Doomsday
Written and Directed by: Neil Marshall
Starring: Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell, Craig Conway, Alexander Siddig

Fresh off the success of his superb horror movie The Descent, British filmmaker Neil Marshall has returned to give us his take on the post-apocalyptic genre. While end of the world scenarios have been a little too frequent on the big screen as of late, Marshall’s movie has one key distinction from all the rest: there are no zombies and no vampires, only human survivors who have turned into cannibalistic savages (subtle difference, I know).

The impetus for this situation is a familiar plot device in the form of a deadly virus which sweeps across Scotland, requiring it to be quarantined. But don’t expect a realistic portrayal of an outbreak or a deep examination of the science and psychology behind viral contagion and the decay of human society. This is all just a convenient backdrop for over the top action, thrills, explosions, blood and gore. It’s better that you know this going in, because if you’re expecting a companion to The Descent or another 28 Days Later, you’ll likely be disappointed.

Much like Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did last year with Grindhouse, Marshall has taken this opportunity to resurrect some of his favourite b-movies from eras past. However, unlike Tarantino and Rodriguez, he hasn’t been as vocal about his influences. In fact, the marketing for this movie tries to pass it off as a modern sci-fi thriller, and while it does use big budget special effects and avoids film grain gimmicks, it is still very much rooted in the sensibility of the low budget 70’s filmmaking. Which is why if ever there was a movie that screamed out “Don’t screen me for critics!”, this is it. Doomsday pays tribute to a genre that has always attracted a strong cult following, but little love from high-brow film afficionados.

The film opens with a grim scene of panic and pandemonium as the army is trying to evacuate any non-infected people from the quarantine zone. A mother is trying to protect her baby girl, who has a bandage around her head and seems to have injured her eye. A soldier bravely gives up the last seat on a helicopter in order to save the girl, who twenty-some odd years later grows up to be a special agent for the government. When the so-called Reaper virus resurfaces, they need to send a team of specialists back into the quarantined area to look for a cure… guess who ends up leading it? Inside the walls, they find a dangerous underground society divided into two warring factions, many of which have no knowledge of the outside world.

Even though Doomsday wasn’t billed as a throwback or homage, it becomes pretty obvious within the first few minutes what Marshall’s intentions are. Not only do the subtitles use the exact same font and wording as the opening of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York, but Rhona Mitra’s character wears an eye patch part of the time and is essentially dressed like a female version of Snake Plissken. Even the music for the first half of the movie echoes Carpenter’s distinctive synthesizer style.

However, just when you think you’ve grown accustomed to the movie’s general aesthetic, Marshall throws us for a loop by shifting gears to an opposing gang that lives in a castle out in the Highlands. When one of the characters says things have gotten “medieval” on the streets, he isn’t kidding… they literally ride horses and wear full plate armour. Perhaps this is a tribute to George A. Romero’s Knightriders (which I haven’t seen) or something like Army of Darkness, but it’s definitely an odd and delightfully unexpected twist that will probably catch some viewers off guard. By the end, we are also treated to an insane Mad Max tribute on a massive scale.

Mike McGranaghan from Aisle Seat says in his review that Doomsday plays like a completely serious spoof in the vein of Epic Movie and Meet The Spartans. I guess I can see how some of the medieval stuff with the aerial shots over giant hills would remind people of Lord of the Rings. However, I think this reviewer missed the point, which is that the movie references films that were made over 20 years ago instead of recent blockbusters.

I’ll be the first to admit that Doomsday is pretty out there, and extremely silly at points. It’s uneven, loud and doesn’t always make sense. But it’s also a heck of a lot of fun and does have some genuine moments of suspense in the first half. The make-up, tattoos and mohawks, though extreme, are a fun visual motif, and an obvious nod to movies like The Warriors. The thing is, it’s not as absurd as it might seem; humans come from tribal roots after all, and in this movie, Marshall even ties some of their appearances back to Scottish tradition with kilts and face paint resembling Braveheart.

The other thing I will say is that Rhona Mitra was a total badass in this movie. I don’t think I had seen her in any major roles prior to Doomsday (I know she’s been in Hollow Man, Skinwalkers, and yes Ali G Indahouse, among others), but she totally carried this flick. I had my doubts, but at this point I think I’d take her over Milla Jovovich any day (sacrilege, I know).

In some ways Marshall embellishes on the movies he is borrowing from (it helps when you have a big budget to work with) but I don’t think he ever surpasses them — which I guess is bound to be a problem in a situation like this. Many would say that Marshall didn’t add enough of his own touches to make the movie distinct, and that all the scene shifts are a bit jarring. I can’t argue with these criticisms. The movie is also too kinetic for its own good (the Mad Max car chase was just a mess; sloppy and nearly impossible to follow).

Still, this is a movie that was created with a specific audience in mind, and if you are a part of that audience, you’ll love it in spite of its flaws. It’s just great to see something so bold, and dare I say non-mainstream, in theatres, even though it’s probably destined to fail. If you can’t see the difference between this and, say, Uwe Boll’s films, then I suppose you’re perfectly entitled to that opinion. But that being the case, there’s a good chance Doomsday just isn’t for you. — Sean

SCORE:

Recommended If You Like: The Warriors, Mad Max, Escape From New York, Grindhouse