Subject: Review: Pitch Black (2000)

From: [email-masked] (Frankie Paiva)
Date: 29 Feb 2000 05:16:45 GMT

Pitch Black

rated R
108 minutes
USA Films
starring Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser, Keith David, and Rhiana
Griffith
written by Ken Wheat
from a story by Jim Wheat
directed by David N. Twohy

The entire science fiction genre has been beaten to death again and again and
again. There's nowhere to go with this type of movie, except head into the
direction of The Matrix, one of the few movies that has breathed life into this
flailing category for many years. However, some recent films made too early to
be influenced by The Matrix are still sticking to the formula. Witness the
disaster that was Supernova. But when a film like Pitch Black comes along, that
has just enough (and for this type of movie that's barely a drop) of
originality to fuel it off the ground it makes you feel that sometimes, just
rarely, they can get it right. They've obviously been paying attention to the
movies of the past. While this still does feel like yet another version of
Alien (how can a sci-fi movie today not try to be?) it manages to break free
from the mold.

Fry (Mitchell) is forced to crash land a spaceship on a deserted planet. Almost
everyone on the passenger ship dies, but some are awakened from cryogenic
slumber. These handful set foot on a desert-like planet which they later
discover has three different suns. They also discover an alarmingly high amount
of bodies hidden in the basement of a sealed building. When one of the
passengers is attacked by something hidden beneath the planet's surface they
fear the worst. Especially when they find out that a triple eclipse in going to
occur, spreading the planet with "pitch black" darkness.

Strange, bony, and silver evil bat-like things come crawling, swooping, and
lurking in the night to feed on human blood. They have one weakness, light
makes their skin dissolve. There are other dangers as well. The film's most fun
twist is the extremely muscular Riddick (An awesome Diesel, who looks to be one
of our major upcoming actors) he was a murderer imprisoned on the ship, and now
he's free to join the group of survivors. He shaves his head with a huge knife
and plays mind games with some of the crew. He also possesses a special talent
which will aid to the group's survival. Fry and Riddick take command to try and
save themselves and others from the monsters. Should Riddick be trusted? Is he
just trying to save himself? Is he more dangerous than what's attacking them?
These questions keep the film alive for it's second half.

There are several ideas in this movie that I found very interesting. The first
had to be the beginning of the film which was shot obviously by hand and is
very jerky, making the process of the crash more exciting. The second must go
to the idea of placing different color filters on the camera while each
different sun on the planet is up. In the first thirty minutes or so, we are
treated to the entire movie in an orange tint or a blue one. Kudos to the
casting director as well, Vin Diesel is perfectly cast, as is Radha Mitchell.

Though well cast, the acting is what you would expect for a sci-fi movie. There
isn't much Oscar stuff here, but Diesel gives it a surprising amount of effort.
The bad acting isn't entirely the actor's fault though. Of the ten remaining
people on the planet, we only get to know about three of them. The amazingly
underdeveloped other seven characters we never really know anything about, and
that makes us care less about who makes a stupid mistake, and is eaten to death
by the creatures of the night. This greatly impairs the building of tension
that the movie tries so hard for near the end. Speaking of those creatures,
they look pretty cool themselves. While it's rare that we ever get a full on
glance of them (that helps the film keep it's excitement) the brief glimpses we
get to see are pretty cool. Writer's block is apparent in snippets of the film.
There is an awfully slow middle where nothing really happens, and the ending is
kind of abrupt. But it doesn't take away from the entire experience. Obviously
a male film, despite the amazing lack of nudity, and most of the time cleavage.
Of the seventy or so people at my screening no more than five of the attendees
were women. But this picture would be most enjoyable for anyone who's looking
for some cheese. This is one to see in the theaters, as a video experience will
take away much of the mood and atmosphere of the movie. But this is not an epic
film (or an entirely good one), so please, take my advice, go to a matinee.

C

Frankie Paiva
[email-masked]
http://www.homestead.com/CinemaParadise/mainpage.html