RIDDICK (2013)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *cosmological, psychological*

Though I've given this sequel to 2008's CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK the same mythicity rating as the earlier film, RIDDICK is definitely the superior of the two in terms of kinetic thrills. Though I never read/heard any commentary from writer-director David Twohy, I feel sure that the underperformance of CHRONICLES moved Twohy to go back to the original template of PITCH BLACK.

To Twohy's credit, he quickly got rid of the mediocre menace of the Necromongers, which I assume other reviewers liked no better than I did, and had some conspirators abduct Riddick (Vin Diesel), dump him on a savage planet, and inform some mercs as to where the wanted fugitive could be picked up. From then on, the rest of the movie follows Riddick as he battles both the indigenous creatures of the planet and two groups of mercenaries. In the process, Riddick, who fears he's "losing his edge" due to his sojourn in civilization, gets the chance to build on his rep as an "animal" more savage than real animals-- though in point of fact, this dark hero does possess a code unique to him alone.

The two groups of mercenaries provide much of the tension, given that one group, led by Santana (Jordi Molla), is afraid that the other one is trying to seize the bounty on Riddick's head. However, the leader of the second group is Johns (Matt Nable), introduced in the two previous films as a guy with a grudge against Riddick. In this film it's specified that this Johns is the father of the merc who had made Riddick his captive in PITCH BLACK, so he and his crew don't care about the bounty, only about interrogating Riddick. Nevertheless, the two merc-groups still get in each other's way, all of which benefits Riddick.

Twohy attempts to duplicate PITCH BLACK's use of hostile life-forms and a ticking-clock menace, but these secondary menaces aren't compelling, and neither are the mercs, except for Dahl (Katee Sackoff). Dahl, during some violent altercations with a rape-happy Santana, Dahl implies that she may be a lesbian. Riddick nevertheless predicts that he's going to have sex with her, which led me to expect something of a "GOLDFINGER moment." However, though by movie's end Dahl doesn't seem entirely opposed to a hookup, Twohy doesn't take Riddick's prediction to its logical, men's fiction conclusion. 

Overall, RIDDICK proved an okay thriller with a few high points, but nothing special.