Vin Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick in the latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga. A dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy, Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. Also starring Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica), Dave Bautista (Blade Runner 2049 ), and Karl Urban (The Boys), Riddick is “one hell of a thrill ride” (Joel D. Amos, MovieFanatic.com)!

For thoughts on Riddick, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Scream Factory presents Riddick with a lovely 2160p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio for both the Theatrical Cut and the Unrated Director’s Cut sourced from a 4K master in HDR/Dolby Vision supervised and approved by David Twohy. The film was finished to a 2K Digital Intermediate, so the footage has been upscaled to 4K. This process is sometimes dismissed as not being “real 4K”, but we have said time and time again that a 4K upscale can look incredible on the format when done right. There is more to 4K UHD Blu-Ray than just outright clarity, and Riddick is the type of movie that benefits from the process. It may not be a night-and-day upgrade, but it is well worth investing in if you are a fan.

One of the most obvious upgrades for this film is the implementation of Dolby Vision for a refined color output that takes this visually distinct tale and brings out the nuances of the palette. The new master renders the largely earthy canvas with the proper complexity. Any moments before Riddick is on the planet have a much more metallic sheen that likewise looks pinpoint accurate. Costumes and armor saturate the screen, along with lighting choices, with a nice depth. This new transfer features virtually nothing in the way of digital anomalies or damage. This presentation appears authentic with the added resolution bringing out more life within the landscapes. No serious digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or other such nuisances make an appearance. The footage is not demo material due to the lack of variety in the colors, but it looks exactly how it is supposed to.

The presentation retains the perfect amount of natural film grain that helps bring out the planetary details of the world. The grain is very fine as it avoids swarming and splotches. The textures on display in the fabrics and within the environments are exceptional. Some of the digital effects struggle to maintain realism, but this is not an issue with the transfer itself. The highlights show no semblance of blooming even when they are pushed very bright for stylistic effect. The black levels are nice and deep with nothing in the way of crush present. The enhanced detail and clarity will allow you to pick up elements of the background you may not have noticed before. Scream Factory has treated this one very well. That being said, it should be noted that there is a scene near the end that fades out before a butt squeeze that was previously in the movie for a few seconds. This is theorized to be a choice by Twohy, but we have no concrete information. You should decide if a few seconds of missing footage is a dealbreaker.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio surround sound track for both cuts, which translates this film ideally. Some may be disappointed by the lack of a new Dolby Atmos track like Arrow Video created for The Chronicles of Riddick, but the original track packs a mighty punch all the same. The movie is filled with an avalanche of environmental sounds that come alive in the channels. There is a great sense of directionality when it comes to placing sounds in the appropriate corners. The film has a nice selection of kinetic sequences that engage the low end. Dialogue comes through clearly without being drowned out by any sound effects or music. The score from Graeme Revell captures the atmosphere of the narrative. There are no issues with fidelity or damage to the tracks. This audio presentation is a respectful rendering of the film. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Theatrical Cut (1:58:50) amd Unrated Cut (2:06:53)

Left For Dead: Directing Riddick – Interview with Director David Twohy: A new ten-minute interview with writer-director David Twohy in which the filmmaker discusses the journey of Riddick, choosing to make this entry as an independent production for creative freedom, scaling back the budget in creative ways, working with the different departments, and more.

I Come to Collect Your Head: Playing Santana – Interview with Actor Jordi Mollà: A new 11-minute interview with the performer in which he discusses wanting to go in fresh to this film, working with David Twohy, trying to be more grounded in a science fiction space, and more.

Scared of the Wrong Thing: Becoming Dahl – Interview with Actor Katee Sackhoff: A new 17-minute interview with the performer in which she discusses her love of sci-fi films, why she feels she was born to play this role, determining how to approach her character, how she related to and understood her character, and more.

The World of Riddick: An 11-minute piece that takes a look at the creation of landscapes and the look of the film through cinematography and production design.

Riddickian Tech: A ten-minute exploration of the cool technology created for the film including vehicles and weapons.

The Twohy Touch: A six-minute look at the continuation of the Riddick story and how it was brought to life through the efforts of David Twohy.

Vin’s Riddick: A nine-minute featurette that shows the special connection the star of the film has to the titular character.

Meet the Mercs: An 11-minute introduction to some of the characters brought in on the fun.

Riddick – Blindsided: A nearly six-minute animated expansion to the Riddick story.

Final Thoughts

Riddick attempts to go back to the relatively contained nature of Pitch Black while weaving in some of the larger narrative swings of The Chronicles of Riddick. The balance is fairly effective overall, but this third entry does end up feeling like the least interesting one to date. Vin Diesel obviously cares a lot about this character, and he is definitely the reason to watch – Katee Sackhoff and Dave Bautista make you take notice, as well. The franchise just needs a fresh perspective when the next installment inevitably arrives. If you are a fan of the character, you will have a pretty good time in this world. Scream Factory has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation and a respectable list of new and archival special features. Recommended

Riddick is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.