Blu-ray Movie Reviews

When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced to turn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light.

Pitch Black is the first installment in The Chronicle of Riddick series. This film reminded me a bit of Alien in some respects, though I don't think it is in quite that league of film. For a rather low budget sci-fi movie, though, this is a great one. The story keeps you interested the whole time, and as the film progresses, the enemy changes, making things even more exciting.

Pitch Black has always had an extremely cool visual style. The budget for this film wasn't that big, but they did a lot of tricks to make it look a lot more polished than it was. The first half of this film takes place on a planet, which is REALLY bright. Filters are used to cool off the color a bit, but everything is still highly stylized. Detail in these scenes can be jaw dropping at times. Close-ups reveal outstanding texture and fine object detail. Film grain is preserved, and there doesn't seem to be any compression issues at all. The second half of the film is almost completely dark, and again I didn't see any type of banding or compression issues. Detail isn't as good as the brighter scenes, but it is still very satisfying. The special effects of the film hold up well, but they are definitely not as good as the newer Riddick film. I didn’t notice any real differences in the video presentation compared with the previously released HD DVD, which also looked very good, but the previous release didn’t have both cuts of the film.

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is a bit of a step up from the previous HD release. The opening sequence of the film has always been a favorite of mine, with an extremely intense crash sequence. Dynamic range is superb for this spot. Surrounds are used aggressively, and the low end is ample. Atmosphere is extremely important in a film like this and Pitch Black doesn't disappoint. Imaging is solid, and subtle cues are heard in all channels throughout.

Universal has included both the theatrical and unrated cut of the film and you can select which one to view when you initially load the disc. Bonus View enabled players can take advantage of two picture-in-picture features. One allows you to compare the green screen sequences to the final product and see how the special effects were generated. There is also a running behind the scenes look with interviews and commentary from the principle cast and crew. All of the extras from the previous releases are also included. You get some production shorts, interviews, a feature commentary and an introduction from the director. This title is also BD-Live enabled.

One of the best low budget sci-fi films of the last decade shows up in fine form on Blu-ray. Universal has definitely upped the ante compared to the previous HD DVD release making this an easy recommendation.