"Doomsday" (2008) - Movie Review

“Doomsday” has an interesting origin for its script, from an eleven year old (now thirteen) Colin Richard Wright who won a contest. It stops there. Director Neil Marshall’s inspiration and homage for films like “Mad Max” and “Escape from New York” is a mushy reproduction from the materials of the same, only slicker, bloodier and monotonous. It is sort of “Planet Terror” in “Grind House” and I did not like it either. The killing counts to infinity and fleshes are torn and yes, eaten too. And more thirst for blood continues.

How many times film industry wants to dip the earth partially or fully on the crude destruction of a virus? And why does it need to be grotesque and repulsive? Sickness is not beauty but it need not be gross either. The plague films disrupt the skin membranes and it has now become a universal law to follow it. Just before it turns into another zombie film, it poses as a futuristic thriller which indeed it is. Inspired from the character of Snake from “Escape from New York” originates Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), as a child she lost her mother in the infected land. She is of course a bad ass with no emotion due to the military exercises. The film’s futuristic society is merciless and no one to give love hugs. We do not need them. Thankfully ignored. Now have not we seen the same kind of female lead in “Resident Evil”? May be it is a homage to that film too.

A wall separates the virus affected region of Glasgow, Scotland and years have passed, more than thirty years. Time to venture again for finding the cure and hunting expedition begins led by Eden. Another unwritten rule of deadly virus cannot kill unexplainable immune people. No questions asked. Enter in to the zone of danger and people are directly imported from “Mad Max”. They are barbaric and inhuman. They thrive on eating human flesh which explains their low population. The new grunge hair styled leader of those is Sol (Craig Conway) is drinking a beer, I mean canned beer. As a beer loving person, in between insanely hunting for people, they brew and can it too? Thought for beer does not translate to thought for food. Typical drinking people like me but I do not eat meat. There are other blunders but alcohol caught my immediate attention. I do not care about how they drive their car with no gas supplies with thirty and odd years passed. I only care about beer and when you show that you better damn account for it.

There is a political game in this mess and I will let you find it for yourself, if you are a person looking for pure gory action without minding the attitude for being smooth and explanatory about the concept which never stands up. The thrills are fun and it is shot with class. I need to give them that when the chase happens and people die, the unsuspecting person is rescued and that is novel. I would also appreciate a unique approach of medieval styled people living hidden and isolated. But then it becomes “Gladiator” after a while. Another homage.

Neil Marshall’s “The Descent” is highly praised and I would like to see that but this is not his high point. There is no doubt that “Doomsday” would satiate the audience who expect R-rated action and thrills. And there is nothing wrong in that. When it tries to put a name for itself on the same cadre of films, it needs to be original not a remake or recycling to produce garbage. There need not be apocalypse to demonstrate the blood seeking hunters on the shelled world. It is used as a moral ground for having guiltless violence. In that case, explanations and political scenarios are unnecessary. And it is a surprise that the abandoned land does not have any one even resembling humans in emotional level. They are not zombies but they are the prop used as zombies in many films.