Vin Diesel's Octane Too Low to Power Riddick-ulous Sci-Fi Sequel

Joe Lederer

Increasingly neutered: Diesel with Thandie Newton

Details

The Chronicles of Riddick
Written and directed by David Twohy
Universal, in release

Related Content

• Beyond Bromance: Fast Five
  April 27, 2011
• GENTLE GIANT
  December 15, 2010
• Mark Wahlberg Couldn't Have Prevented 9/11 After All
  January 20, 2012
• A Clip Of Young Vin Diesel Rapping (Or Trying To) Over Arthur Russell's Beats Has Surfaced
  May 3, 2011
• Black Celebrities on the Down Low
  February 9, 2010

More About

• Vin Diesel
• Richard Riddick
• Pitch Black
• Scandals
• Crime and Law

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

As he pats the haunches of a prisoner-lunching dog at feeding time, notorious murderer Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) explains to a fellow inmate, “It’s an animal thing.” Diesel means to tell us in The Chronicles of Riddick that his Pitch Black (2000) killer hasn’t lost any of his ferocity, when in fact, Diesel’s shaved-head persona looks increasingly neutered—an extreme-sports Ken doll, complete with stunt car and generic tattoo accessories. Pitch Black, which featured an ensemble cast and an unproven director (screenwriter David Twohy, who returns), became an instant B-science-fiction classic by relying on low-budget suspense. In contrast, Riddick is a preening outer-space costume drama staged as a backdrop for its leading man’s muscles. Diesel once again gets conscripted to fight our aliens for us; this time he's facing a digital army of humorless crusaders. It must be a sequel thing.