Director: David Twohy, US, 115min
Stars: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, Thandie Newton, Karl Urban
On general release
Diesel’s spectacular franchise, launched in the wake of the decent alien thriller Pitch Black, turns out to be a horrible mess. There was clearly half a mind here to cash in on the geek frenzy that followed The Lord of the Rings trilogy; a valid enough mission given its healthy returns. The trouble is, it seems to have been written by half a mind as well.
As far as can be divined from this blather of CGI planetscapes, Diesel’s gruff, unintelligible machismo and a set of tongue-trembling sobriquets that even George Lucas would laugh at, the dastardly horde of Necromongers are on the march. As they conquer innocent planets with their S&M aesthetic and terrifying haircuts, only the equally intemperate antihero Riddick (Diesel) stands in their way. Sometimes to defeat evil it takes evil, although no one explains quite why.
According to the hype, this is a blend of science and mythology in the vein of Dune or Battlefield Earth. Hence it is more interested in a load of mystical nonsense about fulfilling one’s elusive destiny, rather than simple, pulpy thrills. There is some wonderfully striking art direction and a punky disrespect for the clean-cut heroics of tradition, but the performances are as delirious as the plot. Dench, as an incorporeal Elemental with the unenviable burden of having to explain what is going on, looks as though she wishes Scotty would beam her up.
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Ian Nathan