Pitch Black (2000)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

David Twohy

Writers (WGA):

Jim Wheat (story) &
Ken Wheat (story) ...

Release Date:

18 February 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Fight Evil With Evil

Plot:

A group of marooned space travelers struggle for survival on a seemingly lifeless sun-scorched world.

Plot Keywords:

Darkness | Space | Eclipse | Bounty Hunter | Criminal

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Vin Diesel	...	Richard B. Riddick
Radha Mitchell	...	Carolyn Fry
Cole Hauser	...	William J. Johns
Keith David	...	Abu 'Imam' al-Walid
Lewis Fitz-Gerald	...	Paris P. Ogilvie
Claudia Black	...	Sharon 'Shazza' Montgomery
Rhiana Griffith	...	Jack / Jackie
John Moore	...	John 'Zeke' Ezekiel
Simon Burke	...	Greg Owens
Les Chantery	...	Suleiman
Sam Sari	...	Hassan
Firass Dirani	...	Ali
Ric Anderson	...	Total Stranger
Vic Wilson	...	Captain Tom Mitchell
Angela Moore	...	Dead Crew Member

Also Known As:

Nightfall (USA) (working title)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black (USA) (DVD box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence and gore, and for language.

Runtime:

109 min | USA:112 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (director's cut) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | USA:Unrated (director's cut) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Queensland, Australia

Company:

Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Trivia:

When the crew is brought out of stasis by the computer, the shot of 'Simon Burke', being ejected from the stasis chamber is actually a shot of Cole Hauser being "kicked" from the chamber. There was no shot of the character Owens being "kicked" from the chamber. This can be seen in slow motion.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Carolyn first addresses Imam, she quite obviously pronounces his name "ell-mom," as though the capital I in his title were a lower-case L.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Riddick: [voiceover] They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo-sleep. All but the primitive side, the animal side. No wonder I'm still awake. Transporting me with civilians. Sounded like 40, 40-plus. Heard an Arab voice. Some hoodoo holy man, probably on his way to New Mecca. But what route? What route? I smelt a woman. Sweat, boots, tool belt, leather. Prospector type. Free settlers. And they only take the back roads. And here's my real problem. Mr. Johns...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gears of War (2006) (VG)

Amazing, one of the best sci-fi films ever.

As a zombie fan, I really love these types of plots where people end up in strange places surrounded by wicked monsters! PB is also an excellent tie-in to Chronicles of Riddick (COR). The gang has to run as fast as they can away from darkness. There are so many metaphors in the story! Riddick is this bad guy, but he's also the hero who tries to save the slow-paced folks. The Muslim guy, Imam, relies on the sun's positions for the five times a day prayers, but he is stuck in a land where darkness will rule. Overall, I recommend this film to any sci-fi fans. You won't be disappointed.