The Chronicles of Riddick [Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD Review

The Chronicles of Riddick is the 2004 sequel to the surprise sci-fi hit film Pitch Black (2000), which was not intended as a franchise. Building a mythology around the 2000 film’s breakout star character, Vin Diesel’s Richard B. Riddick, the sequel, also directed by David Twohy, takes place after the events of the previous film, following Riddick, an escaped convict, as he tries to evade capture.

The film begins with a big action sequence wherein Riddick displays his superhuman abilities as he escapes a group of mercenaries contracted to capture him, “You made three mistakes” he tells one, “First, you took the job. Second, you came light. A four-man crew for me?”

The Chronicles of Riddick continues on in this way with a series of big action pieces, Riddick reunites with Imam (Keith David), the man he saved on the dark planet, and finds out that a cultish race of fanatics called the Necromongers are terrorizing planets and forcing people to either convert to their ways or be killed. Riddick, a Furyan, may be the only one in the universe who can take down the Necromongers and their leader, the Lord Marshal (Colm Feore).

This sequel goes the route of many sequels – it is bigger, broader, and sometimes less focused. It has to do most of the heavy lifting of building an entire world around the franchise and backstory for the title character. It is not necessarily a “chronicle” but it sure works when it sticks to the big action. The dialogue, however, tips over into crassness and camp – “It’s been a long time since I smelled beautiful” is just one example of the doozies from the screenplay.

The Chronicles of Riddick did not fare too well at the box office, but it has built up a fan base over the years in the home video market and has become a cult classic in the vein of Flash Gordon (1980) or Dune (1984).

Purchase The Chronicles of Riddick [3-Disc Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.com

The Video

We get brand new 4K restorations by Arrow Video of the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts of The Chronicles of Riddick, approved by David Twohy on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodements. The Theatrical Cut is offered on two discs in a 2.35:1 and “Open Matte” 1.78:1 version respectively.

This restoration lives up to the quality of Arrow’s Pitch Black 4K release, the first of their 4K releases that was their own restoration, if I recall correctly. There is densely packed, fine grain structure with crisp detail and stunning color that ‘pops’ in the highlights, such as flames leaping from the screen in dark scenes and various energy beams in icy electric blue. This one only suffers in that the extra heavy dose of VFX in many scenes tend to soften the detail a bit, while Pitch Black was a little more consistent. Nevertheless, this is some highly attractive and reference-level home theater material with very little to complain about.

The Audio

Arrow provides the original DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix on both cuts of the film plus a remixed Dolby Atmos for the Theatrical Cut. The “Open Matte” version of the Theatrical Cut on disc three also comes with the Atmos and 5.1 mixes. It is disappointing that Arrow did not do an Atmos remix for the Director’s Cut of the film as well, given it only adds an additional fifteen-minutes. That aside, both mixes are excellent with heavy use of the surround channels and extended low end to give the subwoofers a workout. But the Atmos mix kicks things up to a new level, sounding more open and having more height awareness. I would not say that there is heavy use of the overhead channels for a lot of discrete sound effects and movement, but some sounds and the score are raised above the base channels and dialogue has more clarity versus the 5.1 mix where it sounds a little more veiled in comparison. This last point is something that would likely not be noticed unless you were able to switch between the two as I did during screening these two.

The Supplements

Limited Edition Contents:

• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dan Mumford
• Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Walter Chaw, original production notes and the ‘Chronicles Compendium’, an overview of the characters and planets featured in the film

Theatrical Cut:

Bonus Features:

• Ambition on Another Scale: Chronicling a Blockbuster Sequel (1080p; 01:13:48) – A brand new documentary on the making of The Chronicles of Riddick produced for Arrow Video in 2024, featuring interviews with writer/director David Twohy, actors Keith David and Linus Roache, miniature effects artist Ian Hunter, storyboard artist Brian Murray, and concept artist Matt Codd.
• Realizing Riddick (1080p; 00:13:49) – A newly filmed interview with writer-director David Twohy on the creation of Riddick for Pitch Black and how the sequel came to be.
• Back to Black (1080p; 00:10:42) – A newly filmed interview with storyboard artist Brian Murray on his continuing work within the Riddick saga.
• Chronicles of a Cult Film Celebrity (1080p; 00:10:17) – A newly filmed interview with actor Keith David on playing the role of Imam.
• Teaser Trailer (1080p; 00:01:28)
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 00:02:22)

