"Are you afraid of the dark," the deep voice of the man known as Riddick (Diesel) asks a helpless mercenary, sent out to kill him. If he was allowed to answer, he would cry out "yes!" If he was allowed.

Picking up 5 years after the events portrayed in the film, "Pitch Black," "Riddick" finds the title character on a mission to save the one friend he has left in the vast galaxy of space. More action than plot, the film does provide Diesel with a role that is actually fleshed out. After a series of one-dimensional performances, Diesel here delivers his best work since "Saving Private Ryan." The story involves Riddick searching for his friend in the worse maximum security prisons in the galaxy while dodging the money hungry mercenaries who track his every move. Along the way, Diesel kicks more butt and delivers more one-liners then should be allowed by law. It's obvious this role is near and dear to the Vin-man and he makes sure he doesn't disappoint.

The rest of the cast, like Diesel, does their best with the material given. Newton is mostly on screen to model a new outfit every few scenes. David, reprising his role from the previous film, is quiet and self assured. As for Dame Judy.........she obviously needed a little excitement while waiting for the next James Bond film!

If you like your heroes witty and your explosions loud, you could do worse then these chronicles. On a scale of zero to four stars, I give "The Chronicles of Riddick"