Riddick Blu-ray Review (2013)
'Riddick' has more in common with 'Pitch Black' than its immediate predecessor 'The Chronicles of Riddick', which took the conventional route for a sequel (to Pitch Black) by trying to elevate its scale and scope. This third installment is smaller in terms of its ambitions, but that is a compliment in most regards.
Vin Diesel's anti-hero gets stranded on a planet left for dead this time around. He not only has to contend with the species calling the planet their home, when two groups of bounty hunters which include Dave Batista and Katee Sackhoff, try to hunt him down to get hold of one of his possessions.
Unlike 'Chronicles' which was PG-13, Riddick earned an R rating, which paved the way for more graphic violence, language and a dose of sexual content to top it off. While the second half is action and dialogue heavy, the first deals with primarily Riddick on his own, fending off creatures from the air, water and land alike and sees the character show his true grit and aggression as a result. That's not to say that the finale is lackluster by any means, since it is as severe, but the first half, where Riddick is virtually isolated, seems to test our lead by forcing him into a corner. The results of this movie are impressive, considering that only a $38 million budget was utilized, and while the scope of the movie was greatly reduced, seeing Riddick return to his origins is a welcome change.
Vin Diesel's anti-hero gets stranded on a planet left for dead this time around. He not only has to contend with the species calling the planet their home, when two groups of bounty hunters which include Dave Batista and Katee Sackhoff, try to hunt him down to get hold of one of his possessions.
Unlike 'Chronicles' which was PG-13, Riddick earned an R rating, which paved the way for more graphic violence, language and a dose of sexual content to top it off. While the second half is action and dialogue heavy, the first deals with primarily Riddick on his own, fending off creatures from the air, water and land alike and sees the character show his true grit and aggression as a result. That's not to say that the finale is lackluster by any means, since it is as severe, but the first half, where Riddick is virtually isolated, seems to test our lead by forcing him into a corner. The results of this movie are impressive, considering that only a $38 million budget was utilized, and while the scope of the movie was greatly reduced, seeing Riddick return to his origins is a welcome change.
Riddick Blu-ray Special Features and Extras
- Unrated Director's Cut: The Blu-ray edition of Riddick features the film's 119-minute theatrical cut and the extended 127 minute director's cut.
- The Twohy Touch (HD, 6 minutes): This segment looks at why another Riddick movie was made, or rather had to be made, through interviews with director David Twohy and company.
- Riddickian Tech (HD, 10 minutes): Explores the science and technology of the Riddick universe.
- Vin's Riddick (HD, 9 minutes): Chronicles the conception and transformation of Vin Diesel's character.
- Meet the Mercs (HD, 11 minutes)
- The World of Riddick (HD, 11 minutes): Explore the planet Riddick finds himself in.
- Riddick: Blindsided (HD, 5 minutes): A motion comic.
Blu-ray Specifications
- Format: Color, Director's Cut, Widescreen
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (DTS 5.1)
- Subtitles: French, Spanish
- Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired: English
- Region: All Regions
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Number of discs: 2
