While “Riddick” is an improvement over the previous film of its installment, “The Chronicles of Riddick,” it still doesn’t deserve a spot on anyone’s “to watch” list.

Any expectation for this film to live up to the standard set by “Pitch Black” fizzles at the realization that it barely surpasses the awkward and convoluted “The Chronicles of Riddick.”

While Vin Diesel is in his element as an antihero, the movie had the uncomfortable quality of three, different, shorter Riddick films.

What begins as an interesting premise: Riddick, fighting for his survival on a hostile, otherworldly planet, is quickly exchanged for a much more stale second half. Vin Diesel is reduced to hiding from his predators, a plot line that only elongates the movie without capitalizing on drama.

Sadly, the dialogue and CGI for “Riddick” was cheesy. There are countless times when the movie would have been better served muting the supporting cast.

Dahi, played by Katee Sackhoff, makes the case that an engaging character can still show up in a Hollywood action flick now and then, but as the solitary exception, she still doesn’t cover the movie ticket price.

The highlight of the film was a fight scene already spoiled by the trailer. It will remind hardcore fans of the original “Pitch Black”, and stands above any scene in “The Chronicles of Riddick”. The sequence stands as a welcome breath of life in an otherwise dead movie.

Fans of the Riddick series may walk out with their brand loyalty intact even though this film was a let down. They’re heading in the right direction, but hopefully next time around, they handle plot obstacles with a little more grace.