Doomsday 2009 Directed by Neil Marshall Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins and Malcolm McDowell. Cool Science Fiction Action Drama
On Sunday Night I just finished helping my friend launch his upcoming project GeekRoundTable.com a blog and podcast on Sci Fi, Pop, Comic Book Culture. I has just finished juggling and was pretty tired even though I was planning on going to the office and working on filing. Inspired by the conversation of Geekiness I decided to see a movie and thats when I stumbled on DOOMSDAY.
The first thing that came to me with a title like Doomsday, "Must be a Comedy." Ok I was wrong about that, seriously the TONE of this movie seemed pretty bleak. However as I will reveal It was an enjoyable Film.
The main plot is based on a zombie like virus that takes over Scotland and causes havoc forcing the UK to quarantine Scotland. Which screams of every other horror film based in that Dawn of The Dead, Shawn of the Dead, Resident Evil Genre. Similar to Resident Evil in that we have a Sexy Emotionally Unavailable Female as our hero, Eden Sinclair played by the beautiful Rhona Mitra (Which I found strangely attractive.) So right away I am worried since Resident Evils first movie was cool but I didn't care about any of the characters until the second and third film. (How's that for character development.)
It was the immediate screen presence of Bob Hoskins that made me realize that this movie could begin to improve. That and the opening sequence does move you emotionally a bit.
Not Since Highlander was there ever a justification for Scottish accents.
Not since Highlander was there ever a justification for Scottish accents. If Sean Connery were still available for a B film he would have been in this Film. However we are graced with the great acting chops of Bob Hoskins, Malcolm McDowell and Alexander Sididig.
The Violence in the film was rather extreme I would have enjoyed a bit more inferred violence with a few graphic reveals rather than their constant and never ending barrage of blood. Only at one point do you not take the violence that seriously which involved ending the life of a small woodland creature which was disturbing and funny in a black humor sort of way.
Visually the Cinematography, Production Design and costuming was a blast. This film takes on a roller coaster of Genres from Future Monotone Lycra to Midievil Scotland to a Mad Max esque look that basically serves as the background for the Finale Action Sequence of the film.
What really made this film fun was the visuals just kept paying off along with the plot twists and the ability to switch genres. But more importantly there was a point when you actually started to care about characters most noted when Eden Sinclair loses her right hand man.
Bottom line is that I enjoyed this film. I would not recommend it to everyone though it is a good Science Fiction Action Film that rises above the Genre a bit. However the extreme graphic violence is not for everyone. I would not make this a DATE film unless they liked Resident Evil.