Director’s Cut:

Bonus Features:

• Commentary by David Twohy & Vin Diesel
• Commentary by David Twohy, Karl Urban & Alexa Davelos
• Introduction By David Twhoy (1080p/60; 00:00:48) – An archive introduction by director David Twohy, recorded in 2004.
• Creation of New Mecca (1080p/60; 00:11:10) – An archive featurette focusing on the world and characters of Helion Prime, featuring interviews with David Twohy, Scott Kroopf, Vin Diesel, Keith David, George Zakk, Dame Judi Dench, Holger Gross, Jim Martin, Ellen Mirojnik, Tom Tomlinson, and Ian Hunter.
• Riddick Rises (1080p/60; 00:13:25) – An archive featurette focusing on the prison planet of Crematoria, featuring interviews with David Twohy, Vin Diesel, Geroge Zakk, Scott Kroopf, Kevin Ishioka, Jim Martin, Nick Chinlund, Alexa Davelos, Bradley James Allen, and Bob Brown.
• Keep What You Kill  (1080p/60; 00:17:28) — An archive featurette focusing on the world of the Necromongers, featuring interviews with David Twohy, Vin Diesel, Geroge Zakk, Scott Kroopf, Colm Feore, Linus Roache, Karl Urban, Thandiwe Newton, Holger Gross, Matt Codd, Ellen Mirojnik , Jim Tyson, Nick Chinlund, Victoria Tyson, and Ve Neil.
• Toombs Chase Log (1080p; 00:09:59) – A short film narrated by Nick Chinlund, in character as Toombs, produced in 2004.
• Vin Diesel’s Guided Tour (1080p/60; 00:03:10) – In this featurette produced in 2004, Vin Diesel explores the sets built for the film.
• Riddick’s Worlds
• On-Set Interviews (1080p/60; 00:21:57)
• Promotional Interviews (1080p/60; 00:22:02)
• Visual Effects Revealed (1080p/60; 00:06:02) – An archive featurette focusing on the film’s visual effects, featuring interviews with David Twohy, Peter Chiang, Sean McPherson, Mike O’Neal, and Mike Wassel.
• Interactive Production Calendar (1080p/60; 00:24:39) – A series of short, candid videos filmed throughout production of The Chronicles of Riddick, interviewing cast and crew.
• Production Vignettes (1080p/60; 00:33:59) – A series of short behind-the-scenes segments originally featured as Picture-in-Picture extras on the 2009 Blu-ray, including VFX animatics, raw footage, and interviews with cast and crew.
• Deleted Scenes w/optional commentary:
  • Aereon and Imam on Helion (1080p; 00:01:35)
  • Original U.V. Planet 6 (1080p; 00:02:55)
  • Toombs’ Demise (1080p; 00:03:13)
• Virtual Guide to The Chronicles of Riddick (1080p; 00:07:52)

Theatrical Cut Open Matte Version

Bonus Features:

• Escape from Butcher Bay (1080p; 00:33:42) – A compilation of cut scenes from the 2004 tie-in video game Escape from Butcher Bay, featuring the voices of Vin Diesel, Cole Hauser, Kristen Lehman, Ron Perlman, Michael Rooker, and Xzibit.
• The Lowdown (1080p; 00:22:04) – A television special produced to promote the film’s 2004 theatrical release, featuring interviews with cast and crew.

The Final Assessment

This action-packed sequel joins its predecessor on 4K with a brilliant restoration including a powerhouse Atmos remix, all courtesy of Arrow Video. Fans of the franchise are sure to enjoy the A/V quality, the various viewing options on offer, and the abundant inclusions and bonus features, including the gorgeous new artwork on the packaging that houses the collection. Highly recommended.

The Chronicles of Riddick is out on 3-Disc Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD September 17, 2024 from Arrow Video

Purchase The Chronicles of Riddick [3-Disc Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: R | Unrated (Director’s Cut)
• Studios & Distributors: Universal Pictures | Radar Pictures | One Race Productions | Primal Foe Productions | Arrow Video
• Director: David Twohy
• Written By: Jim Wheat | Ken Wheat | David Twohy
• Run Time: 119 Mins. (Theatrical) | 134 Mins. (Director’s Cut)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 | 1.78:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible) | English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Street Date: 17 September 2024