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Review #623 of 365
Movie Review of Doomsday (2008) [R] 105 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10.75
Where Viewed: United Artists Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, Denver, CO
When Seen: 22 March 2008
Time: 10:55 pm
DVD Release Date: 29 July 2008 (click date to purchase or pre-order)
Film's Official Website • Film's Trailer
Soundtrack: Download now from 
Directed by: Neil Marshall (The Descent)
Written by: Neil Marshall (The Descent)
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Rhona Mitra (Shooter) • Bob Hoskins (Hollywoodland) • Alexander Siddig (The Last Legion) • David O'Hara (The Departed) • Cal Macaninch (Rag Tale) • Malcolm McDowell (Halloween) • Emma Cleasby (Dog Soldiers) • Jeremy Crutchley (Ask the Dust) • Tom Fairfoot (Cape of Good Hope ) • Nathalie Boltt (Flood ) • Adrian Lester (Starting Out in the Evening) • Rick Warden ("Rome") • Sean Pertwee (Goal! The Dream Begins) • Lee-Anne Liebenberg (Wake of Death)
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
Click to read the spoiler points for Doomsday
Talk about a radical upgrade in every possible way, writer director Neil Marshall's last film The Descent was a cave horror movie of reasonable chills and success, whereas his film Doomsday, despite it's off-beat marketing campaign making it look a lot like a take off on a graphic novel, is a slick, stylistic, adrenalin fueled Mad Max-like film for the 2000s. The story focuses on an agent of the new government of England named Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) who's given the task of returning to Scotland (now a walled off region of the nation fractured by a horrible plague) when it's learned that there are not only survivors walking the streets but they may have retained their humanity—this opposed to the viruses that turn people into zombies or crazed killers as in I Am Legend.
The final 20 minutes or so of the film is one fun, action-charged race for survival that's in your face, on your feet, cheer worthy.
Sgt. Sinclair and her team of soldiers enter the protected zone under the direction of the Prime Minister (Alexander Siddig), his chief aid Michael Canaris (David O'Hara), and the Chief of Police (Bob Hoskins) all of whom believe that the virologist in charge at the time of the first outbreak of what's called the Reaper Virus, Dr. Kane (Malcolm McDowell) will be able to provide a cure for a new outbreak in the heart of London. After being let through the wall erected to contain the Scottish outbreak, they travel some distance and begin to discover not a dead zone, but, rather communities of rogue survivors trying to live in a walled-off world the outside has long presumed decimated and devoid of human life. On their quest they encounter all sorts of nefarious types nearly always just barely escaping with their lives. Eventually, they find someone with knowledge of how to find Kane. At this point the film takes off on a rocket ship with Eden Sinclair emerging the best female action hero since Lara Croft.
Smartly executed, Neil Marshall has done a superb job of elevating this film slightly above the genre. It's dark and prophetic story isn't as fresh as it could have been bearing some resemblance to Children of Menand 28 Weeks or Days Later. Yet, what sets this apart is that its apocalyptic approach focuses far less on the politics and far more on the inhumanity. Moreover, Rhona Mitra makes for one great superheroine as the indomitable Eden. Malcolm McDowell seems to have fallen into an inescapable evil genius rut from which there is no escape—same character different film. David O'Hara demonstrates his capacity to play a great villainous type. The final 20 minutes or so of the film is one fun, action-charged race for survival that's in your face, on your feet, cheer worthy. And one of Eden's final and best lines, "Here, try a piece of your friend," has to be the best line of the year. The film has the elements of a becoming a cult classic, but it may have to wait until DVD release before it reaches its target audience and full potential in that category.
Smartly executed, Neil Marshall has done a superb job of elevating this film slightly above the genre. It's dark and prophetic story isn't as fresh as it could have been bearing some resemblance to Children of Menand 28 Weeks or Days Later. Yet, what sets this apart is that its apocalyptic approach focuses far less on the politics and far more on the inhumanity. Moreover, Rhona Mitra makes for one great superheroine as the indomitable Eden. Malcolm McDowell seems to have fallen into an inescapable evil genius rut from which there is no escape—same character different film. David O'Hara demonstrates his capacity to play a great villainous type. The final 20 minutes or so of the film is one fun, action-charged race for survival that's in your face, on your feet, cheer worthy. And one of Eden's final and best lines, "Here, try a piece of your friend," has to be the best line of the year. The film has the elements of a becoming a cult classic, but it may have to wait until DVD release before it reaches its target audience and full potential in that category.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Doomsday (2008)
Cast Members
Rhona Mitra
• Bob Hoskins • Alexander SiddigDavid O'Hara
• Cal Macaninch • Malcolm McDowellEmma Cleasby
• Jeremy Crutchley • Tom FairfootNathalie Boltt
• Lee-Anne Liebenberg • Rick WardenDirector
Neil Marshall
Writer
Neil Marshall
Talk about a radical upgrade, writer director Neil Marshall's The Descent was a cave horror movie of reasonable chills and success, whereas his film Doomsday, despite it's off-beat marketing campaign making it look a lot like a take off on a graphic novel, is a slick, stylistic, adrenalin fueled Mad Max-like film for the 2000s. Focusing on agent Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) who's been given the task of returning to a previously virus-ravaged Scotland to recover a possible cure now needed by recently-infected London proper, the final 20 minutes are one fun, action-charged race for survival that's in your face, on your feet, cheer worthy. Smartly executed, Neil Marshall has done a superb job of elevating this film slightly above the genre. The film presents what could be one of the most quotable lines of dialogue this year, "Here, try a piece of your friend."
1 comment:
doomsday
doomsday is the most brilliant movie i have
seen this year and i loved it from the start
and rhona mitra gives her electric performance
as major eden sincliar and best performances
from adrain lester(hustle)as edens sidekick
veterans bob hoskins(who framed roger rabbit)
malcolm mcdowall(a clockwork orange)and sean
pertwee(dog soldiers and event horizon)it is
mad max meets resident evil on acid doomsday
is pure magic 5 stars 20/10.
frankie smales
(frankie smales movie and tv review uk)
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