In what could be considered a very short career by some, writer/director David Twohy has made quite a mark on the science fiction film landscape. We can forgive his earlier efforts as the writer of “Critters 2: The Main Course” and “Warlock” because he bounced back with the underappreciated “The Arrival”, “Pitch Black”, and “Below.” It is the second of those films, though that eventually put Twohy’s name on the map. When “Pitch Black” first came out, it initially did little at the box office, but it had staying power and in the end turned out to be quite the sleeper hit. Video and DVD only helped to enhance the cult status of the film. Besides having a better than average storyline, “Pitch Black” also served as a stepping stone that lifted actor Vin Diesel into stratospheric superstardom. Though it was a short-lived ride littered with more than a misstep or two, his career was far from over. He and Twohy decided to cash in on the popularity of the character he played in “Pitch Black.”

His name was Riddick, and all we ever learned about him was that he was a criminal, on the run, and one mean mother.

Twohy’s plan was to make two more films about Riddick, turning the characters motion picture history into a trilogy. The first, “The Chronicles of Riddick”, hit theatres earlier this year, and took his story back up about 5 years after the events of “Pitch Black.” Riddick is still a wanted man, and after escaping some bounty hunters, he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a war. On one side, we have the Necromongers, headed up a by the evidently quite insane Lord Marshall (Colm Feore). It is their goal to bring down the Elementals, whose leader Aereon (Judi Dench) convinces Riddick to join her side. As you might guess, the fate of the planet rests solely in the hands of Riddick.

Where Twohy was able to make “Pitch Black” look far more expensive that its rather modest budget, “The Chronicles of Riddick” actually had a huge budget. And from the looks of it, Twohy knew just where to direct most of it. The special effects in this movie are mind-blowing, as is the overall production design. Everything about the film is huge. The sets… the action… everything. It is a completely different movie that the first, which I think was a good choice. No one wants to see a re-hash of the same movie over and over again.

Now that “The Chronicles of Riddick” has run its course in theatres, Universal is releasing a couple of different versions out on DVD this week. You have your choice of the theatrical cut or an Unrated Director’s Cut. For my money, I say go for the Unrated version. It runs about 15 minutes longer, and I have to admit the scenes that were put back in make it a better movie. There are some previously unanswered questions that now make sense, and some of the fight sequences are just that much more intense.

Of course, what’s a DVD release of any film if it doesn’t have extra features? Well, “The Chronicles of Riddick” has them in spades. There is a better than average commentary by Twohy, who is joined by actors Alexa Davalos and Karl Urban. The latter two are not actually in the studio with Twohy, but rather they literally phone in their comments. Oddly enough, it works out rather well, and the commentary rarely suffers from extended periods of silence.

The Unrated version also includes three deleted scenes, none of which are especially interesting, though I still suggest checking them out. A lot of the rest of the features are rather unusual, such as Riddick’s World, which allows you to take a 360 degree tour of some of the sets used in the movie. There is also a Virtual Guide to Riddick’s World that gives the viewer more details about the film’s planet, inhabitants and the like. You’ll also find a rather short featurette on some of the digital effects used in the movie.

There is also a Chase Log by the Bounty Hunter Toombs, which gives a lot of detail about the time he spent hunting Riddick, as well as a Text Commentary feature that shows the viewer information about the movie ‘pop-up’ video style. I’ve been seeing this feature on more and more DVDs and I usually find it to be quite enjoyable. Finally, game fanatics can play the first level of “The Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Butcher Bay” by putting he disc into their Xbox.

While I didn’t get into “The Chronicles of Riddick”, as much as I did “Pitch Black”, I was still blown away by the scope of the film. Twohy is an incredible underrated writer and director and I’m looking forward to any and all of his future projects.

Directed by: David Twohy
Starring: Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, Judi Dench,
Extras: Audio Commentary by Director David Twohy, and actors Alexa Davalos and Karl Urban, Deleted Scenes, Riddick’s World, Virtual Guide to The Chronicles of Riddick, Toom’s Chase Log, Riddick Insider Facts on Demand, Demo for the Xbox Game - The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 11/16/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
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We'll give The Chronicles of Riddick a B-.