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Rated: 5.00/5 | Votes: 1 | Views: 53 |Submitted: 03/17/08

Welcome to the Big Show Neil Marshall! That is my first thought upon witnessing the movie, Doomsday. Doomsday was directed by Neil Marshall who previously worked on Dog Soldiers and The Descent.  The production value of Doomsday seems to be astronomically higher than those two films, leading to my opening greeting of this review, because indeed it looks like somebody pumped some money into making this thing look cool.

Doomsday follows a woman named Eden in a story about a killer virus plaguing Scotland. The British do what they think is the politically correct thing to do and wall in all of Scotland, trapping the people inside and leaving them to die. Many, many years later the virus is back and this time in Britain and now the politicians want a cure. Thanks to spy satellites they know that there are survivors on the other side of the wall and they send a team lead by Eden to seek them out and discover a cure. Chaos ensues once the team is over the wall as they discover they are caught in the middle of a tribal like war between a faction that has resorted to living in medieval times and one that consists of futuristic cannibal punks.

First off people like to immediately point out the similarities between Doomsday and other films. However, anyone giving the movie a grade of “F” just because they want to claim it is a rip off of some other movie really either did not go and watch it, or weren’t very relaxed.  To say that Doomsday is a combination of a few films is silly, because quite frankly it rips off too many films to name! So at what point does the experience become unique? One viewpoint could say never and the other could say immediately. Doomsday is sort of like the Mad Max series meets 28 Days Later, meets Escape From new York, meets Resident Evil, meets Gladiator, meets Robin Hood. Honestly I think the Mad Max influences are deliberately in place and they pay homage just a little too much and that would be the only film I might judge it as having borrowed from more than it should. Many of the scenes including vehicles and chases, and then freaks swinging on harnesses all felt Mad Max-ish. Initially I did not let that bother me, but I will say in retrospect it sort of helps the movie become forgettable. Let us stay “in the moment” though.

The movie stars Rhona Mitra in the lead with support from Bob Hoskins, David O’Hara, Craig Conway, and Malcolm McDowell. Rhona Mitra is stellar as Eden and in great shape. The cameraman loves her body and I am guessing most men in the target audience will too. All of the supporting actors are great as well with Craig Conway playing an especially fun villain and David O’Hara having one of the coolest accents in film. 

The story is one to be picked at by plot hole enthusiasts; like how did they build a wall all the way around Scotland in so short a period of time? Or why were the punk like people cannibals? Perhaps it is also a movie to be enjoyed by people looking for entertainment, with interest for sure coming from fans of the genres of horror and action. This movie is loud, fast paced, and full of blood.

Is it any good or will it be Doomsday for the filmmakers? I think the actors and director did a great job and though influences and cliché might make it slightly forgettable in the long run: it is indeed good. I was fully entertained, enjoyed a lot of the music of the film, and especially had a good time with all of the bloody action.

Doomsday is not bad for ripping off other films, it is good.

Reviewer: Wes Laurie

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