Customer Reviews

Riddick Trilogy (Pitch Black / The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury / The Chronicles of Riddick)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Here are the unrated versions of all of the Riddick tales. We get Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, a short animated film. But will all of the movies and all of the extras, we are still missing the half-hour promotion feature where we see Riddick's past. Originally he was a government assassin who was trained a bit too well. When the government was done with him they tried to eliminate him. Riddick survived and trumped up charges were invented sending him on the run. But that original story is missing from this collection.

Pitch Black. Riddick is one of a handful of survivors who crash on a bright and arid world. But once in a while, the three suns are completely blocked and true darkness covers the land. It is in this darkness that the remaining life on the planet comes out of hiding and goes hunting. Riddick must fight the dark, hold tr group together, and somehow escape the planet.

Dark Fury. Having escaped at the end of the first movie, Riddick and company are picked up by a bounty hunter who has a different idea of what to do with dangerous men. Now Riddick is faced with killers, monsters, and a captain who seems to worship the skill of killing and survival. This film is short and animated but uses the voices of actors from the other movies.

The Chronicles of Riddick. Here old acquaintances try to enlist Riddick's help in stopping a force known as the Necromongers. It is their sworn duty to purge the flawed life of our universe so that they can be born in perfection in the underverse. This time Riddick is faced with his past, unstoppable armies, weapons of mass destruction and possibly the fate of the whole world.

A nice collection of some interesting films. Packed in a nice small package this is not just a bundle but an original collection. Plenty of action and tough guys for any appetite. See the full range of the Richard P. Riddick stories from the starkness of Pitch Black to the visually overwhelming Chronicles of Riddick. Check it out.

I'm a huge sci-fi fan and was interested in the Riddick movies upon seeing them. I told myself that I wouldn't buy any of them unless they came out all together in a box set. Well, here it is for $14 (WalMart) I couldn't go wrong. All three movies on two discs. If you're hardcore about these movies you might want to stick with the original single DVDs because I think they have DTS and animated menus. The Pitch Black movie on this collection didn't even have scene select, but the chapter button did work, so you can skip during the movie, you just can't select a spot ahead of time.

Anyway, Pitch Black and TCOR are Unrated, but I didn't really notice too much in the 3 extra minutes of Pitch Black. I noticed some, but nothing really substantial that changes the movie's overall tone at all. I was satisfied with The Tremors Attack Pack Franchise Collection even if it was a little condensed in some areas, so naturally I was pleased with this collection and its price. I recommend this series to all sci-fi fans looking for a good old fashioned epic series.

Having already owned the three Riddick films on dvd, I stumbled upon this collection and discovered that it contained all three films in a nifty bundle. So instead of having all three films in separate dvd cases, you get them all in one with this here. I went ahead & purchased this and sold the three separate Riddick films that I had prior. Afterall, what have I got to lose?

Granted there are some missing effects from the menu screens (noticeably on COR) the movies themselves are all kept intact in high quality as seen in their originals (which is excellent), along with the full director's cut versions of both PB and CoR. Some may be wondering why PB & Dark Fury are on the same disc this time around. Well for one, Dark Fury's a short enough movie to fit onto the same disc as PB without sacrificing much of anything, it's actually better this way. Now you won't have to switch inbetween disc to watch (granted you already owned both PB & DF prior, if not, please excuse this). Afterall, PB and DF interlace with each other. It would only make sense for them both to be on the same disc. You definitely get alot for this collection's small retail price. You're getting three films which could run you at $30.00+, for under twenty bucks. 400+ minutes of nonstop sci-fi action.

All in all, to those of whom already own all three films, there really isn't anything new here to see with the exception of the gnarly dvd packaging, along with the films being in a single dvd case on two discs (no new features that weren't already found in the originals) as opposed to three. However, to those who don't already own the Riddick films (or to those who simply owned the prior films on vhs), now's your chance to PICK THIS UP! The price alone justifies the purchase, and this collection serves as a great intermission into the Riddick universe.

I already owned the Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick DVDs and was looking to purchase Dark Fury to complete my collection. Instead of buying Dark Fury I thought I would buy this set and sell my other 2 DVD's. However, after puchasing the set I noticed that all 3 movies were condensed onto 2 discs, eliminating the DTS soundtrack, interactive menus as well as a few special features found on my original DVD's. I couldn't find much info on this prior to my purchase so I'm posting this for people in a similar situation. It's a good purchase for bargain hunters though.

Buy this CD for "Pitch Black" and (especially) "The Chronicles of Riddick". "Dark Fury" is an animation piece which I won't comment on.

"Pitch Black" uses the standard SF plot of crash-survivors battling for their lives against hostile alien life forms. Vin Diesel, as a convict and murderer, adds another dimension to the story though. The production also adds some fresh twists and great effects. This is VERY good stuff despite the familiar theme.

The gem in this collection is "The Chronicles of Riddick". This is imaginative 'space opera' at its finest. The production is lavish with detailed and overwhelming sets of mysterious deities. The dark plot is driven by otherworldly religious fanaticism, ugly politics, human greed and Riddicks revenge. There's lots of action here but thought provoking grist as well. The movie stands out as some of the very best SF ever made.

