Review by Leonard Norwitz
Studio:
Theatrical: Radar Pictures / One Race Films
Blu-ray: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Disc:
Region: All
Runtime: 119 min
Chapters: 28
Size: 50 GB
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
Release date: March 31, 2009
Video:
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p
Video codec: VC-1
Audio:
English DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1; Spanish & French DTS 5.1
(on Theatrical Cut only).
Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish & French
Extras:
• Theatrical & Director's cuts
• An Introduction by David Twohy (0:45)
• Commentary with Writer/Director David Twohy and Actors
Karl Urban & Alexa Davalo
• Deleted Scenes with Commentary by David Twohy (14:06)
• Virtual Guide to Chronicles of Riddick (7:40)
• Toombs' Chase Log (9:56)
• Creation of New Mecca (11:12)
• Riddick Rises (13:26)
• Keep What You Kill (17:30)
• U-Control Picture-in-Picture: cast & crew interviews
• U-Control: Complete Chronicles
• U-Control: Chronicles Compendium
• U-Control: Anatomy of a Fight
• BD-Live 2.0
The Film:
4
Continuing Universal's voyage through their HD-DVD catalogue
for re-release and upgrade where possible onto Blu-ray comes
the two big Riddick adventures from the same writer/director
thus far: the first, Pitch Black, dating from 2000, and The
Chronicles of Riddick from 2004. They are getting a
simultaneous release for March 31. I might mention that Dark
Fury, a related animated short film, does not appear on
either Blu-ray release.
The sequel to Pitch Black clearly identifies Riddick as the
antihero of his time. It is now five years later and he
remains a hunted man, though for the most part his
whereabouts have remained secret until lately. He separated
himself from the survivors of the first movie, most
disturbingly from Jackie, whom we later learn is imprisoned
in the same facility as Riddick was being taken to in the
first movie. The Chronicles of Riddick eventually gets
around to Riddick's coming to terms about Jackie and his
attempt to break her out of that prison.
But long before that, and in what we are led to expect will
be the main thrust of the movie, Riddick, one of the last of
a race of Furions, finds himself in the middle of a galactic
war in which hordes of Necromongers are taking over the
planets and enslaving the populations – more like absorbing
them in much the same way as the Borg, but with not nearly
the intelligence or organic control. What the Necromongers
have going for them is a relentless and very effective army
and a leader that has visited the Underverse and lived to
tell about it. Riddick confronts the head honcho in a style
reminiscent of Errol Flynn's Robin Hood – without the deer.
They both have the requisite sneer, though Diesel lacks just
about everything else.
Compared to Pitch Black we can see where the sequel's much
larger budget went: spectacular sets, fanciful costumes, an
A-list star (Judi Dench) and one that should be (Thandie
Newton ), and more pulse-pounding, more credible – if I may
be permitted such use a term – set pieces. Even so, I find
the first movie much the more satisfying, partly because it
doesn't take itself as seriously, partly because the story
maintains focus.
Image:
9/9
The first number indicates a relative level of excellence
compared to other Blu-ray video discs on a ten-point scale.
The second number places this image along the full range of
DVD and Blu-ray discs.
Bathed in deep blues and high intensity golds, The
Chronicles of Riddick is nothing if not awesome looking. Let
me rephrase that: The Chronicles of Riddick is nothing if
not awesome looking, and sounding. The image is clean,
artifact-free, boldly black and unabashedly brilliant by
turns. If only there was a movie to go with it.
Audio & Music:
9/7
Punchy, bass-laden, crunching dynamics, clear dialogue,
music melded perfectly into the effects, immersive
surrounds. The escape from the prison is a ride worth
taking. There is some serious soundscape management here –
boosted in effect by the DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 mix. Crank
it up. Knock yourself out.
Operations:
8
The menu is laid out like other Universal Blu-rays. Arrows
tell you which way to direct your remote, and the bonus
feature instructions are detailed and intuitive. The chapter
menu includes buttons for U-Control in case you want to
approach those functions from that point. And, there are the
usual number of U-Control opportunities to invite, delight
and confuse.
Extras:
6
The audio commentary is the same as of old – no need to
revisit, restore or record anew. And even though similarly
expressed as the Extra Features on Pitch Black Blu-ray, the
featurettes come across somewhat better – both in terms of
content and visuals. Those that appeared in previous video
formats in 480p, including the items new to the HD-DVD
(Creation of New Mecca, Riddick Rises, and Keep What You
Kill ) are here again in the same format. What's new are the
U-Control items: Complete Chronicles (lots of trivia about
Riddick's universe) and Anatomy of a Fight (images, graphics
and text that tell the story behind the story.)
Bottom line:
6
With the bump to lossless audio and U-Control, this is the
total video experience that fans have been waiting for.
Leonard Norwitz
March 14th, 2009