Doomsday

Paying ‘homage’ to other films can be touch and go at the best of times. Sometimes it ends up looking like a film’s just blatantly copied another (most likely superior) movie and you get nothing new. However, with ‘Doomsday’ you can never be entirely sure which homage you’re watching. We join the action a few decades in the future where Scotland has been quarantined due to a virus wiping out the population (possibly down to an infected deep-fried Mars bad – we don’t know). However, when the virus resurfaces in London, an elite squad is send north of the border to try and find a cure. Yes, it’s a B-movie, but it’s a damn fine one. When the team assembles, we get extreme shades of the Colonial Marines from Aliens (see some ‘borrowed dialogue’ even), then we move on to Escape From New York (even down to the fact that the central character has only one eye) and Mad Max 2 when it comes to fighting the enemies. Finally, give it a 28 Days Later feel with the vibe and musical score and you have one hell of a violent mess of a film. With this many elements in the mix, it’s never going to sit together perfectly, but then I doubt the film-makers ever intended it to be perfect. It has its faults and there are plot-holes aplenty if you’re in the mood to pick holes in it. However, I watch Doomsday purely to be entertained. I’m not looking for high-quality drama or a watertight script. It’s severely tongue-in-cheek, even bordering on daft at some stages. And good on it. It can never hope to compete with the serious Hollywood action blockbusters, so it carves out its own niche in the market by copying other films in a ‘knowing’ way. For everyone who loves this film (like me) there will be someone who absolutely hates it. And I can understand where they’re coming from. If you’re expecting some high-quality, Hollywood action, then you may be disappointed. To get maximum enjoyment from Doomsday, put your brain on hold, grab the biggest bucket of popcorn, place your tongue firmly in your cheek and enjoy the crazy ride. A true guilty pleasure film if ever there was one.

I remembered enjoying this a while back but couldn't remember much about it, I decided to give it a rental based on that but this just isn't very good. Perhaps little boys impressed by the graphic violence and the like might get some enjoyment out of this but for anyone else, it's pretty lacking.

this film seems to borrow little bits from lots of different films but then adds its own twist. brilliant film with lots of action, and great stuff not to mention the best songs of the 80s just for nostalgia. defo worth watching

i have to admit this confused the hell outta me, didnt make no sense.. i mean in 2035 where did the castle n armour come from?

wont b recommending this, sorry

Really disappointing. Was hoping for the excitement, action and humour of Dog Soldiers but it never came. The film just can't make up its mind what it wants to be; starts out with a 28 Days Later feel, then goes through a camped-up medieval phase before morphing into Mad Max. Unfortunately it lacks the freshness, poise, and fun of all of those. Ends up resorting to endless cinematic cliches. Quite what Hoskins and McDowell thought they were getting themselves into is a mystery; they must have been pretty embarrassed by the result, and Marshall has a lot of ground to make up after his earlier promise. Would not watch this again.