Doomsday

The post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Doomsday looks suspiciously like the film version of a video game, but it's solely the product of writer-director Neil Marshall (The Descent). Doomsday is set in 2035, some 27 years after Scotland was quarantined following the outbreak of a malicious virus that swept through the populace. When the virus surfaces in London, British Prime Minister John Hatcher (Alexander Siddig) and his ruthless chief advisor Michael Canaris (David O'Hara) send a covert team into Scotland to search for a rumored cure. No-nonsense cop Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) leads this commando force, which runs into unexpected opposition from two barbaric factions—one of which is headed up by Kane (Malcolm McDowell), a scientist believed to have found the cure. Gunfights and gladiatorial battles are Doomsday's claim to action fame, but while the film has a real visceral edge, coherence is sometimes sacrificed for speed in the jagged editing (and Marshall splatters gore whenever he feels a little extra jolt is needed—including one humorous sequence in which a severed head flies through the air and thumps into the camera). Obviously influenced by The Road Warrior and 28 Days Later, among other films, Doomsday is a reasonably entertaining popcorn flick. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include both the theatrical and unrated versions, audio commentary (by director Neil Marshall and costars Sean Pertwee, Darren Morfitt, Rick Warden, and Les Simpson), a “Devices of Death: Guns, Gadgets, and Vehicles of Destruction” production featurette (20 min.), an “Anatomy of Catastrophe: Civilization on the Brink” behind-the-scenes featurette (18 min.), “The Visual Effects and Wizardry of Doomsday” featurette (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven but fun film.] (E. Hulse)