Another epic popcorn movie The Chronicles of Riddick is an epic sci-fi popcorn movie from Hollywood that has solid production values, a menacing score and the promise of being a major cinematic event. However, unlike the Matrix sequels which suffered from the somewhat confusing plots and subplots (honestly, did you really understand what it was all about?), Riddick plays it maybe a little too safe and gives us a very simple storyline to immerse ourselves within. This is where the popcorn element kicks in, and ultimately leads to a potentially disappointing experience.
So, what can this film be compared to? Well, the first one that springs to mind is Dune. Riddick has a very similar production design, what with its ancient religions, obscure technology and architecture. But that's as far as it goes, because if you peel off the layers you will see that this is just another action film that deals with an escape, an invasion, another escape, and then the final showdown.
If you are the kind of cinematic viewer who likes to reap the rewards from special effects and action sequences then you should enjoy this film, but don't expect any major plot twists or revelations. I was expecting the film to reveal something about Riddicks past and his destiny, but there was none of that, Just a bad ass Vin Diesel kicking seven shades of crap out out of an intergalactic army, which I quite enjoyed.