Action Jam: Richard B. Riddick
2013’s Riddick is a continuation of the character of Richard B. Riddick. I know that name might make him some like some sort of accountant but he’s actually a convicted murderer, expert escape artist, and former Lord Marshall of the Necromongers.
The character of Riddick is also the brainchild of both Vin Diesel and director David Twohy. I watched the three films featuring the character (there is also an animated feature and at least one video game) many times and it was only after my most recent re-watch of the latest edition of the Last Man from Furya that I began to think about how awesome of a character he really is. Not only that, but let’s think for a moment how Riddick might rank based on the classic console game NBA JAM. I know that sounds like the most random of mix-ups but just continue reading on and I’m certain you’ll agree that these action stars are elite athletes in their own rights even though some of their attributes aren’t the type we’re used to seeing on the real NBA JAM. Let’s begin!
Let’s first look at an attribute that isn’t 100% necessary for an action hero but when you’re bringing back a character for multiple films in a series, it sure helps for him to have a love interest or two. I can’t say that Riddick ever really had a true love interest, although there was some chemistry with actresses like Radha Mitchell, Alexa Davalos, and Katee Sackhoff. He did, however, tell us all about how he spent his time as Lord Marshall of the Necromongers crushing some poon orgy style with a bunch of brainwashed baddies! I can get on board with that!
It goes without saying that Riddick is among the most badass of characters in the Sci-Fi genre in recent years. He’s the last remaining dude from Furya, a planet that was apparently full of badass dudes, and he has some wild eyes which allow him to see in the dark. That already rocks but the reason he got them was so he could live in the all-dark prison which he would eventually escape from. Also, he has constantly had bounty hunters and mercenaries breathing down his neck in an effort to make it rich and we’re told that the bounty on his head is double if he’s brought back dead! That’s pretty damned badass!
If you’ve read this site at any point over the past near-decade, we have a close connection to Professional Wrestling and often describe things in terms of “rasslin'”. Having said that, I would say that Riddick is the Pro Wrestling equivalent of current AEW star, Samoa Joe. Joe is a legendary wrestler with a career that dates back 20 years with stints in the WWE and Ring of Honor before his current run in All Elite Wrestling. Riddick displays a similar aura to Samoa Joe that I spotted right away during my re-watch. Ultimate ass-whooping capabilities, don’t give a fuck attitude, and a bunch of great shit talk that backs up exactly what he could and probably will do to his opponent.
This plays into the fact that despite Riddick getting caught and imprisoned many times, he’s always optimistic about his future. That kind of goes along with knowing how good you are, I guess, but Riddick is never down bad enough where he doesn’t think he will most likely get out of it.
When you live in space and/or spend a fair amount of your time leading a group of leather-clad warriors to battle, wearing leather is just a part of the game.
He’s a man from the planet Furya, which is inhabited by a fearsome warrior class. He might be the only one left but that doesn’t make him any less ferocious. In fact, the hard life of Riddick has caused him to be even more animalistic. Maybe that’s why he gets along so well with other beasts. We see it in both The Chronicles of Riddick and in 2013’s Riddick.
Being stealthy is kind of Riddick’s thing. It goes along with his animalistic instincts and his ability to see in the dark. He’s light-footed like a damned panther and often sneaks around killing fools before the camera even gets there. That’s fast!
It’s a shame that this category had to exist. It’s true, Riddick had been really knocking it out of the park in this NBA JAM-inspired post but even Michael Jordan couldn’t have 10’s across the board. Riddick did have a pretty intense hobo look in the opening scenes of The Chronicles of Riddick but the bald look is the only way people remember him and while that looks pretty cool, it’s still a big, fat 0 in this category.
