstage is balanced flawlessly, with dialogue often sweeping from left or right.

The only setback is the unbalanced volume. Special-effects and music seem to be recorded significantly louder than the dialogue, which will usually result in you having to physically turn up your sound system in dialogue-heavy scenes. Unfortunately for the audience, conversations crucial to plot development are edited between action-packed sequences. The inclusion of English subtitles is a blessing, as often small lines of dialogue are lost in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion (or similar!).

Thankfully there are no serious audio problems; and there is virtually no background noise or hiss. This type of surround mix is what you’d come to expect from a $100 million sci-fi blockbuster. The dialogue-volume issue will hopefully be fixed with the next re-release, however for those interested in the action and special effects The Chronicles of Riddick has to offer, it won’t really be an issue.

This disc will suffice as an excellent demonstration DVD. A number of action sequences present within the film combine amazing audio-effects that span the entire 6 channels.

  Extras
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Judi Dench just coming to let us know she's still alive.
Fans of The Chronicles of Riddick will be ultimately disappointed with the amount and quality of bonus features presented on this disc. The Region 1, unrated edition, comes with a director’s commentary, deleted scenes and a trial of the Riddick X-box game. I can imagine a ‘director’s cut’ edition will shortly be released R4 flavouring, and come packed with these special features and hopefully more.

Virtual Guide to The Chronicles of Riddick - An interactive guide that delves into the background behind the film. Ten thirty-second clips highlight the various beings, worlds and characters present within the film.

Riddick’s Worlds - Vin Diesel begins with a guided tour through the sets. An interactive 360-degree view of eight different sets created by the visual effects department for the film is then available for exploration.

Featurette: Toomb’s Chase Log (9:58) - A diary-like featurette behind the character of Toombs. Pretty cheesy, and not very entertaining. Universal seem to be including these video-diaries in a number of their latest releases.

Featurette: Visual Effects Revealed (6:02) – The visual effects used within The Chronicles of Riddick are (on a whole) very impressive. This small featurette looks behind some of the special effects used. Interesting, but too brief.

Subtitle track: Riddick Insider - A subtitle track (in English only) that adds small pieces of information about production and the characters as the film plays.

All the bonus material is in Dolby 2.0 stereo, and is presented in a 4:3 full-frame transfer.

There are also four trailers on offer. Theatrical trailers for The Bourne Supremacy (presented in anamorphic widescreen), and Van Helsing (letterboxed) are available. Trailers for the Pitch Black Special Edition DVD and Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury DVD are also presented (both letterboxed).

  Overall  
Contract

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Vin Diesel 'letting his hair down', or so to speak...
A cheesy, big-budget action-sci-fi for the masses. Vin Diesel is a terrible actor, who makes for a very entertaining action hero. The Chronicles of Riddick stands as a Hollywood epic, and will only prove worthwhile for those who treat it like one.

I wouldn’t normally recommend this, but the fantastic audio soundtrack will push your system to the limit. This film is one that can be watched by anyone, and will have different elements that appeal to the widest audience. Worth hiring for a night in with the mates as it’s definitely a film made more enjoyable with company.

For those after a serious sci-fi film, I’d recommend you steer clear. The Fifth Element would stand as a far more entertaining film of similar style, plus it has added Bruce Willis!


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      And I quote...
    "This pure Vin Diesel vehicle combines mindless sci-fi cheese and the worst screenplay of 2004 ... all on an amazing DVD."
    - Nick Watts
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Onkyo DR-S2.0
    • TV:
          Samsung 68cm
    • Speakers:
          Onkyo HTP-2
    • Centre Speaker:
          Onkyo HTP-2
    • Surrounds:
          Onkyo HTP-2
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard RCA
    • Video Cables:
          Standard Component RCA
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