Review: Dark Fury

Vin Diesel            as Richard B. Riddick
Rhiana Griffith    as Jack
Keith David         as Imam Abu al-Walid
Roger L. Jackson as Junner

as well as others

Question:  Are you a fan of the Riddick universe timeline?  Well if so then you are painfully aware that there is a a hole big enough to walk through in the Riddick universe time - line.

Right after Pitch Black is The Chronicles of Riddick which leaves a five year span of time that The Chronicles of Riddick makes no attempt at back filling.  To that end  Dark Fury (a straight to dvd, animated feature) attempts to fill in the first part of the five year lapse.

Accompanying Riddick  is the Imam and 'Jack'.

Without giving away too much, Riddick is taken prisoner by another mercenary / bounty hunter spacecraft.  The bounty hunter plans on freezing Riddick and turning him in for a sizable bounty.   Riddick of course has different ideas. 

I could elaborate but I risk giving away way to much of the plot.  I will say for an animated feature the plot line is damn  good.  I think that if you are looking for a good plot, well acted voice work (Vin is an accomplished voice actor) and excellent 3d animation and art, then you will not be disappointed with Dark Fury.

Unfortunately Dark Fury is tightly targeted to it's audience.  If you are not familiar with the Riddick universe or a Riddick, the chances are good that you will find the film a bit on the confusing side.  But if you are a fan, you will surely have a fun time.

It is for these reservations that I can only give the film a 7.  Fans will love it but a Riddick noob will be left a bit cold.

review: Riddick

 Vin Diesel as Riddick -  Matthew Nable as Boss Johns -  Jordi Mollà as Santana  -  Katee Sackhoff as Dahl -
Dave Batista as Diaz -  Bokeem Woodbine as Moss  -  Raoul Trujillo as Lockspur  -   Conrad Pla as Vargas  -  Nolan Gerard Funk as Luna
Danny Blanco Hall as Falco  -  Noah Danby as Nuñez  -  Neil Napier as Rubio
Karl Urban as Siberius Vaako  -  Alex Branson as Lex Branman  -  Andreas Apergis as Krone 

Starring in his third movie as Riddick the last of a race called Furyan.  After the best part of a decade as the Lord Marshall of the Necromongers - Riddick has become restless.  In an attempt to bow out of the position, Riddick makes a deal with his commander Vaako, who professes to know the location of Furya, that for a ship and a crew to make him home, he will abdicate.

So things being what they will, Riddick once again is stranded on a planet and almost dead.

But given enough time Riddick recuperates and finds a way to signal passing ships for a rescue.   But what he gets is Mercs and bounty hunters who get a bonus if he is brought back dead.


Now it's Riddick's  job to keep from dying  and that there are things worse than him to fear on this planet.

And so, how did I like the third installment?  Well most of the action happens at night...check...it's raining.....check, there are mindless eating machines for animals attacking from all sides.....check.  That was when the movie really took off right?  Yeah?  You know I am talking about the fist movie don't you?  Yeah a bit of a cheap shot, just hope that doesn't start a trend as might the "turbo cycles" OMG WTF I am at a loss what to say about this!  I mean the ridiculous handlebars, a "bitch" seat, I swear I heard one backfire like a Harley with its timing advanced.... and THEY SOUNDED LIKE MOTORCYCLES!!!! Really? Who is this for....who believes that a turbine sounds like and backfires like a Harley....first off...there are NO cylinders or spark plugs in a turbine! But Vin is going to "Ride it like he stole it!" (groan)  By this time my anime guy and I were throwing things at the tv...

 Look this movie has Katie Ssckhoff  doing an even better job of her   Starbuck persona.  Here she is Dahl and she is bad.  Much more so than the Bionic Woman ever came close to... Matthew Nable  Jordi Mollà  and  Dave Batista are so ON in this movie and Vin is Riddick no holds barred, so taken as a compete body of work it is great fun  and then you hear the Harleys ride in....

For a Riddick movie it is top of the heap....though it is hard to say if it is better than #2  close  but if you are looking for more than an epic macho fairytale in Riddick  - you will be a long time looking.

I would give it a 7, and before you start to scream fraud...Let me explain...They were not lazy on this film.  The photography was good, green screen excellent, CGI seamless (they had to have a puppeteer doing the green suit for the hand raised "dog" just the way Vin interacts is so good you buy right into it)

I would say if you like you SF raw and your a Vin Diesel fan, go ahead and rent it.  If you are neither...walk away, you are not missing anything.