The Chronicles of Riddick

This is very much a vehicle for Vin Diesel to flex his muscles and engage in 2 hours of kick-ass adventure. The plot is pretty unimportant: "Riddick" arrives on a planet and is soon hired by Dame Judi Dench to go up against the brutal "Necromongers" - a sort of intergalactic cricket led by Colm Feore, who are hell bent on destroying humanity. After quite a long, slow, start it does not hang about; we have loads of decent special effects as he is double-crossed, imprisoned and ultimately joined with Karl Urban and Thandie Newton to take on the army of locust-like beasties. It's not the best of the "Riddick" films, but it has a good cast and a half-decent story to keep it off the rocks. Don't look for intellectual stimulation; just think - ice cream for the brain - and you will probably quite enjoy this. I did.

<em>'The Chronicles of Riddick'</em> follows up <em>'Pitch Black'</em> in positive fashion. I think I prefer the story last time out, though this 2004 release is definitely an improvement in most other departments. The special effects have aged relatively better, while the acting is more sturdy. Vin Diesel remains entertaining as the now titular character. Away from him, there are a fair number of other characters; almost, if not quite, too many. I wouldn't say any of the others onscreen left a noteworthy mark on my memory, though Colm Feore and Nick Chinlund do particularly well. Judi Dench appears too, interestingly. Onwards to 2013's <em>'Riddick'</em>. Good to see Vin Diesel starring in inconsistently titled sequels isn't just limited to <em>'Fast & Furious'</em>... 😁