I saw "Into Pitch Black" on t.v. and so I had to see this. I must say, I was very impressed.
Not only has David Twohy's style improved since he wrote "Critters 2", this film brought to my attention Vin Diesel. Sure, he was there in "Into Pitch Black", but here he was ferocious, scary, and intense. I haven't seen charisma like that since Schwarzenegger in the 80's.
The story is simple enough, but it is the characters that make this film interesting. Then there was what happens with the female lead. Unexpected. The dark humor helps the film move along, the effects aren't grand, but when Riddick fights the alien... it blew all of my complaints out.
Diesel hasn't done a whole lot since this film that I would care about, but I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel.