Those flesh chomping critters (Pitch Black (DVD))

Member Name: beckslayer

Product:	Pitch Black (DVD)
Date:	12/10/01 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Vin Diesel, Vin Diesel, Vin Diesel

Disadvantages: Like many othe Sci-fi films

With monsters that look like a false smiling Anthea Turner, this film is quite chilling.

THE PLOT
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This film starts in much the same way many Sci fi alien films do. Please don't be put off by that. The films starts with a rather large space carrier (economy class trans space travel if you like), The pilot, crew and all the fare paying passengers are in the usual cross-space stasis/sleep. Tucked neatly away in their cosy monitored pods. When shock horror a meteor storm strikes, searing holes into the side of the ship, this hull breach awakens the co-pilots. Fresh from her who knows how many days sleep Fry (Radha Mitchell - no relation to Grant, Phil or Peggy) is awoken by the hit. She looks across the hull just in time to see the captain turned into a multi-holed tea bag by second serge. The co-pilots leave their pods and head for the cockpit to take control of the hurtling ship. The craft is being pulled toward the surface of a nearby planet, by the more than sturdy force of its gravitational pull.

The two remaining crewmembers struggle to level the ship its head is just two darn heavy. Fry tries to combat this and bails the rear sections of the ship. Then what's that an emotional dilemma, it couldn't be. The passengers are in the last rear section of the ship and Fry decides that in order to save her and the other co-pilot she must bail them two. A lot of handle pulling ensues, but fry is fraught when's she tries to release the last rear section and the handle won't budge.

They head at staggering speed towards the surface, then they hit. Large parts of the ship fly here and there. There are some really good special effects in the crash scene, but it does follow the coarse of many of its predecesors.

Fry's parent is killed in the impact and Fry (who really shouldn't be alive by now) rallies to the rear. She finds a small group of survivors wandering the hold one of whom is Johns (
Cole Hauser - wasn't that where they store solid fuel in the olden days - hehe) a cross space policeman type chap and his personal cargo Riddick (Vin Diesel (which is quite obviously his birth name). They all come together and decide to look for water, just as the delicious Riddick escapes his captor.

The survivors (none of which stared in the recent ITV not so hit series) split into groups one group containing Fry, Johns, a holy man and his three young charges and a small insipid looking boy.

The other group which consists of an annoying stereotypical rich guy, A aboriginal man and a strapping lass stay behind to keep an eye on the ship and Riddick should he turns up.

Well I'll cut a long story, The search for water party finds and old settlement. They go back to the group that stay behind with news of the settlement, containing water and a rather shabby looking ship. Then our aboriginal friend decides to dig a mass grave for the less fortunate passengers. As he digs he finds a pothole into which an unknown culprit drags him. Of course the others assume that it is the murderous scourge Riddick that is responsible for the carnage. He is captured, but warns them it's not him they should worry about.

Fry makes the doggie decision to go down the hole, where she encounters the remains of its last visitor and those pesky aliens, which she knows are there but doesn't get a good look at. She screams and is pulled to safety.

They head back to settlement and discover that the planets three suns (yes there are three - sun overkill), which stop the planet ever experiencing night, are going into an eclipse. This unlucky event only happens every 22 years and guess what the Scooby gang are going to be their for the ride. Amazingly enough the aliens and there are lots of them only come out in the dark.

I won't spoil the fun part for you, but the planet gets darker and the aliens are awake. The aliens w
ho look like the mongrel child of a flying dino, Anthea Turners and the traditional aliens, pick them off one by one. Needless to say there are the obligatory escapees but who will they be?

MY OPINION
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The film although quite similar to others, is chilling and also very enjoyable. There is some excellent use of light or lack of it. If you like killers that chomp and bite this film is great. I also have to say that although a little wooded Vin Diesel makes this film. Ladies just watch and see what I mean.


Happy Chomping.

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