Doom (2005)
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Theatrical Release: Oct 21, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $28,031,250
Synopsis: In the not-so-distant future, a portal has been discovered leading from Earth to Mars, where the government operates a research base to examine the ruins of a lost civilization; scientists are studying it, conducting experiments they perhaps shouldn't be, and trying find out what... In the not-so-distant future, a portal has been discovered leading from Earth to Mars, where the government operates a research base to examine the ruins of a lost civilization; scientists are studying it, conducting experiments they perhaps shouldn't be, and trying find out what happened. Answer: nothing good. That's what Sarge (The Rock) and his unit of high-tech Marines find out the hard way when they're sent to investigate a disturbance on the base--which turns out to be nothing less than an infestation of terrifying, evil, flesh-eating monsters. DOOM, based on one of the most popular video games of all time, knows exactly what it wants to do, and wastes no time in doing it. Andrzej Bartkowiak, the director of lean, effective action flicks like ROMEO MUST DIE and EXIT WOUNDS, gets right to the meat of the movie: marines versus monsters in dark, dank corridors. The Rock brings just the right balance of bad-ass attitude and deadpan humor to the role of Sarge, while the cast's other standout is Reaper (LORD OF THE RINGS' Karl Urban), who tries to repair his strained relationship with his sister Samantha (Rosamund Pike), one of the base's scientists. They're joined by a motley crew, including the twisted Portman, intensely religious Goat, affable Duke, and newbie The Kid. While the plot differs from that of the game in a few key ways, it remains true to the spirit of the original--a no-frills fest of shooting, explosions, gore, and vicious zombies. The game was, of course, a "first-person shooter," and in an inspired moment, the movie turns itself into one for a stretch. It's exhilarating, as are several surprising twists that separate this fun, streamlined action extravaganza from lesser video game adaptations. [More]
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Starring: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Deobia Oparei, Ben Daniels
DVD Info
Release:
Apr 25, 2006
HD-DVD Features:
- Red HD Case
- Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
- Dolby Digital Surround Sound Plus 5.1 - English, French, Spanish
- Subtitles - English SDH, French, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Featurettes - 1. "Basic Training"
- 2. "Rock Formation"
- 3. "Master Monster Makers"
- 4. "First-Person Shooter Sequence"
- 5. "Doom Nation"
- 6. "Game On!"
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
There's no rule that videogame movies have to be idiotic. And there's no rule that action-horror flicks need be dumb.
Who knew that a life-and-death struggle in the dark with psychotic hybrids could end up being so bland?
The filmmakers produced a mindless action movie that isn't mindless enough.
Doom is irritating enough to make you blow off some steam by spending a couple hours gunning down demons.
the final act is worth the price of admission for fans of the game. All things considered, though, I'd much rather just be playing the game.
Will never be any better than average, but we were always promised unapologetic, violent, action-oriented fun and so if you go in with that in mind you'd have to have a stone-cold heart not to have a blast.
Shlocky, brainless shoot-em-up fun that's almost as much fun as playing the game it's based on. Probably.
if you’re going to make a video game adaptation this boring, why not just call it Myst and be done with it?
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