Tracing the history of the Riddick franchise makes for fascinating reading, and it may not be hyperbolic to suggest that the only reason the sci-fi saga remains alive and kicking today is because star and producer Vin Diesel owns the rights.
After all, B-tier gem Pitch Black featured the goggle-wearing cosmic convict in a supporting capacity, which somehow caused Diesel and director David Twohy to fundamentally misunderstand the character’s appeal and position him as the focal point of a $120 million space opera for the ambitious sequel.
Needless to say, The Chronicles of Riddick flopped hard, but the Fast & Furious figurehead’s perseverance paid off when a threequel finally emerged into the spotlight nine years later. Returning to its roots was definitely the smartest call, with Riddick returning the stuttering property to some semblance of critical and commercial glory.
That being said, it does boast one of the worst screenplays you’ll ever hear spoken out loud in the sci-fi genre, but it would appear that’s simply part of the charm. A Reddit thread remarking on the boneheaded dialogue that defines the film from beginning to end quickly evolved into an all-out celebration of its status as brutal, bloody, R-rated, dumb fun.
If you ignore talk of unicorn’s asses and the unsettling obsession with Katee Sackhoff’s various physical attributes, it’s a stellar threequel that does exactly what a Riddick project should do. Let’s hope Diesel doesn’t get carried away again now that fourth installment Furya is officially in the works, because its immediate predecessor should be the number one source of inspiration.
Published: May 9, 2023 02:55 am