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 Tightly squeezed in a crowded category of sci-fi/horror films similar to the Alien series, "Pitch Black" has its work cut out if it wants to distinguish itself. In some respects, it succeeds. The cinematography involves some aggressive color-filtering, and the alien planet has a barren but distinctive landscape to it, thanks to some strange-looking desert plants and the bleached lighting (prior to a solar eclipse that makes almost everything pitch black). The movie even has a rare hand-to-hand combat scene between a human and an alien. It also devotes more time for character development than most other sci-fi/horror films, though the results are mixed. You see a few reasonably complex characters (most notably the convict with bionic eyes who is masterfully played by Vin Diesel), yet you also see a movie that could have sped things up a little. While it has a fair amount of action in the second half, it's not a rollercoaster ride like "Aliens" is, and the first half is going to be a little dull for some folks. Also despite the movie's attempts to distinguish itself from the rest of its ilk, "Pitch Black" is still heavily influenced by some of its peers and ends up borrowing some very familiar scenes, particularly the ending from "Alien"! Nevertheless, it's still a nice try. The bottom line: "Pitch Black" is a moderately entertaining sci-fi/horror flick with the darker, second half being more watchable than the first. |
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QUARTER BY QUARTER ANALYSIS OF MOVIE
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OVERALL RATING
** NOTE: The more dots on the domino, the higher the rating. 12 is a masterpiece. One or no dots is also a masterpiece, if you consider poop to be a gourmet ingredient.** |
    
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The Worm-Hole Reviews are written by Matt Barnes.