Hey folks, Harry here... And I'm not about going to hide my love for this little treasure. I just got back from my fourth viewing of the film, and man... It still gets me giddy and quoting afterwards. Now I'm not saying it's the greatest film ever or the best anything... It's just badas! The audience I saw it with in Austin tonight really seemed to have a lot of fun with the film. After several lines there was very much a vocal approval of the line delivery. There was that uncomfortable whine sound from the audience as Vin Diesel does several things. Remember, while not wholly original... this is just a very fun movie for people that want to have fun at a theater. Enjoy the film and Segue Zagnut's review...
Head Geek-
Pitch Black opens Friday nationwide. I knew after the first set of reviews were so favorable that a small contingent of internet neysayers would loudly try to crap on it. It seems to happen with every movie. So I felt that my review might best be suited now. A few days before it opens to remind people not to miss it.
Pitch Black is pure entertainment. Nothing more... but absolutely nothing less. It moves. From the opening crash landing on the two sun planet to the inevitable escape, the action doesn't let up.
The story is simple. After their ship crash lands on an unusual planet and is destroyed, the survivors find a deserted and badly damaged living compound. Searching around, it doesn't take them long to figure out that an eclipse will soon bring the night... and that they will not survive the night if they stay. Quickly the objective is to get off the planet at all costs. So the surviving characters are down to several crew members lead by Radha Mitchell and an escaped murderer played by Vin Diesel. Together they have to survive the planet to escape on an abandon ship miles away from the compound.
The opening crash landing is intense and non-stop. The SFX make this quite a scene. Much like the airplane crash that opened Alive years back, it draws you in immediately.
Vin Diesel is irresistibly bad ass. He plays a prisoner being transfered from one prison to another, who gets free during the crash landing. His charisma drives the understated performance and it holds you even through we've seen this cliche before. At least cliche is how it sounds, but the writers took the time to write an interesting subplot of self worth and personal redemption that holds the film together without being preachy or bogging the action down.
Radha Mitchell is excellent. She slams the typically man role and there is no question why she is in charge. She's smart, a fighter and a strong leader. Did I mention that she is very hot. She is also the moral compass that drives the emotional arch of the film. The chemistry between Vin and Radha is vital because we have to believe it for the arch to work.
The film looks beautiful. The two sun sky line and the choice of landscape colors makes the planet real. This is what another plant should look like. It is filmed over exposed and a little grainy. The planet is dirty and barren yet it all has a crisp reality feel to it.
Then the dark comes. Half way through it hits pitch black and the fun really begins. The monsters are great, the characters are fun, and the roller coaster tension builds well with each death.
This is not rocket science. We have seen many of this before. Aliens, Alien, and Jurassic Park are all obvious influences. Nothing in it is too deep or clever. But they don't need to reinvent the wheel to build a great car. They don't have to reinvent the set-up to make a great movie. This is a solid entertaining action Sci-fi ride that is well worth my $9 bucks.
Consider This.. Segue Zagnut
