Riddick
Riddick returns in violent sequel with more sex content.
Riddick
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Riddick is the third movie in the Vin Diesel sci-fi/action series that began with Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. There's strong sci-fi violence, with lots of fighting, shooting, stabbing, blood, and gore, including alien guts and a scene in which a blade goes through a man's head, and the top portion of his skull slides off. Human characters die, and a lovable alien dog is shot and killed. This installment amps up the sexual content, too; there's toplessness and full-frontal female nudity, as well as strong sexual innuendo. Language includes several uses of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as other words. Minor drinking and smoking are quickly shown in some scenes. It's been a long time since the last Riddick movie, so many teens may not be familiar with the franchise, but you don't have to have seen the previous movies to understand what's going on.
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What's the Story?
At the end of The Chronicles of Riddick, Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) was the ruler of the Necromongers. But he's quickly betrayed and left for dead on a barren planet that's populated with deadly, ravenous creatures. Using his wits and cunning, Riddick survives -- and eventually discovers a way off the planet by activating a beacon that attracts two different bands of bounty hunters. His plan is to take their ship by whatever means necessary. But things take a different turn when an even greater threat approaches, and the humans are forced to work together to survive.
Is It Any Good?
RIDDICK works better than many big-budget sci-fi action movies. After Pitch Black became a success on home video, director David Twohy made a sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, which cost four times as much, with more plot and more of everything. It was a dud. Now, for the third film, he's gone back to the modest-budget genre movies he excels at and delivers another winner. RIDDICK -- albeit violent and sexed-up -- is great fun, with simple ideas and goals, focused on characters who try to use their brains, and with all the action set in a limited space and time. The attacking aliens aren't exactly top-of-the-line visual effects, but that doesn't matter hugely, since the characters are the film's primary focus. The movie starts with an almost completely visual sequence that shows Riddick as he mends a broken leg, befriends an alien dog, and adapts to the alien landscape. Then, as in the first movie, Twohy builds the legend of Riddick by keeping him off screen as the other characters talk about him.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Riddick's violence. Is it necessary to the story? Is it scary or thrilling? How does its impact compare to that of more realistic violence you've seen in other movies?
What did you think of the movie's sexual content? Why do you think filmmakers chose to include more of that in this movie than they did in the previous installments?
Is the movie scary? Is that because of sudden shocks or because of long, drawn-out suspense? Are the monsters scary?
What's so interesting about Riddick, even though he's such a bad guy? Can he be considered a role model?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 6, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: January 14, 2014
- Cast: Jordi Molla, Katee Sackhoff, Matt Nable, Vin Diesel
- Director: David Twohy
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Space and Aliens
- Run time: 119 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity
- Last updated: March 1, 2023
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