7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
In the not-too-distant future, a docking pilot makes a forced crash-landing of her spacecraft on a distant planet. As the survivors explore the uncomfortably hot planet, they must band together. The planet is eerie, arid, and lifeless. But as the sun sets and the planet plunges into total darkness, other inhabitants emerge -- including a fiendish murderer with a nose for blood.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitz-GeraldAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 64% |
Thriller | 58% |
Horror | 7% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo-sleep. All but the primitive side. The animal
side. No wonder I'm still awake.
Pitch Black is one of the better Science Fiction movies of the decade thanks to a number
of factors, primary among them its ability to smartly -- and deeply -- develop its characters. It's a
film that has
enjoyed quite the following after a meager take at the box office, its post-theatrical success on
home video one of the primary factors in the construction of its radically different-in-tone sequel,
The Chronicles of
Riddick. Writer/Director David Twohy clearly understands what makes for a successful
Science Fiction picture; The Arrival is
another of his works that, much like Pitch Black, played to small crowds theatrical but
has since come into its own later in life. Pitch Black is a more commercially-oriented film
than The Arrival, and likewise The Chronicles of Riddick more so than Pitch
Black, but Twohy smartly relies on strong characterization, impressive visuals, and first-rate
storytelling to construct his pictures. While elements of Action certainly find their way into each
one, the on-screen action is a byproduct of the story, not vice versa.
Johns and Riddick discuss the release of 'Pitch Black' on Blu-ray.
Pitch Black obscures no detail in its fine 1080p, 2.35:1-framed Blu-ray release. The film offers a myriad of visual styles. It begins inside the transport vessel with a standard, visually bland, somewhat dark look, with consistent colors and levels of detail. The ship's steely, utilitarian interior isn't pretty, but what's there looks fantastic under the scrutiny of high definition, offering fine levels of visible detail on the instrument panels and other areas. Once on the planet surface, the film takes on a harsh, gritty, highly over-saturated look that washes out both colors and occasionally fine details, though intentionally so, replicating the barren, seemingly lifeless conditions of the planet where there is always a sun high in the sky. The movie quickly changes from a tan-shaded, hot, and miserable desert appearance to a harsh, blue-tinted hue that permeates every inch of the frame. No matter the lighting conditions, the transfer reveals plenty of finer details not seen quite as clearly on previous iterations of the film on home video, including beads of sweat and the finer textures of the various landscapes seen throughout the film. While colors are often bleak, there are a few highlights, splatterings of blood in particular, that appear richer and clearer here than on the DVD. Blacks, which dominate the second half of the movie, are generally solid, never veering towards a shade of gray or blue. Noise is rather heavy over some black backgrounds but not others. There is a bit noise over some of the brighter backgrounds of the first half of the film, though considering the completely unnatural appearance of many shots, it's hard to call it a flaw rather than something inherent to the look of the film. There are also quite a few white and black speckles over the print. Despite a few anomalies, this is a solid transfer that easily surpasses the DVD and should please fans immensely.
Pitch Black explodes onto Blu-ray with another impressive DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless
soundtrack from Universal. This is a film with a highly impressive sound design, evident from the
opening moments of the film and onward. Pitch Black begins with a vessel in deep
space, running in silence, with a subtle yet foreboding score protruding from the speakers to
create an atmosphere that is dark and deadly. Inside the ship, the hull rattles off to the side and
in the back, while Riddick's inner-voice flows quietly through the center channel with gritty
precision. Suddenly, the ship is struck by small meteors that thud upon impact. The ship begins
to plummet and break apart; two computer voices are heard lightly and sometimes on top of one
another under the sound of mechanical objects being pulled, pushed, and kicked as the pilots
attempt to level and slow the ship's rate of descent. Its descent into the atmosphere fills the
soundstage with the sound of flying debris and screaming wind, punctuated by the jettison of
large sections of the ship, resulting in a loud, shrieking, and clanking thud. The ship finally
impacts on the surface, skidding along the ground, the metal hull violently ripped from the ship
as dirt and debris fly all around the soundstage, and then, silence. That's just the first eight
minutes of the film.
