Coming Attractions has the skinny not only on the name of the new Chronicles of Riddick film – which is Dead Man Stalking – but a review of David Twohy’s script as well. First off, count me as one of the ones who’s been waiting for this. Pitch Black ruled and Chronicles was overblown yet watchable lunacy. DMS is said to get back to the heart of the themes introduced in Pitch Black, namely that Riddick has gotten too civilized, that he needs to cut ties, and become the predatory badass he once was if he hopes to survive. We also get a return of some undesirably carnivorous alien baddies: “…when we see Riddick at the beginning of Dead Man Stalking he’s a bloody battered mess, crawling for his life
on the baked floor of an alien world. The predators native to this
planet are circling in and waiting for death to come so they can feed
at Riddick’s corpse — but he won’t let them. Riddick realizes here
that he’s got to let what happened to him in Pitch Black and Chronicles go if he’s to survive the next ten seconds, let alone get off this forsaken pit of hell.”
The article also gives the lowdown on Riddick, post-Lord Marshal-ing his way to head of the Necromonger army. Apparently, he isn’t keen on taking over the role, which leads to assassins coming at him at every turn. So a deal is struck with Vaako (which means that Karl Urban may be making a return. I hope to hell Nick Chinlund does as well) to hand over the big chair, in exchange for a trip to Riddick’s home planet of Furya. The events of Chronicles are referenced and reportedly wrapped up very quickly to get the story for Dead Man Stalking hitting the ground running (or crawling as the case may be).
There are plenty more details in the review, but what it mostly boils down to is that this is: at heart, it’s a return to Pitch Black. Scaled down, more visceral, more death, badder mercs, and best yet: Rated R goodness. Riddick is Diesel’s best character by far, and with the talent of David Twohy behind him, the possibilities for the character are as varied as the worlds in which he visits. I’m really looking forward to the possible return to prominence of this franchise. You can click over to Coming Attractions for the whole rundown.
Thanks to Brian for the tip.
12 comments
As big a fan as I am of Pitch Black, the time has passed for this as a viable franchise. Let it died already Vin…
I wonder what he'll be outrunning in this one!
im excited for it…love both films unabashedly and think CoR could have been great work if it had come from Milius, if he had ANY interest in film anymore
Pretty excited about this.
And while a return to Pitch Black form is what the series needs, I was really kind of interested in seeing Riddick lead an army he didn't really want. I know that doesn't go with his character, but that's why I thought it was interesting. Maybe we can see a "what if" comic mini-series?
I liked the title "Riddick" better. All they need to do is get rid of the negro monster nonsense and keep the space opera tone of the second, thats all. Couldn't stand that fucking religious cult stuff but other than that the comic bookishness applied to riddick's character was perfectly fine to me.
I liked both movies for what they were, and both were entertaining and interesting and, yes i'd like to see more of this character. Tho I liked the monster-movie first one best, the second took a character we liked and put him in another setting. It's easily the best things Vin has done, so sure—take us on another adventure. It's all just fun,folks, so ride with it, don't be so analytical about it and just enjoy some sci fi fun! Geez, loosen up..
I'm kinda disgusted with this approach. Chronicles of Riddick, while fairly disappointing on all levels (mostly because the script seemed like a rough draft rather than a polished final version and most of the special effects looked painfully cheap), pretty much got interesting at the very end and actually made me interested in and excited for a continuation of the story. I was picturing a journey into and through the Underverse – which I imagined was something like a mix between the Greek underworld and the Christian Hell, which has all kinds of potential for coolness – in a story that was epic with a scaled down cast that was a return to Pitch Black form, with Diesel, Urban, possibly Chinlund, and a handful of Necromonger grunts (who would be the equivalent of Star Trek redshirts) battling their way through a nightmare landscape to retrieve Kyra. You could sign me up for that shit all day long. But to just dismiss all that happened in Chronicles of Riddick by wrapping it up in 10-15 minutes just so we can move on to a new Riddick story? That's horseshit. I would have preferred to see them, if they weren't going to do that in a big budget movie, find a way to tell that story in a direct-to-video animated feature. THEN they could move on to whatever Riddick adventure they wanted to tackle to keep milking the character. But this… Riddick makes a deal to abdicate the throne in exchange for a ride to Furya? What the fuck?! He's the goddamn Lord Marshal of this army; assuming the majority follow their own laws, wouldn't they pretty much have to do whatever he says? Sure, he'd have to deal with assassination attempts, but he's still in charge. Unless every Necromonger out there suddenly decides their whole culture, beliefs, and system of law is total bullshit. That's just shitty writing.
I'm torn. I love the franchise returning to its roots, but at the same time I'd love to see Riddick pulling some King Conan shit, destroying civilizations with his own army.
David, count me as yet another who has been waiting for this too!
Having just played Dark Athena on PS3, I'm pretty excited for this flick. Riddick is a truly great character and Diesel's charm made Chronicles watchable. All the merc stuff and the escape from Crematoria was brilliant, totally saving that movie. I'm glad that they're going back to the Pitch Black style – it makes total sense, I just hope that more threads from Chronicles weave in. Chinlund needs to return!
i am happy that there is going to be a new movie i mean the way the last one ended people had to know there was going to be another and i want to see what riddick is doing now
I wish they had made escape from butcher bay, a prequal to Pitch black…show us were RIDICK and Johns came from this would improve the feeling from pitch black and make the story deeper, chronicles was laughable RIDDICK didn't belong in that world at all but i watched because i enjoy RIDDICK the character…guess this will have to do.
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