History Film / PitchBlack

* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Apparently, the creatures have survived millions of years after wiping out all other life on the planet by...pure cannibalism? Such a system won't be efficient and would probably make them extinct in a couple of generations due to decreasing energy levels and them eating more of their own young than they can breed.

* BaitTheDog: So it seems like Riddick, after all this talk about how bad he is, might be an alright guy after all when he prevents Jack from getting killed and used as bait by Johns. [[spoiler:Then Riddick leaving the others to die as soon as it becomes a viable option really drives home the point of what a scumbag he can be.]]

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: [[spoiler:Riddick, while initially coming off as a morally ambiguous and even somewhat likable character, shows what kind of a person he really is by the end when he rather apathetically decides to abandon the others entirely for his own benefit. When Carolyn confronts him, he seems to enjoy (correctly) pointing out to her that she herself is really no better than he is, as she like him was entirely willing to sacrifice the rest of the passengers to save herself at the beginning of the story, and he almost seems to see her as a kindred spirit of sorts. [[SadisticChoice He even offers to take her with him, thereby knowingly saving her own life at the expense of the others]], and tries to goad her into stooping to his level. [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame She chooses to have none of it]] and [[ShutUpHannibal rejects that she is anything like Riddick]] by [[{{Redemption}} refusing to leave Jack and Imam behind]]. Riddick chooses to help her, intrigued by her decision.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Riddick:''' Would you die for them?]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Carolyn:''' I would try for them.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Riddick:''' You didn't answer me.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Carolyn:''' Yes I would, Riddick. I would. I would die for them.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Riddick:''' ... ''how interesting.'']]

-->'''Riddick:''' So... finally found something worse than me.

-->'''Riddick:''' There are worse things out there than me.

--> '''Johns:''' I want you to remember this moment.\\

--> '''Riddick:''' [[spoiler:Remember that moment?]]

--> '''Johns:''' ''(after freeing Riddick from his bonds)'' I want you to remember this moment.\\

--> [[spoiler:'''Riddick:''']] [[spoiler:Remember that moment?]]

* FinalGirl: The woman who seems most likely to be the final girl is [[spoiler:killed off only a few minutes before the movie ends, though the fact that she tries to sacrifice the passengers of the ship she was piloting early in the film hints at her [[RedemptionEqualsDeath redemptive]] [[HeroicSacrifice death]]]]. The only characters to survive the movie are [[spoiler:ironically the ones most likely to die in another slasher flick: the pacifist [[BlackDudeDiesFirst black man]]; the teenage [[SweetPollyOliver girl who pretended to be a ''boy'']] for the first half of the movie and has just reached sexual maturity]]; and Riddick, the VillainProtagonist, who survives due to ExecutiveMeddling that turned out to be very profitable]]. This approach is arguably what sets the film apart and part of why the sequel fails to deliver the same emotional punch. ''Pitch Black'' is a survival movie in space that subverts character expectations; ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'' tries more to be straightforward ''Franchise/StarWars'' and instead followed the subverted tropes to a "T", undoing the work of the first film.

* ColdEquation: Carolyn does one. The ship cannot land safely with all the weight in the back, so she jettisons cargo compartments, until the passenger compartment is the only one left. Everyone, including the passengers and her die, or the passengers die and the ''might'' get the ship down safe with the flight crew.

* ContrivedCoincidence: As mentioned in the ConvenientlyClosePlanet entry, the ship happens to crash land on an inhabitable (sort of) planet 22 months out from port, within walking distance of a defunct mining outpost. And does so on the one day out of every 23 years that it has a solar eclipse, which allows thousands of carnivorous, dark-loving creatures to come to the surface and terrorize the crew.

* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler:Near the ending, an out-of-nowhere alien grabs the female lead just as she's about to escape. This is played as somewhat karmic, since she killed some people to save herself and had been perfectly willing to sacrifice the rest on the ship had it not been for her more heroic crewmate. To atone, she refuses to leave without saving everyone left, even the one person who everyone (even himself) thinks doesnt deserve it, which ultimately gets her killed.]]

After a member of the group is killed investigating a cave, he’s the natural suspect and when eventually captured is kept under close watch. However, it soon becomes clear that not only is Riddick the least of their worries, they may actually need his help to survive.

* SmallUniverseAfterAll: The novelization makes it clear that humanity has colonized multiple galaxies with Ruddock coming from the Sigma Galaxy and John's chasing Ruddock across three galaxies.

* POVCam: The echolocation of the alien creatures is represented by POV shots of "images" made up of tiny pixel-dots that convey textures and surfaces.

