Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was cast fittingly as Sarge, a badass Marine with an attitude set to lay the smack down on the carnivorous enemy.
I thought it was a rule that movies based on video games were required to, for lack of a better term, suck ass. Years ago, I was teased with movies such as Resident Evil and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Being young and naive, it was exciting to see my favorite video games grace the silver screen. Then, I actually paid money to see them. I ran to the box office with a fist full of $9, eager to see demons collapse in fits of screeching torment without lifting my controller. Then I wept.
It seems everytime a movie based on a video game graces the screen, the hype goes through the roof, and each time the movie falls far short of watchable. I was sure this would be the fate of gaming-based movies for all time.
Enter Doom.
The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King) and Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) co-star in this blood-splattering, mutant-hacking killfest. Something has gone horribly wrong at a research institute on Mars. Six scientists are missing and all communications to the facility have ceased. The plan of action: Send in a couple of guys with really big guns. Gee, sound like the plot of James Cameron’s Aliens much?
Urban plays John Grimm, a silent, brooding man whose troubled past still haunts him. Grimm’s parents performed archaeological research at the facility he is investigating until they were both killed in a tragic accident. That aspect of the story is barely explored and turns out to merely be a lazy attempt by director Andrzej Bartkowiak to add some sort of depth to the plot.
When the Marine unit arrives at the research facility, they are greeted by one of the researchers, who happens to be John’s sister, Samantha Grimm. Samantha has continued her parents’ archaeological research, unbeknownst to twin brother John.
The Rock plays Sarge, your typical hard-nosed, no-nonsense, slightly unhinged Marine. This role could not have been better casted. The Rock is intimidating, brash, unrelenting and just all around badass. Sarge orders his unit to split up and search for the missing scientists and things quickly go awry.
The Marines quickly discover the scientists are dead, not missing. Even more disturbing is that some of the dead bodies of the scientists are not where the Marines found them in the first place. Slowly but surely – and very gruesomely – the Marines start getting waxed by very ugly, carnivorous creatures.
After a lot of shooting and killing, the Grimm siblings and Sarge discover the scientists were not actually researching archaeology but conducting genetic experiments on convicted felons. Well of course, who else would you conduct horrifying genetic experiments on resulting in gross mutations? The plot is shallow and, at times, just silly. But can you really expect a deep, rich, thought-provoking story when one of the lead actors used to deliver the People’s Elbow to Triple H on Monday nights, and the director’s only other films starred Jet Li, Steven Segal and DMX?
Almost all the scenes are shot in dark, labyrinth-like corridors. You can’t even see the creatures until almost halfway through the movie due to the lack of lighting and how fast they dash across the screen. As high-tech and expensive the research facility looks, you would think they would be able to afford a good electrician, or at least be able to change a few light bulbs. Again, anyone else reminded of Aliens?
This movie’s selling point is the action. You will overlook the bad storyline because of the fast-paced, bloody, gory action, which is to be expected in a movie about one of the most violent video games ever. The action is truly representative of the game. Not only is it full of guts and gore, it’s downright scary too.
The most impressive action sequence comes near the end of the movie. The camera takes on John Grimm’s point of view as he goes on a killing massacre that would put postal workers to shame. The movie looks exactly like the first-person shooter it was modeled after – it even has the gun visible in the bottom of the screen. This is definitely one of the most intense, brutal, and spectacular action scenes that I have ever seen.
All things considered, Doom was a damn fun movie. Good plot? No. Good acting? No. Rip-off of Aliens? Most definitely. But who cares? It’s a tense, dark, scary, testosterone-infused bloodbath, and that is exactly what it should be. Doom doesn’t try to be something that it is not. It quite literally sticks to its guns and will blow you away.
Contact reporter Eric Richardson at richardsondbk@gmail.com.