As Pitch Black progresses, it enjoys a robust soundtrack that rolls naturally from every
speaker. The music is almost tribal in its presentation, with repetitive beats that sound clear and
precise, making a deep, penetrating sound that sets the tone for the movie well, reinforcing
Riddick's self-described personality that relates him to a "primitive" or "animal." Sound effects
are heard discretely and distinctly throughout the soundstage, be they gunshots or the
screeching of the planet's native creatures of the night. Particularly impressive is the rainstorm
heard near the end of the film; the downpour may be heard in every corner of the listening area,
making for one of the more pleasing storms yet heard on Blu-ray. Dialogue reproduction is
uniformly strong throughout. This isn't quite as deafening or devastating a soundtrack as those
heard in some other Universal titles, like U-571 or The Incredible Hulk,
but it is nevertheless just as impressive in its own right.
Viewers may explore the world of Pitch Black on Blu-ray via numerous special features,
some more substantial than others. Of note is that this disc contains both a 108-minute
theatrical cut and a 112-minute unrated director's cut.
Two audio commentaries are included, the first featuring Writer/Director David Twohy and Actors
Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser. The track is informative and moderately entertaining. The trio enjoy
a
fine rapport, complimenting one another nicely as they share behind-the-scenes anecdotes;
filming
techniques, including how various shots play into the themes of the film and the development of
its
characters; the performances and off-camera personalities of their co-workers; and more. Track
two
once again features Twohy, this time alongside Producer Tom Engelman and Visual Effects
Supervisor Peter Chiang. This is a technical track that takes on a more dry, slowly-paced
tone. The participants delve into the creation of the special effects and the development of the
film's
creatures and style, the creature point-of-view shots, and other technically-oriented tidbits. This
track is more for die-hard fans and budding effects technicians and filmmakers. This disc is also
U-Control enabled, allowing viewers to select from a pair of picture-in-picture features. 'Pitch
Black' Raw features a series of still photos and behind-the-scenes video footage playing in a
secondary window. Picture in Picture
delivers additional behind-the-scenes information, primarily featuring interviews with cast and
crew
and glimpses at how certain scenes are set-up and shot.
An Introduction by David Twohy (480p, 2:25) features the director briefly recounting the
experience of making the film and the emergence of the sequel. The Game is On (480p,
1:49) is a trailer for The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay video game.
Johns' Chase Log (480p, 7:12) is a journal of Johns' pursuit of Riddick, narrated by Actor
Cole Hauser and supported by the text of the journal and some nifty visuals. The Making of
'Pitch Black' (480p, 4:44) is a disappointingly short promotional piece that features a few
rapid-fire behind-the-scenes shots and interview snippets. 'Dark Fury': Advancing the
Arc (480p, 1:30) takes a brief look at the as-of-yet unreleased on Blu-ray animated film,
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury. 'The Chronicles of Riddick' Visual
Encyclopedia (480p, 2:18) features Mr. Johns (voiced by Cole Hauser) discussing some
behind-the-scenes information as it relates to the Riddick universe and concludes by
stating that more is available on the Chronicles of Riddick disc. A View Into the
Dark (480p, 4:06) is yet another short and fluffy piece that examines the Riddick character
in some detail. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0) enabled.
Pitch Black is an exciting Science Fiction film with a deeper side. It is, at its core, a tale of good versus evil where the line between the two is blurred at best and washed away at worst. It's a story about people, about survival, about trust, and about looking past records and words and into the heart and soul of a man in the most hopeless of situations, searching for that truth about someone that makes them who they really are. Pitch Black is the story of a man with a past who rediscovers the hero inside of him thanks to the aggression of one, the passive-acceptance of others, and the struggle to survive an onslaught from a seemingly impossible-to-overcome foe. It's a success on every level, allowing viewers to enjoy it either superficially or as a deeper, more complex tale about the strengths and weaknesses of humanity. Universal's Blu-ray release of Pitch Black is solid. The disc features a good video transfer, a near reference-grade soundtrack, and a fair amount of bonus materials. Highly recommended.
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2000
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1986
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2010
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