Don’t be afraid of the dark. Be afraid of what’s in the dark|Feb. 18, 2000|United States | Australia|108 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Science;Fiction;Thriller
Description: In the distant future, the spaceship Hunter-Gratzner carries passengers in cryostasis. Among them are a Muslim preacher called Imam, traveling with three young followers to New Mecca; a teenager named Jack; two prospectors named Shazza and Zeke; a merchant named Paris; and law enforcement officer William J. Johns, who is escorting the infamous criminal Richard B. Riddick. Riddick has surgically altered eyes that let him see in the dark but are extremely sensitive to light.
Micrometeoroids from a comet damage the ship’s hull, killing the captain and throwing the vessel off course. The surviving crew attempts to land on a nearby planet. As the ship breaks apart, docking pilot Carolyn Fry tries to jettison the passenger section to lighten the load, but co-pilot Owens stops her. During the crash, several passenger compartments are destroyed, and Owens is fatally injured. The group explores their surroundings and discovers that the planet is bathed in perpetual daylight due to its three suns. They find an abandoned geological research settlement with a water well and a dropship that has drained batteries. Zeke is killed, and his body goes missing, leading the group to suspect Riddick. While searching for Zeke’s body, Fry narrowly escapes from aggressive underground creatures that are sensitive to light. Johns offers Riddick a deal: if he helps them escape, he’ll be set free.
After the group retrieves a power cell for the dropship, one of the young acolytes is ambushed and eaten inside a building. They realize the geologists were all killed by the creatures. An orrery reveals that an eclipse is imminent, meaning the creatures will be able to hunt above ground. Johns tells Fry that Riddick can pilot the dropship, and Riddick reveals to Fry that Johns is actually a bounty hunter and a morphine addict.
Cast director: David Twohy
Cast actor: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Claudia Black, Keith David, Rhiana Griffith, John Moore, Simon Burke, Les Chantery
Original name: Pitch Black