There seems to be nothing left in the sci-fi genre. Each time a new science fiction film comes out, it seems to be borrowing from past efforts. A few years back, director David Twohy directed the entertaining and heavily influenced The Arrival. With that picture, he showed that style and inventiveness can make the familiar seem fresh and exciting.

Twohy returns with Pitch Black, a sometimes amusing, derivative sci-fi thriller that owes a lot to the Alien films. The premise seems quite promising. A space ship crew is transporting an intergalactic criminal (played by Saving Private Ryan's Vin Diesel) when their vessel crash lands on an apparantly deserted planet. There are three suns so it never gets dark. It should also be noted that the planet is inhabited by underground creatures, who can only be harmed by light. As fate would have it, an eclipse takes place, an occurrence that only happens every twenty-two years on this particular planet; and Diesel is forced to join the crew in an attempt to survive.

Twohy's direction seems quite confused, although he does get some good performances particularly from the tough-as-nails Diesel, who spends much of the time spouting menacing dialogue. What really works in Pitch Black is its dark tone. The body count runs high and there are some truly unexpected moments. Unfortunately, the film isn't that scary and it's hard to forget about the numerous films that inspired it. Still, Pitch Black manages to make you forget about the laughable Supernova.