The Chronicles Of Riddick

Something I didn't like when viewing Riddick on my laptop was the need to install software. You just don't know what comes with it and spyware is currently the bain of my life!

The idea of operating systems is to give a common set of controls so we don't have to learn a new lot every time something else comes along. Designers please note that the volume control for Riddick is not there and on a P.C. the whole thing is a bit clumsy. Aside from that, it has some nice bonus features, but just as the notion of Riddick as a Chronicle is on the light side, so are the features.

At the top of our bonus menu, we have the standard Virtual Guide, with a short precis of the characters. Frankly, it is a waste of time, as we already know this much from the film. Next, there's a rather disjointed log, explaining how Toombs, the bounty hunter, chased Riddick, but the interference effects are just obfuscation.

Riddick's Insider has the option of viewing pop up background "info panels" during the film, which reveal the guts of the production to the detriment of the story. The filmmakers's opinions are aired over "film of the film" footage at some length in the next section, Visual Effects Revealed, and I found it a tad boring.

Behind The Scenes is mildly interesting, but it has to be said that this is the sort of film that absorbs. Seeing the sets undressed under a tin roof with lights undid the undoubted atmosphere that the film has built up. If you go to the trouble of creating a whole universe for your characters to play in, why unmake it? Better to build the facade of a Chronicle with a historical framework that we can lose ourselves in.

Vin's tour commentary in Riddick's Worlds is a bit stilted and there's a hint of "Do I really have to do this?" about him. There are also 360-degree representations of the set, which I found uninteresting without the presence of characters.

The trailers section reveals that there is a cartoon version (I won't go there), as well as providing the standard teasers for other productions. One nice thing is an Xbox game taster, which I found enjoyable, but only because it's free! You need an Xbox to try it. The list price of around £40.00 for the game does not appeal and the gamers chat boards complain that it's full of bugs.

Pitch Black is not mentioned anywhere on the DVD except in the trailers and pop up "info panels." Surely, this is a missed opportunity to build a fan club? One pop up gives the reason for this - serious planning for a bigger "saga" was considered "too ambitious".