MPAA: PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violent Action and some Language.
Country: USA
Language: English
Distributor: Universal
Color: Color
Certification: USA:R (original rating) /USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating)

Plot Summary

In normal times, evil should be fought by good. But in times like this, well, it should be fought by another kind of evil. --- Aereon

The further adventures of Riddick (Vin Diesel) continue five years later, as the escaped convict with the ability to see in the dark finds himself caught in the middle of a galactic war between two opposing forces, with the key figure being the Lord Marshal (Colm Feore), the leader of a sect called the Necromongers waging the "10th Crusade" in the 26th century. Helping Riddick is Aereon (Judi Dench), the Ambassador of the "Elemental" race, who helps Riddick unearth the secrets of his origin and Kyra (Alexa Davalos), who has grown up since Riddick knew her as a preteen girl in the first movie. Attempting to free himself and Kyra from a subterranean prison, Riddick ends up on board the Necromonger flagship, where he gets his chance to face off against the Lord Marshal in a battle over the future of all beings in the galaxy, both living... and dead.

Personal Review

WARNING: Spoilers Included!!! Intended for those who have already seen the movie!

Rating (on a 10.0 scale): 5.5

Unlike most people, I think that Vin Diesel is actually a decent actor. So when I heard about Chronicles, I was excitedly looking forward to the movie. Unfortunately, I was thoroughly disappointed to find a movie with such terrible use of characters, thin plot, and terrible attention to detail.

  1. Why include an entire race and show us one being from that race? If the Elementals were that important, why didn't we see more of them? And why did Kyra have to die? I mean what a waste of a good sex scene in the next movie!

  2. I will admit, I kind of liked the Necromongers. The gunmetal shine of their armour, the blaring scars on their necks, and way their fighters connected to the mothership, kept me entertained. But the plot was much weaker than expected. Probably from the inclusion of the elemental Aereon. Something, anything could have been done to remedy Aereon. Just a bad move on the writer's part, if you ask me.

  3. This may just be a huge thing for me, but how come the air is cool enough to breathe when a 700+ degree radiation storm is passing by? Just wondering...

I must say my favorite part had to be when Riddick finds out that most Furions (his race of people) have been forced to become Necromongers. The Purifier (a Furion) tells Riddick of this, slowly taking off his Necromonger jewelry, then encourages Riddick to go and defeat the Lord Marshal. After the request, the Purifier promptly commits suicide by walking out into the 700+ radiation storm on Cremetoria. As he walks away, you can actually see the different layers of flesh melt away until only his skeleton remains.


Production Credits

Directed by:
David Twohy

Writing credits (WGA):
Jim Wheat (characters)&
Ken Wheat (characters)
David Twohy (written by)

Cast (in credits order) complete:
Vin Diesel .... Riddick
Colm Feore .... Lord Marshal
Thandie Newton .... Dame Vaako
Judi Dench .... Aereon
Karl Urban .... Vaako
Alexa Davalos .... Kyra
Linus Roache .... Purifier
Yorick van Wageningen .... The Guv
Nick Chinlund .... Toombs
Keith David .... Imam
Mark Gibbon .... Irgun
Roger R. Cross .... Toal
Christina Cox .... Eve Logan

Produced by:
Vin Diesel .... producer
Ted Field .... executive producer
Scott Kroopf .... producer
David Womark .... executive producer
George Zakk .... executive producer

Original Music by:
Graeme Revell

Cinematography by:
Hugh Johnson

Film Editing by:
Tracy Adams
Martin Hunter
Dennis Virkler


Thanks to:

www.imdb.com

www.movies.yahoo.com

www.suntimes.com

I'm going to discuss movie endings here, people. Beware!

There are many homages in this movie to the various flavors of advanced-evolution, dark-future-of-humanity science fiction. I leave it to the audience to decide if these are an improved amalgam of a futurist vision, or a rip-off of many others' ideas with the assumption that the majority of the audience will not recognize or care. Whichever your opinion, it was quite stylish. Pretty.

I will cite my favorite example, and the most obvious "borrowed" storytelling element in this movie, the climactic end knife-fight scene. In it, Riddick engages in mortal hand-to-hand combat against his arch enemy, the Lord Marshal, while members of both combatants' entourage look onward in a circle in a royal chamber. Some impressive combat ensues, and after all is over, Riddick dispatches his enemy with a gruesome knife wound through the top of the head, thereby becoming the master of the Necromongers and one of the most powerful people in the known universe.

Sound familiar? It should!

I was immediately reminded of final scene from both David Lynch's 1984 version of the Frank Herbert book Dune, as well as the (imminently superior) 2000 Dune Miniseries by John Harrison. In it, Paul Atredies faces off against his cousin and arch enemy, Feyd Rautha. Some impressive combat (may your blade chip and shatter) ensues, while members of both combatants' entourage look onward in a circle in a royal chamber. After all is over, Muad'Dib dispatches his enemy with a gruesome knife wound through the bottom of the head. This thereby removes his only competition for recognition as the Kwisatz Haderach and becomes the most powerful person in the known universe.

As I said, I did have fun with this movie. But I'd have felt better if I'd seen it at the matinee.

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