Pitch Black (2000)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

David Twohy

Writers (WGA):

Jim Wheat (story) &
Ken Wheat (story) ...

Release Date:

18 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Fight Evil With Evil

Plot:

A group of marooned space travelers struggle for survival on a seemingly lifeless sun-scorched world.

Plot Keywords:

Darkness | Space | Eclipse | Bounty Hunter | Criminal

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Vin Diesel	...	Richard B. Riddick
Radha Mitchell	...	Carolyn Fry
Cole Hauser	...	William J. Johns
Keith David	...	Abu 'Imam' al-Walid
Lewis Fitz-Gerald	...	Paris P. Ogilvie
Claudia Black	...	Sharon 'Shazza' Montgomery
Rhiana Griffith	...	Jack / Jackie
John Moore	...	John 'Zeke' Ezekiel
Simon Burke	...	Greg Owens
Les Chantery	...	Suleiman
Sam Sari	...	Hassan
Firass Dirani	...	Ali
Ric Anderson	...	Total Stranger
Vic Wilson	...	Captain Tom Mitchell
Angela Moore	...	Dead Crew Member

Also Known As:

Nightfall (USA) (working title)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black (USA) (DVD box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence and gore, and for language.

Runtime:

109 min | USA:112 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (director's cut) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Queensland, Australia

Company:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

The weapon Johns uses is a SPAS 12, modified to look futuristic.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Fry is climbing out of the cave, the "solid" walls shake.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Riddick: [voiceover] They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo-sleep. All but the primitive side, the animal side. No wonder I'm still awake. Transporting me with civilians. Sounded like 40, 40-plus. Heard an Arab voice. Some hoodoo holy man, probably on his way to New Mecca. But what route? What route? I smelt a woman. Sweat, boots, tool belt, leather. Prospector type. Free settlers. And they only take the back roads. And here's my real problem. Mr. Johns...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004) (VG)

Best Film Noir SciFi Ever!

I really enjoyed this movie. It was edgy without being sociopath. Vin Diesel brought the Riddick character to life and made you feel good and bad about him on different levels.

I also saw Iron Giant and Vin is perfect. (The snowmobile movie - oh yeah, it's called "Triple-X," or "xXx" - was a weak example of his work.) In Pitch Black he plays an anti-hero to the max. I don't think you can go wrong when Vin stars in a movie. Unfortunately, Hollowood might type cast him as an adventure action movie star - wrong! I think the script for "XXX" was weak for which Vin couldn't act down to it.

Anyway, Pitch Black is a great scifi - see it!

-Zafoid