Both movies are the Directors Cuts and are burned on a separate disk. Each movie has Special Features/Bonus Material, including director's and actors' comments. Don't pass this DVD up. It's well worth the money.

For those who want the bottom line first, the Directors cut has a good amount of extra footage and some actual changes to the movie dialogue, some are good, some I don't like. Overall I prefer the theatrical version.

Note the Trilogy does NOT include the theatrical version of the movie.

Side note: The 30 min or so animated movie in the trilogy is kind of cool but you won't be missing anything if you don't see it.

Spoilers below. Don't read if you want to be surprised when you watch the movie. You've been warned.

I watched the Theatrical version of this a couple times and grew to love it and there were a couple things on the Directors cut that threw me off - especially since I have a knack for remembering little details.

With the Directors cut you will get strange flashbacks or/and visions of someone communicating with Riddick about his homeworld and what happened to the other Furians and what he must do. They are kind of lame and out of place - they took them out of the theatrical version for a reason.

You will also get an additional little scene with the lady merc and Riddick after hes been captured with some sexual undertones. Also the scene with Kyra getting 'searched' by the guards goes a little further. Welcome additions to the movie.

Now something that really irked me and drove me to buy the theatrical version after already owning the directors cut - In the exchange between the air elemental (Aereon) and Lord Marshal they changed the dialogue from something fairly hard hitting to something more cheesy. Instead of 'the odds are good... that Riddick is still alive.' You get - 'the odds are good... that you will find the under-verse... soon.' or something along those lines. If you've seen the Theatrical you probably know what I'm talking about, if not it probably won't bother you.

The other thing that bothered me with the D. Cut is at the very end - instead of Vaako saying 'you keep what you kill' its Riddick saying it under his breath. And for an odd turn the Directors cut actually takes out some narration at the end by the elemental Aereon - which wasn't much but I liked having it.

Bottom line (again) I'd stick to the Theatrical version and hold off on getting the directors cut trilogy if you're in it for Chronicles of Riddick. It has some nice additions but most the modifications they did to the movie are not welcome.

I bought this originally at Wal-mart. I was not thrilled with the anime "story filler" second movie (i. e. Dark Fury; I just don't care for anime, but my youngest son liked it). I had already seen Pitch Black and liked it ok, but not enough to buy it. But for the price, I figured it was worth trying to see if the second and third movies were any better. Wow, what a suprise! The Chronicles of Riddick was fantastic. I thought the planet scenery, costume, and set artwork was as good or better than as in the last Star Wars but with a gothic-gladiator styling. The story was really good (lots of subtle forshadowing that I did not get until several times watching the movie) and the acting excellent. I rarely buy movies I have never seen before and when I do buy a movie, I will watch it again and again as time passes. If I had seen "The Chronicles of Riddick" in the theatre, I would have decided it was one I intended to buy in the future.

These movies are so cool. I rented the Chronicles of Riddick from Hastings and loved it so much I had to buy it. Having the whole series in this easy package makes the last movie so much more interesting. The first movie introduces the character of Riddick and explains the connection he and Jack (the girl whose life he saves) have. Plus, for those of us who enjoy mixing diffrent genres the first movie is action horror where the third and final movie is more action drama. The second movie helps provide an explanatory bridge between the two. Also, it is a great way to see the developement of Jack and Riddick's trust relationship. However I still wish that the producers had been able to use the actors instead of animated characters in The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury. All around a really good set of movies. Buy it if you like great action, a love story, evil monsters, and good (or should I say better) guys against the evil ones.

The Chronicles of Riddick is by far one of the best Sci-Fi trilogies I have ever seen. I would encurrage anyone interested in the movies to invest in the trilogy set. Not only does it contain all three of the fantastic movies in the Chronicles of Riddick series but tons of special features as well. The DVD case is very sleek and sets the tone for the movies. The case folds open yielding highlights from all three movies adding another feature to the set. Inside there are two discs. One with both Pitch Black and Dark Fury and the other with the Chronicles of Riddick. All three movies are unrated and all contain additional footage. Both Pitch Black and the Chronicles of Riddick are featured as the director's cut version. The Chronicles of Riddick contains fifteen minutes of additional footage as well. Overall a great buy and it can't be beat at fourteen dollars for all three movies! If you are even thinking about buying one movie from the series I would strongly suggest the trilogy set.

To appreciate the Riddick experience, I do suggest obtaining the trilogy. Everything from Pitch Black is well-transitioned to The Chronicles by the animated Dark Fury. The film is a very detail-oriented sci-fi experience. The story is complex, which makes the plot execution unusual for this genre. The action in the films is not what you'd expect, though the special effects are spectacular. Character development is highlighted over action, so there is a dramatic element not typical of a sci-fi action adventure.

Most sci-fi adventures have a 'loud' effect as far as action is concerned. The Riddick series approaches its action sequences 'quietly,' so be ready for something different. For a fantasy, the story proceeds 'realistically.' A solid series, the films are very well-developed. As sci-fi goes, this isn't at the top of the list. I watched the films in increments, stopping for days even in the middle of the features. So the experience is lengthy, but the films are definitely quality productions.