Analysis
Ridley Scott certainly started something good when he released Aliens in 1979 and many directors have tried to compete with his vision by creating films based upon a winning format. The basics of landing on a planet infested by viscous, slobbering beasts with the poor crew being assaulted whilst trying to mind their own business is not a new one, and as a sci-fi buff you have probably seen it all before. The sad fact remains that just too many have imitated and not enough new substance has appeared. It will always be a problem when creating a similar movie that a comparison will be made between itself and the Alien films.

But hold on a second…..What the…..I don't believe it….Could this be a good film based on this formula…No sorry my mistake….This is a great film based on this formula.

Pitch Black does just about everything right. From the glorious opening footage of the transport ship floating in space, right through to the end credits, every moment is filled with action, tension and adrenaline. The cast, including the lovely Claudia Black of Farscape fame, was suitably balanced with one actor shining above the rest. Vin Diesel (no, not a make of toilet bleach) was excellent as Riddick, an inmate being transported to new digs. The continuing air of violence that preceded him in every scene was thick and oppressive but well executed without it becoming silly.

Some of the set piece scenes were a joy to watch including a section where Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell's character) crawls into a narrow passage leading into a cavern system where we first encounter the strange beasts. Very tense and very gripping.

The effects were well done but not overused. The eclipse scene looks beautiful, and watch out for the moment in the desert where one of the characters does a little fire breathing. The monsters (a cross between a bat and a hammer head shark) are original enough and scary enough to make you wish you could crawl behind the sofa.

Key Area	Rating (out of 5)	Comment
Action		The ship crash scene at the start is pretty good, followed by a load of excellent set peices, mainly involving the creatures.
Thrills/ Tension		The tension is kept high with Vin Diesel playing hide and seek at the start followed by a lot of running and screaming from flying creatures.
Violence/ Gore		Quiet a few CGI moments. A nice head spliting, Poor Claudia bites the bullet and parts company with her legs and many more death scenes that involve the red stuff.
Bare Flesh	None	A nice look down the uniform of Radha Mitchell's character, but that really is desperate.
Plot		A story that hinges on a monumental peice of bad luck which some might say is ridiculous. I say sh*t happens.

Verdict This film is good fun. That's the bottom line. O.K, so it is a bit of a no brainer, but who the hell cares. A film doesn't need to provoke thought for it to be a good flick. Every key element (except nudity) is covered well and in the Asylums book, this is a very positive sign. The only negative point being that some of the detail is lost amongst the shadowy images, so make sure that the lights are turned down when viewing. Considering the whole point of the film (and its title) you would expect the odd 'dark' moment!!! Get your freinds round, turn up the volume, turn down the lights and emerse your sole in Pitch Black.

Adrenaline charged space mayhem. Great stuff.