The Diva's
"Pitch Black" Review

WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW.

My head hurts.

I just don't know where to begin. I wasn't impressed at all. I don't think I jumped once. I wasn't even mildly thrilled.

Here's the scoop.

The ship crash lands on a deserted planet. The ship is carrying about nine passengers one of which is a convicted murderer named Riddick (Vin Diesel). The rest are just normal people.

Some of the survivors begin to look around for local inhabitants, while others stay behind and bury the dead, as well as, look out for Riddick who has managed to escape.

While walking around the area , they first notice that the planet has three suns. As one sets, another rises, keeping the planet basking in sunlight 24/7. Soon, they come up on an abandoned mining colony. They can't figure out what happened to everyone.

Several things happen that clue them in. One, a few people die in the dark and two, Riddick tells them what he hears and sees. You see, Riddick has the ability to see in the dark and he has acute hearing. Because of these two factors, he is able to see the aboriginal inhabitants--flying creatures that can only survive in the dark. After some investigation it becomes clear what happened to the miners and that it happened twenty-two years earlier: a total eclipse, which blocks out all the light for an unknown amount of time, giving the creatures full control of the planet. They must somehow get their power supply from the wreckage to the colony. There awaits an old transport ship.

It's pretty predictable beyond this point. There is the obligatory scene where someone does something stupid, like stray from the group. There is the classic scene where someone gets killed but you aren't sure which one because they are in an embrace. It all equaled one big "YAWN" for me.

I will say this, Riddick has some amusing lines. He kept me cracking up.

"Pitch Black" also gets props for breaking "The Rule". Yes, children, that's right a black man actually makes it all the way through the movie, but I won't tell you which brotha it is.

That impressed me more than the cheesy special effects.

Vin Diesel also impressed me. He kept this film together, bless his heart , and I know that was hard. Not only did he have the best lines, his scenes were the only truly bearable ones. Everyone else got on my nerves.

Oh! And special website mention: The official site for this movie (Pitch Black website) is very cool.

Catch it on cable.