Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Universal Studios Home Entertainment – 112 mins – 2000 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 2.35: 1 – DTS-HD Lossless Master 5.1 Audio

When Pitch Black was released in theaters way back in 2000, at first glance it was just considered to be a sci-fi B-movie to showcase up and coming action star Vin Diesel. But favorable reviews from audiences and critics transformed the film into a sleeper hit and the character Riddick gained instant franchise hero status. Pitch Black, once only an HD-DVD exclusive has finally come to Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment, so turn off the lights and prepare a ride into darkness.

THE MOVIE

Pitch Black takes place in the distant future, where a transport ship with an odd ensemble of characters travels in deep space. The most dangerous passenger on board is prisoner named Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel), a criminal who has a rap sheet larger than the galaxy itself. He is being personally escorted by a lawman, (Cole Hauser) who wants him to suffer for everything he’s done.

Uncontrollable circumstances cause the ship to crash land on a lifeless planet, that instantly coverts from being as hot as the sun to the darkest and coldest region of the universe. The survivors quickly learn that they are not alone, because when the planet is cast in darkness, creatures that prey on their blood come out in packs and begin to hunt them down one by one. Now their only chance to make it off this world alive rests in the hands of the man they fear the most, Riddick, who’s eyes have been altered so he can see in complete darkness.

Without a doubt, Pitch Black is the best film Vin Diesel has done. It’s his Terminator and Rambo. Sure he’s playing the same tough guy he plays in every other film, but this is the movie that he tailored that character, and it works. The film itself is just a mixture of other sci-fi movies such as Aliens and Predator, with the element of being in complete darkness being the main hook. Directed and written by David Twohy, Pitch Black is handled with care because it’s his dream project.

The action is executed well, and the fear factor is enough to be effective, without overdoing it. But face it, this is Vin Diesel’s film and being that it was his first big starring role, he put himself into it with guns blazing. A sequel was spawned hoping to continue Riddick’s adventures, but that fell flat. It’s not clear what Riddick’s fate will be on the big screen, but being that the latest Rambo and Die Hard films were successful, Riddick has enough cult status for one more adventure.

VIDEO

With a full 1080p image in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Pitch Black’s photography is superbly highlighted in high definition. Whether it be the scenes on the desert planet that are purposely oversatured to display the intensity of the sun, or the night chase sequences that illustrate rich blacks, this one is a winner for Blu-ray and is the only true way to experience the film.

AUDIO

Offering a DTS-HD lossless Master 5.1 Audio mix, Pitch Black sounds as great as it looks. Hearing Riddick’s deep toned voice over will make your subwoofer vibrate across the floor. Dialogue is crisp and when the action revs up, your surround sound system will get a full workout. If you’ve only owned the standard DVD, this is a perfect upgrade.

EXTRAS

If you’re a fan of this film you may be letdown by the bonus features, which are just carried over from the previous HD-DVD and DVD. After ten years you would think that Universal would have celebrated the film some fresh extras.

There are two sets of audio commentaries, one from director David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser.

The second track looks at the technical aspect of the film with producer Tom Engleman and visual supervisor Peter Chiang.

The Making of Pitch Black is barely five minutes long and plays more like a big commercial than a true making of.

The Game is On is a basic promo for the videogame based on the Riddick character.

Via Universal’s U-Control you can access Picture-in-Picture behind the scenes footage in Pitch Black Raw, as well a John’s Chase Log, which details Cole Hauser’s character hunt for Riddick.

The Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia looks at the world of our anti-hero ventures through and acts as a set up for the sequel.

BOTTOM LINE

Pitch Black still holds up after a decade, and seeing this on Blu-ray with excellent picture and sound ups the ante. It would have been great if additional retrospective bonus features were included, because the stuff ported from the DVD is very dated. Overall if you’re a fan of this movie, this is more than just an upgrade, it’s a must buy.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 4.0

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 4.0