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about all this movie needed was an alien species a little less generic and a stronger secondary cast. I really like this movie - A LOT. However, I give this movie high marks for what it is and cannot fathom how they got that fantasy hybrid mess of a sequel from this hidden gem. Very strong leads and a compelling main story mixed with a lot of nuance (Johns the druggie, Fry trying to ditch the crew, slight religious over tones. etc). See Pitch Black, skip the god awful sequel. this is Diesels best movie and best character, not to mention a very nice high definition transfer and plenty of extras, hopefully if there is a third movie they go back to the grittiness of what makes this movie shine.8.5/10
The night scenes look great on blu-ray - I noticed no graininess on my TV. The crash at the beginning is one of the best crashes I have ever seen on film. Pitch Black is one of my favorite scary movies. In fact, the entire movie was very sharp and the sound fantastic. The planet they crash-land on has several suns so the filmmakers use overexposure and different colors which really pop on Blu-Ray. Instead of gore the filmmakers use the suspense of the dark night and the characters who don't really trust each other, but must depend on each other to survive (there is a small amount of gore, however). Vin Diesel is the Clint Eastwood of Sci-Fi, a man of few words but a LOT of character. This is still my favorite Vin Diesel film.
I can only recommend the film. The DC of Pitch Black is one of the best films I've ever seen. I've seen the 'normal' version a thousand times by now and I was happy to find all those scenes I haven't known yet. And last not least. there are really great special features.
But when a total solar eclipse occurs, nocturnal alien monsters come up and prey on them.The Good Things*Sound quality is not bad (see below for video quality).*Includes a couple of commentaries, a number of featurettes, some exclusive picture-in-picture features, a visual encyclopedia, and trailers.*Includes both the theatrical and unrated cuts of the movie.*The movie is generally well-made. I found it pretty gaudy, and I think it detracted a lot from the action scenes.The Questionable Things*Video quality is not bad, but in high-definition, the film definitely shows its age. My rating: 3.5 out of 5Premise*A spaceship crashes on a desolate planet which has three different suns. They may be a bit out-dated by today's standards, but are still great to watch.*Production design is pretty good. It has a very original premise with some interesting characters and lots of original special effects. There are some scenes that are really fast-cut or jittery, but most of it is smooth. It's almost too slow for my taste.*As noted above, this movie has some scenes that are fast-cut and chaotic.
There's lots of grain, and some scenes look fuzzy.*The "Riddick: Dark Fury" cartoon is not included (nor is it on the "Chronicles of Riddick" disc). The survivors (including Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted killer) try to find a way off of the planet. The special effects (slick though they are) now look more crude and out-dated. Photography is good.*Includes a lot of good special effects. The locations, settings, creatures, and props are particularly great.*The story is great.*Characters are good, and very well-acted.*Music is okay.The Bad Things*Gets a little slow for the first half of the movie. Most people probably don't care.As a sci-fi horror film, this is generally not bad. This Blu-Ray disc surprisingly makes the film look old, but is still an improvement over the DVD.
I saw this movie when first released on Video and found it too dark at first than again when released on DVD with a better pic and sound and now have it on HD with a clearer picture and sound so if you like Sci Fi movies recommended four out of five.
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