Once again Vin Diesel brings to life the vicious, calculating anti-hero Riddick, the convict who prefers to kill instead of negotiate. Riddick is living a life of arduous survival, preferring the isolation of the frozen planet to the company of humans. When he learns the Imam is the man who has set the bounty for him, he journeys to discover why.

Keith David recreates the Imam from Pitch Black as if he had never left the role, and introduces us to Aereon, the elemental being in the form of Judi Dench, whose powerful acting and presence adds both drama and authenticity to the film. Nick Chinlund excels in a role custom made for him, and Colm Feore is magnificent as the Lord Marshal, the holy half-dead who has seen the Underverse.(ah ouais ? ben moi j'trouve pas. Pas du tout même!)

Linus Roache, in one of two films he has worked on with Diesel (the other, Find Me Guilty, perhaps led to his role as the Assistant DA on Law and Order), and while his role is not as big as I would have liked, his presence and eloquence as the Purifier adds significantly to the film. Karl Urban, who has appeared in other fantasy roles (Priest, Star Trek), presents a more powerful, controlled soldier of the faith, while Thandie Newton as his ambitious wife provides the right balance to the struggle for power within any authoritarian regime.

Alexa Davalos is excellent as Kyra, defiant and deadly to the last. Even the extended version is rated PG-13 for language and violence,but little sexual content (bien dommage !).Since Vin will be recreating Riddick in a third film next year, I would say this is a collectible if you are a fan of the first two, or just a fan of good science fiction.