Articles about the Sequel Script that didn't make it......
Today, we start with an old concept of mine. We haven't done one of
these since March 2001. What is it? 10 DAYS OF SCRIPT REVIEWS. Every
day for the next 10 working days, we'll bring you one script review in
this very column. We start with my thoughts on the Pitch Black 2
screenplay. Tomorrow's issue will feature a script review of
Dreamcatcher.
My Review of Pitch Black 2
I have been a Pitch Black fan for well over 2 years. After missing it
in theatres, I managed to catch it once on Pay-Per-View. Woah! It was a
pretty awesome ride. I've always been a big fan of science fiction
films and this one was quite excellent. The flick had breathtaking
direction by David Twohy and a superb show-stealing performance by Vin
Diesel. His 'Riddick' was the highlight of the movie. Whenever he was
on screen you could feel the electricity. Anyone who has followed him
since Fast and Furious needs to go back and watch Pitch Black. You
won't be dissapointed. After the mega success of The Fast and The
Furious, Universal Pictures finally listened to David Twohy and his
pitch for a Pitch Black spinoff featuring Riddick. They signed Vin
Diesel for a cool 11 million dollars. Production is scheduled to begin
in April in Vancouver, Canada.
Vancouver, Canada. Yeah, really. A shady corporate executive named
Marek is looking for mercenary Kyra. He wants her for a special
mission: Help him Find Riddick (Vin Diesel). How does can she help him?
Turns out Kyra is a grown-up Jack(the girl disguised as a guy) from the
first movie. She based her life on Riddick's philosophy. Where's our
favorite psycho-criminal wearing googles? Well, he resides on the 3
suns planet from the first film. His current source of food is those
oh-so-sweet Hammerheads from the first movie. Marek has a mission for
the big guy, who accepts because the Genosphere Corporation (which owns
North America) can erase his criminal record. It's quite simple, they
(Kyra is coming along) have to go to Remorus, the forest planet, steal
a brand new source of energy from a remote highly guarded compound and
bring it back to Earth. Sounds easy, right? Not quite. The new source
of energy is part of the 'living' planet. Once they remove the source,
the planet instinctively trys to defend itself. It unleashes
tiger/tree-like creatures through out the planet to prevent our crew
from leaving. Will they make it out alive?
Before I begin my review, let me just say this. I hope this isn't the
current draft that David Twohy and his team are using. I remember
reading somewhere that Twohy came back after the first draft and
pitched his 'Evil Star Wars' trilogy idea. Even though the end doesn't
suggest it's the basis of a bigger epic, it could very well still be
the current screenplay used. If anyone knows, please let me know
immediately.
Why? It's the ultimate question every sequel should ask itself. If they
can't answer it, they shouldn't do it. Why do we need to see these
characters again? Why? This screenplay serves no purpose whatsoever. Do
we learn anything new about Riddick? Nope. Oh wait, he's originally
from Montana. What has he been up to since the first film? That
question is never answered. He dropped Kyra somewhere and went on with
his life. Yipee-doo! Why the hell would he go back and reside on the
planet from the first feature? No idea. Nothing is explained. How come
only Kyra knows it? Marek is familiar with the infamous crash from the
original installment. That's why he's searching for Kyra. Why didn't he
think of finding Riddick there? That's never explained. The script
feels like a big budget remake of the original movie. Imagine the
original now set on a forest planet with tiger-like creatures replacing
the hammerheads, except that they can move in the light. Those are
spectacular ideas for a sequel. Not.
There's only one interesting idea pursued in the story. They're slowly
trying to humanize Riddick. Kyra is obsessed with him. She worships
him. Her adoration is the only reason why he's on that mission. He
seems to regret abandoning her after the events of the first film.
There's a quasi-love story between him and Kyra. It's never fully
explored. He also tends to a little girl, protecting her. He definitely
appears to be more human but he still kicks ass beyond repair. I was
intrigued by the futuristic world run by corporation. It had serious
potential before we are sent to that god-awful Forest planet. I would
have rather liked to see Riddick in that concrete jungle then into
another unhabited landscape.
Kyra is an awful character. She reads like a copy of Trinity in The
Matrix. Just read her introduction:
This is KYRA, 22 -- agressively beautiful.
Even though every part of her outfit is pratically
skin-tight, we get the sense that this is more for easer of movement
than sex appeal.
But it provides both.
WHAT A RIP-OFF!!! Her character is such a cliche it's not even funny.
Her sexual obssession with Riddick is also pretty weird. Where the heck
did that come from? The guy abandons her to the wolves but she just
worships him and lusts after him. That's pretty messed up. As for the
supporting characters, they are just background filler. Marek's
character arc is very predictable. He isn't what he seems but the
pieces of the puzzle give it away too quickly. The little girl has
potential. They need a gifted young actress to play her. I can't really
comment on the villainous creatures. They sound pretty amazing on paper
but it's up to the special effects team to make them BADASS!!!
I'm seriously dissapointed. This project in my mind had some serious
potential. It could have been one of the coolest sequel based on a
villain since T2. Instead it feels like a bad remake of the original
film. I hope this isn't the draft they're using.
TNMC
Article Here
Recently Reviewed 'Riddick' Script Scrapped
January 16, 2003 —
From Dark Horizons:
Remember that script review for the "Pitch Black" sequel that ran the
other day?, Well now one of the highest sources in connection to the
film has commented on it - seems that draft no longer resembles the
current state of the feature: "That's not the version we're making. We
had the same problems with ALL early drafts that the reviewer did:
Basically, it felt like someone was remaking the first movie -- and
spending a shitload more money to do it. We're moving on to new planets
and new situations, even changing genres from horror to
action/adventure. That's also why we choose to call it "Chronicles of
Riddick" rather than "PB2." It's not so much a sequel as it is a new
story that will take three films to tell".
Dark Horizons
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