Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

The Premise.
After Pitch Black ended, Riddick dropped off his passengers and apparently hung around for a short time. He then left them in an attempt to find solitude. About six years later this movie starts out with Riddick being chased by bounty hunters. Through a short series of events he finds himself back talking to his old “friend”. They tell him the story of the Necromongers that are trying to find paradise and at the same time are trying to kill off anyone that does not join their quest. They then ask Riddick to stop the Necromongers. The plot thickens.

The Story, SPOILER ALERT.
For those of you that want to read the summary of the whole movie, well here it is. If you do not want to spoil the experience, skip this section.
Riddick is being chased by a group of bounty hunters that he easily over comes. He promptly steals their ship and goes in search of whom he needs to kill in order to be left alone. He encounters an Elementalist, his old friend the priest, and several other natives. They ask him to fight off the Necromongers. He declines.
The Necromongers then attack the planet and defeat it within hours. Riddick fails to leave the planet and is captured by the bounty hunters and taken to a desolate planet that reminds me of Mercury with an atmosphere (Which cannot exist.) He then is imprisoned there, meets the girl from the first film, escapes, and flys back to the world he was captured on. He then fights a climatic battle and ends the movie with an predictable twist (plenty of foreshadowing if you can pick it out.)

END OF SPOILER

Acting.
The acting is disappointing. With one exception, I was not impressed with anyone’s performance. There were emotions I felt were not conveyed properly. The biggest thing that was lacking was the physical communication that all great actors do. This was seriously lacking.
Thandie Newton has a relatively small role in the movie, but she gives the best performance in this movie. Her actions and emotions are perfect for the scenes she is in. She really adds a depth that was necessary and it was a pleasure to watch her performance (and her costumes.) Glad the editor kept her in.

The STAR.
Vin Diesel is the next Arnold Schwarzennegger in that he is a great action star, but he can only play one role. It is really too bad because I like Vin and I wish he would take a risk. With that in mind, he does a great job acting in this movie. Riddick is not Riddick without him.

Plot Development.
The overall plot is not all that great. There is a detour in the middle that really does not need to be there. It is too bad they feel the need to tie in the two movies.
But the beginning and end of the movie are really well done and set-up/ conclude the movie perfectly.

Character Development.
This was sub-par. It really reminded me of Alien 3 in that the characters die off right when you get to know them. Riddick did not need the development that he received.

The Writing.
The writing is disappointing as it is in most action movies. The writing is there only to keep the audience from being lost.
What I do like about the writing is that it does a good job of being true to the character of Riddick. I really believe that Riddick was true to his character and inner instincts. I feel he would have followed the path that was followed in the movie.

Special Effects.
Everything looked like it was shot on a stage, so to create the worlds they were in they needed special effects to create the illusion. The effects did not detract from the story, they enhanced it. The only real problem I had was the special effects failed, in some areas, to tell the story. In my opinion, special effects should be in a movie to tell the story, not to impress people.
Many of the critics said the special effects were over the top. They are clearly wrong and do not understand the true purpose of movies. Without these effects, this movie would have fallen on its face.

Costume.
The costumes are wonderful and I really feel they will be nominated for an academy award. The costumes are an integral part in telling the story in this movie. There is no confusion over who is who. And I just loved to gaze at the detail of some of the outfits.

Make-up.
Make-up is pretty good and does not detract from the movie. It sets up unique differences between the characters, but does not go over the top (ex. Star Trek.)

Length
1 hour 59 minutes

Key players
Starring: Vin Diesel, Ja Rule, Keith David, Thandie Newton, Karl Urban, Yorick Van Wageningen, Linus Roache, Roger R. Cross, Christina Cox, Judi Dench, Colm Feore, Alexa Davalos, Nick Chinlund
Director: David Twohy
Producers: Vin Diesel, Tom Engelman, Scott Kroopf

Who Is This Movie For?
This movie is for 2 people. The first is the Sci-Fi nut. I can not imagine any true Sci-Fi fan being disappointed with this movie.
The second person I would recommend this to is someone that enjoys an above average action movies.

My personal opinion and why I liked it.
I love movies like this. Most of my DVD collection is in this genre. So I am not concerned with acting, or great writing. I am interested in watching a fun story that takes me away from my monotonous life. This move allows me the escape I crave. This is one DVD I will buy on its release date.

Summary:
This is a good Sci-Fi action flick that is a must see if you like action movies. And if you liked Pitch Black, then you have already seen this movie. It is a good sequel for the series that will only build Riddicks (and Vin’s) fan base.

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Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older