Summary
Vin Diesel is one of Hollywood’s most legendary tough guys. He has anchoredThe Fast and the Furiousfilm franchise decades now, and can findevery variation on a single lineas Groot in theGuardians of the Galaxyseries. He was one of the most bankable action stars of the 2000s, notching starring roles inbig-budget projects like 2002’sXXX,and trying his hand at an Arnold Schwarzenegger-style pivot into family fare with 2005’sThe Pacifier.But in between theseblockbuster franchises and stand-alone projects, Diesel kept coming back to one particular character.
That character isRichard B. Riddick,who made his first appearance 25 years ago in 2000’sPitch Black.Since then, Diesel has played the character in two other films, an animated short calledDark Fury,andtwo video game tie-ins. It’s a role that’s been near to Diesel’s heart since nearly the beginning of his career, and it’s become one of his signature characters, right up there with Dominic Toretto. On February 1, Prime Video added all three of the main Riddick films, so curious viewers can see one of Diesel’s favorite roles for themselves.
Riddick’s Film Appearances
Riddick first came to screens in 2000’sPitch Black,a sci-fi/horror/action hybrid directed by David Twohy. The character is introduced as an extremely dangerous criminal, who’s been apprehended by a bounty hunter named Cole Hauser (William J. Johns) and is being transported on a passenger spaceship along with an array of fellow travelers. The ship takes damage and crashes on a desert planet, killing most of the passengers. The survivors have to work together to avoid being picked off by a group of toothy creatures that start preying on them. Luckily, Riddick is very well-adapted to survival, and he agrees to help the survivors to gain his freedom.
Pitch Blackwas the film that proved Diesel was a bankable action star, basically doubling its modest budget. The film isa product of its time, with a very frenetic early-2000s editing style. But its unique look and extremely cool central character make it a standout sci-fi film from the era.
Four years later, Twohy and Diesel returned to the character in 2004’sThe Chronicles of Riddick,which took the series in a different direction. With a budget about four times that of its predecessor,Chroniclesembraces the kind of grand scale space opera storytelling that the original rejected. The story draws as much from fantasy as it does from sci-fi, making it akin to theepic scope ofDune.Chroniclesgives Riddick a backstory, revealing that he is the last survivor of a race called the Furyans, an ancient race of warriors who were thought to be extinct.
Unfortunately, it was both a critical and box office disappointment. Many critics preferred the more grounded, gritty feel ofPitch Blackand foundChroniclesderivative ofother sci-fi epics. Much like the first film, it’s gained some appreciation over the years, but is considered the worst of the three. Still, it’s worth watching for fans of the character. It features plenty of cool ideas and an appealing visual style, even if its various elements don’t all come together.
Riddick wouldn’t return to the big screen for nearly a decade afterChronicles’disappointment, but its failure prompted Twohy and Diesel to take the character back to basics for its third installment. The result was 2013’sRiddick,which returned the character to its more scrappy roots. The film picks up a few years after the events ofChronicles,but jettisons the lore-heavy elements in favor of a straightforward sci-fi survival story.
In the film, Riddick is betrayed and left for dead on a hostile planet and must use his many skills to survive. In an echo ofPitch Black,Riddick has to reluctantly team up with a group of mercenaries hunting him to avoid death by the hordes of grotesque creatures called Mud Demons.Riddickfeels more like a true sequel toPitch Black,once again pitting the character against hostile forces and forcing him to rely on his wits to make it out alive.
Why Riddick Works
TheRiddickseries may not be high art, but it has plenty of charm for fans of action-oriented sci-fi. A big part of what makes it work (especially in its first and third installments) is its simplicity. The films’world of space-mercenariesand killers is easy to grasp for viewers who prefer their sci-fi a little less complex. It’s all anchored by Diesel, who plays Riddick with the right mix of action star toughness and sly humor. Riddick is always the most capable guy in the room, and a big part of the pleasure of these movies comes from watching him take care of business. It ranks among Diesel’s best work, and feels like a character that nobody else could play quite like him.
Riddick has been with Diesel since his earliest days, as he evolved from an up-and-coming Hollywood star to an icon of over-the-top action, to his current place as a figurehead of the genre. A fourth movie, currently titledRiddick: Furyahas been in development for nearly a decade now. It wasofficially announced back in 2023, with production starting last year. While little is known about it so far, hopefully, fans of this singular series won’t have to wait too long for a return trip to its uniquely gritty world.
