First of all, I would like you to know that I really enjoyed watching Doom and that it’s one hell of a science fiction movie. It’s got all the makings of a cult classic complete with a phenomenal cast. The only problem is that it’s based on a video game which is the only reason it was made in the first place. This also means that there will be a lot of complaints no matter how the movie turned out. One of the major issues with this adaptation is that there’s no mention of hell or demons. Both of these elements are hallmarks of the original video games, with the title of the sequel to the original even being Doom 2: Hell on Earth.
The best way to approach Doom, the movie, is to look at it as a blend of science fiction, horror, and action loosely based on a video game. They could’ve just made an original movie with a few insignificant changes because the story in Doom was always flimsy. However, then they wouldn’t be able to cash in on the name recognition. Moving on, as someone who played all Doom video games, I wasn’t outraged or triggered by any of this. After all, the games were about having fun and I was having fun with this movie. Towards the end, we even got a pretty sweet POV FPS sequence that blew me away the first time I watched.
It is the year of our lord 2046, and things on Mars are not looking good. Fucking Mars, it’s like always stirring up trouble. This time a research facility is under attack from unknown assailants. However, have no fear because Space Marines are coming to take care of things. So, research facility, shady doctors, marines, and all this happening on Mars, all we need now is some mutation and we’re set…
Starring freaking Dwayne Johnson, fucking Karl Urban, and Rosamund Pike, Doom has a certain charm of the eighties. It feels like a pumped-up Split Second mixed with Aliens and a little bit of Total Recall on the top. Granted, “story” is kinda shallow, but what can you expect from an action video game adaptation? It delivers everything it promises and more. With a lofty budget of $70 million, the special effects are juicy and production values great. Moreover, it has this vibe of a big science fiction movie, symbolized in the opening credits with the Universal logo featuring Mars instead of Earth. There just aren’t enough similar movies featuring all these elements made in this century.
Finally, I just have to add that I loved that R rating slapped on top of this movie. This means there will be blood, guts, and severed limbs all over the place. I just think that the movie is too dark visually, they need to light that shit up. Crank up the brightness and exposure a bit, this is not a video game. I say this because the Doom 3 featured a lot of darkness with all kinds of creatures lurking in it and scaring the shit out of people. And, if you have time, also check out Doom Eternal video game, it’s just so much fun. It helped me last year when all the shit started happening and it’s pretty cheap now.
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Writer: Dave Callaham, Wesley Strick
Cast: Karl Urban, Dwayne Johnson, Rosamund Pike, Richard Brake, Deobia Oparei, Razaaq Adoti
Fun Facts: The first person shooter (FPS) sequence took about 14 days to shoot.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419706/