** It would be more feasible if they were a more recently introduced species, but [[VoodooShark that would only raise further questions]]. Really the entire planet’s ecology would be worth a deep dive since the scant bits we do get give only the barest hints of how the whole ecosystem works/worked, but [[Mst3kMantra that’s not what the movie is concerned about]].

** It would be more feasible if they were an introduced species, but [[VoodooShark that would only raise further questions]]. Really the entire planet’s ecology would be worth a deep dive, but [[Mst3kMantra that’s not what the movie is concerned about]].

* FinalGirl: The woman who seems most likely to be the final girl is [[spoiler:killed off only a few minutes before the movie ends, though the fact that she tries to sacrifice the passengers of the ship she was piloting early in the film hints at her [[RedemptionEqualsDeath redemptive]] [[HeroicSacrifice death]]]]. The only characters to survive the movie are [[spoiler:ironically the ones most likely to die in another slasher flick: the pacifist [[BlackDudeDiesFirst black man]]; the teenage [[SweetPollyOliver girl who pretended to be a ''boy'']] for the first half of the movie and has just reached [[DeathBySex sexual]] [[NoPeriodsPeriod maturity]]; and Riddick, the VillainProtagonist, who survives due to ExecutiveMeddling that turned out to be very profitable]]. This approach is arguably what sets the film apart and part of why the sequel fails to deliver the same emotional punch. ''Pitch Black'' is a survival movie in space that subverts character expectations; ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'' tries more to be straightforward ''Franchise/StarWars'' and instead followed the subverted tropes to a "T", undoing the work of the first film.

* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:Paris. He drinks some wine, then breathes on his lighter to make it flare up, as one last "fuck you" to the creatures before they tear him apart.]]

* SadisticChoice: As part of Riddick's attempt to corrupt Fry and win her over, he presents her with an impossible choice. [[spoiler:She can only convince him to go with her willingly to rescue the two others she left behind. Riddick however offers her to leave them to die and take off with him in the skiff instead. She can either die along with them, knowing that she's a good person but save no one or come with Riddick and live with the guilt for the rest of her life. What makes this worse is that as Riddick points out, there is no one to blame Fry for choosing self-preservation. She eventually does make a moral stand and convinces Riddick to help her, as her moral actions intrigue him.]]
* SecretTestOfCharacter: Debateable if Riddick is giving one to Fry with his offer.

** Also a major contributor to Riddicks state of mind in the end, he cannot comprehend why [[spoiler: someone so much like him as Carolyn was, would sacrifice herself for him of all people and it breaks his core life philosophies.

-->'''David Twohy''' ''(in the commentary track)'': To all the twelve-year-old boys in the audience; you're welcome.

* {{Naytheist}}: Riddick believes that GodIsEvil.

* DiabolusExMachina: [[spoiler:Near the ending, an out-of-nowhere alien grabs the female lead just as she's about to escape. This is played as somewhat karmic, since she killed some people to save herself and the ship. To atone, she refuses to leave without saving someone, which ultimately gets her killed.]]

** Riddick might also count, [[spoiler: as having spent the movie seeing Fry as a fellow survivor willing to stay alive no matter the cost) and attempting to convince her to give in to her "true nature" by fully crossing over to his side, he is unable to sustain his own life philosophy when she instead sacrifices herself, especially so for him. He appears to be ready to turn over a new leaf at the end, saying: "Tell them Riddick's dead. He died somewhere on that planet."]].

* FinalGirl: The woman who seems most likely to be the final girl is [[spoiler:killed off only a few minutes before the movie ends, though the fact that she tries to sacrifice the passengers of the ship she was piloting early in the film hints at her [[RedemptionEqualsDeath redemptive]] [[HeroicSacrifice death]]]]. The only characters to survive the movie are [[spoiler:ironically the ones most likely to die in another slasher flick: the pacifist [[BlackDudeDiesFirst black man]]; the teenage [[SweetPollyOliver girl who pretended to be a ''boy'']] for the first half of the movie and has just reached [[DeathBySex sexual]] [[NoPeriodsPeriod maturity]]; and Riddick, the VillainProtagonist, who survives due to ExecutiveMeddling that turned out to be very profitable]]. This approach is arguably what sets the film apart and part of why the sequel fails to deliver the same emotional punch. ''Pitch Black'' is a survival movie in space that subverts character expectations; ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'' tries more to be straightforward ''Franchise/StarWars''.

** Riddick might also count, [[spoiler:as he appears to be ready to turn over a new leaf at the end, saying: "Tell them Riddick's dead. He died somewhere on that planet."]].