Pitch Black

It's not that there's anything especially new to see in Pitch Black, sometimes there's nothing to see at all, (that's what makes it scary), but the sci-fi thriller genre is very well worked and there are one or two genuine surprises.

Australian Radha Mitchell (Love And Other Catastrophies) plays Fry (the Ripley/Sarah Mitchell, warrior woman part) and is particularly impressive. In addition, Aussie cinematographer David Eggby again makes his mark in the dessert. He shot Mad Max 20 years ago at the same location, Coober Pedy in South Australia.

Eggby has an impressive list of films to his credit including, among others, Dragonheart (1996), Lightning Jack (1994) and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991). The production of Pitch Black was designed by Aussie Graham Walker and the monsters provided by the Gold Coast's John Cox. Pitch Black's post production was completed at the Gold Coast's Warner studios. And the very effective music is provided by Australian Graeme Revell.

But we shouldn't only consider this film a tribute to Aussie skills because although decidedly B Grade fare, this thriller gets the adrenaline flowing copiously.

An interstellar freighter is delivering cargo, mostly people cryogenically frozen for the journey. The ship crashes in an especially exciting manner onto a forbidding planet which is surrounded by three suns.

But there's a rare eclipse, it gets dark and out come the nasties. Will the crew escape? Will they be minced as it appears the previous inhabitants were?

One of the survivors is a mean and nasty homicidal criminal called Riddick, played by Vin Diesel. Will the rest of them survive Riddick? He can see in the dark. That's useful.

There are some cinematically pleasing space vistas and a tastefully complex characterisation by Radha Mitchell. Director David Twohy also directed The Arrival (1996) which notably featured those strange, unforgettable, reverse legged aliens. The monsters in Pitch Black are also pretty memorable.

Pitch Black is darkly exciting.