YOU DON'T KNOW JACK!!!
I'm really sore after viewing The Chronicles of Riddick. When I first rented the film and viewed the first half hour and they showed an quick excerpt of Jack (portrayed by the beautiful multi-talented Rhiana Griffith-I guess you already KNOW where I'm going with this) from Pitch Black (COR's predecessor).
I was REALLY excited because the undefinable complexity of Jack & Riddick's relationship was so key and intriguing to watch (had Mr. Twohy let Rhiana resume the role - lets face it she had us convinced she was a guy, Rhiana was brassy - shaving her hair, emulating a stone cold killer, he saved her - SHE got to him and we all KNOW it. Had anyone else portrayed Jack in the orginal it wouldn't of been as memorable). Anyway, getting back to my point about J/R's relationship. So that excerpt was misleading, cause at this moment I thought - Reunion Time!!!
Here's where things go contradictory chaotic fueling alot of animosity towards transforming a truly unique character with hidden deep layers, Jack (Rhiana Griffith) to a 1 dimensional wonderbra (Alexa Davalos) who became the antithesis of the entire foundation Rhiana worked so hard to achieve.
My Points:
1: Jack in a rage searches for Riddick, becomes enslaved and a merk? Uh, yeah sure. At the end of Dark Fury, Iman was concerned for Jack's well being "That she might become like Riddick." An alien emotion of concern for Jack, Riddick agreed and dropped them off two separate planets and told Iman where he might be going. So in COR, Iman tells Riddick "She never forgave you for leaving." Hmmm...Contradiction Number 1. Had the script writer forgot their agreement? Number 2. Jack searches for Riddick and becomes a merk: that would be like becoming Johns (the merk from PB who was transporting Riddick to a slam who had a boiling rage and resentment for him). I don't care HOW angry Jack was as Riddick (he saved her life a few times- in between PB and Dark Fury- and that's a bond you won't forget) and she WOULD NEVER have pulled a knife on him in a slam.
Number 3: Cremotoria. A woman sent to an all male prison with boarish looking animals? I'm a forensic psych major - THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. I know its fictional but give the audience a little credit. Had Jack even been sent to a prison, she would of continued to conceal herself as a guy as much as possible. Otherwise strutting around in a wonderbra and tight clothing is a sure catalyst of victimization. This matrix kung fu? Another, yeah, uh-huh. Now here's the funny thing: notice her long wavy locks in this film: where in Cremotoria would they offer a hair gel commensary?
Number 4: When Riddick first arrives, the scriptwriter should of checked with the first movie because the dialogue was all wrong. In Pitch Black, Jack asked Riddick with awe struck rapture, "WHERE the hell can I get eyes LIKE THAT?" In COR, this so called 'JACK' asked "HOW the hell can I get eyes like that?"
Number 5: Riddick was clearly disappointed with the one dimensional angry indifferent wonderbra she had become from the impressionable brassy young teenager who had the savy to pass herself off convincingly as a guy and to shave her hair (now how many young actresses would go as far as to shave her hair?). THAT Jack reminded him of any sort of humanity he had left.
Number 6: Now this is the part that really gets to me. "Its not Jack anymore, its Kyra." THis is Twohy's way of telling the audience Rhiana no longer has the role its Alexa. If that's the way its going to be, just make Kyra some other character from Riddick's past. In the COR interviews with Twohy, when asked why Rhiana was missing he said, "THat was the old Jack and this is the new Jack. We let her try out anyway but we had something different in mind." It was very clear in that interview, that his mind had already been made up when he let Rhiana try out for her own role AGAIN.
Rhiana and Alexa don't even look a thing alike.
I've finally had my say. But if you haven't watched the original, you should really rent it - its definitely worth it and then you'll see what I'm talking about. I know had this been the reverse you'd be telling me the same thing.