Neal Marshall, the writer/director of films like THE DECENT, and DOG SOLDIERS come back at us again, this time with the post apocalyptic film DOOMSDAY. To put into words what the plot of DOOMSDAY is like’ lets just say it a mix of films like 28 DAYS LATER, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, THE ROAD WARRIOR and THE WARRIORS all thrown into one giant mixer of a film.
DOOMSDAY is about a virus that sweeps like the plague though Britain, the government along with people who are not infected end up sealing themselves behind a fifty foot wall, leaving the infected and anyone else who did not cross the wall in time to die out from the virus or learn to live on their own. One of the children who nearly lost her life when she was blinded during a firefight; Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) is now an elite Major with the new government enforcement agency preventing slavery and other sins from taking place from within the wall. She is summoned by the higher ups when a portion of the city is infected with the virus. Her mission is to go out with a team into the dead zone to find a cure that is rumored to have been created by Dr. Marcus Kane (Malcolm McDowell) whom was left in the dead zone because he refused to leave. Now with her team, Eden must venture out into the dangers of the dead zone where crazy cannibals killer gangs and medieval role-players now rule the land, and find a cure for the newly effected people of the city behind the wall.
I’ll be honest, the script for this film was all over the place and it seemed that the characters in this film went though time with each little area of the country they went though. The character development was very well written for the lead characters but lacked in the development of some of the villains and supporting cast. The dialogue is very well written, and there are some memorable one liners, but that’s really all the script has to offer. The thing is this, the story is pretty simple but the plot always moves to a different location in the script. But overall this is one fun story to follow, and in the end even I have to throw away any flaw in the script and just let myself have a good time with this one.
The acting, the directing work hand in hand with one another. Marshall knew what he wanted from his cast and got them to be the characters he needed them to be. The performances are very good, but nothing to go crazy over. The overall production value for this film is awesome. The visual effects look really good, but it’s the great looking post apocalyptic sets that really steal the show. On top of all that the film has some really good make-up effects and this unrated DVD really give the gore hounds the blood and guts they will be looking for. The film also has a very memorable car chase scene that is the real highlight of the whole film.
Overall, DOOMSDAY is a film that the picky critics will all find flaws with, I myself saw many, but this is not a film that should be seen as some cinematic piece of art. What it is, is a great action packed thriller with some great horrific scenes and a lot of none stop action. It’s a really fun film to watch, and I had a great time sitting in front of my television watching it on DVD. Speaking of the DVD, it comes with both the unrated and theatrical version, as well as a few featurettes such as Anatomy of Catastrophe: Civilization on the Brink and The Visual Effects of DOOMSDAY, plus many more goodies. It’s a DVD that’s well worth the buy for any fans of the films I’ve mentioned above and for fans of horror films and Marshall’s previous movies. It’s an overall great apocalyptic rollercoaster ride.
– Horror Bob
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- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
