Saw the new one last night. An improvement over Riddick’s visit to the Necromancers, but not as good as his first adventure on the Pitch Dark planet. Lots of neat creatures, bad dudes, high tech, and some spectacular (if desolate and dreary) planetary landscapes.

My major complaint: the combat sequences are not very believable, almost cartoonish in their implausibility. Hollywood needs to understand that unless you’re not sure your hero will survive a battle, its not going to be exciting to watch. If he’s scared shitless, so is the audience. Choreographed action is no substitute for the audience’s genuine concern for the character’s survival, and you’re not going to really celebrate or even believe his victory unless it is a genuine surprise and a relief.

Diesel has the Riddick character down pat by now; a bit over-the-top stoic, but that’s how we like him, eh? Still, Vin is a good actor, he can handle more challenging material. Well, maybe next time. A part of the franchise showcasing his talent could break out of the mere action mode and perhaps venture into the Alien(s) level. The rest of the cast, the usual gang of overmuscled mercs and bounty hunters, is sufficiently nasty and/or heroic. Katee Sackoff of Galactica Starbuck fame provides ample babe factor, although alas, she is not utilized to her full potential.

B-.