The Chronicles Of Riddick-- my review (No spoilers)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

As soon as the "action" started, I knew this flick was nothing more than a gigantic computer game advertisement (I was right-- when I got home I did a Google search, and sure enough there's a shiny new Xbox game coming out...). There ends up being enough SFX/"action" scenes to keep a basement-bound teenage boy twitching his thumbs for a month. The testosterone level is sufficient to keep a battleship afloat, but as is usual with vehicles such as this, it doesn't end up being nearly engaging enough for those of us cursed with even a small amount of intelligence.

Has the new CGI technology so quickly come to a standstill? Throughout the "story" I kept thinking of other things-- Star Wars, The Matrix, and Friday Night At The Fights. I never once thought of The Chronicles Of Riddick as something that could stand alone, especially since so much of it is absolutely derivative of better and cleaner works. It appears there is indeed nothing new under the sun (King Solomon).

And never mind the story-- what do you expect from a vehicle written to support a computer beat-em-up game?

I hope this one is going to die a quick death, but am not certain of that fate-- it was standing room only at the late afternoon Sunday screening I went to. I was VERY disappointed with this one-- a pity, since I had been anticipating it since the trailers first started playing in the theaters.

For the guys there is only one real focus-- a good looking chick with lots of... grime and sweat dripping off her. She kicks ass with the best of them, even though most of her moves are obscured by SFX and too-quick cutaways.

The gals have no need to worry-- there is (conservatively guessing) a couple thousand pounds of heaving, sweating, hairy prime beef to gaze upon. Unfortunately most of it is concealed by heavy armour.

I guess I'd better quit while I'm ahead (as if I ever was). See it if you must, but I recommend saving your money for the new Spiderman flick. Ya can't go wrong with that one!

[qazplm]

1. eh

its a popcorn movie and thats all its intended to be. A lot like Starship Troopers, its intended to be mindless fun, and I think it achieves that.

It's not groundbreaking, it's not going to go over any new territory, and it is logically wonderful, but it's got a few humorous moments, great action, and is one of those fun non-thinking movies.

Nothing to say wow the best ever, but I didn't leave the theater thinking I wanted two hours of my life back, and to be honest, as long as a movie can do that, I'm fairly well satisfied.

Perhaps I went in with pretty low expectations, so I got what I expected, I wasn't thinking I would get a thoughtful or original movie, I thought I was getting popcorn. :)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

3. It's not the movie per se

It's the moment in the middle of it you realize you are sitting in a theater WATCHING A MOVIE. Once the spell is broken there is no going back. Too bad for me the spell broke early... :nopity:

[delhurgo]

2. I was about this l<-->l close to going to see this.

But then I watched the first 10 mins on MTV, which I thought looked kinda cheesy, and I started to read all the reviews. I was also disappointed that it was censored down to a pg-13; I think this is clearly a movie that shoulda been an R. I wish Hollywood would stop doing that. Anyhow, I guess I'll wait to satisfy my hunger for sci-fi action for Alien vs Predator. Maybe that'll be good - I hope.

Btw, I've read that the video game is suppose to be really, really good - some call it the best Xbox game ever. The reviews on it are pretty unanimous. Thats how it always turns out tho doesn't it; the game is always better than the movie.