Bullet Points: Doomsday
It’s another Foreign Film Friday and even though you don’t have to read the subtitles on this one it counts as a foreign film so BACK OFF! This week we’ll be taking a look at the 2008 film Doomsday. It may not have caused riots at your local theater but this movie is entertaining as hell and not to be missed. It works perfectly as an homage to the films Escape from New York and The Road Warrior. I think that director Neil Marshall would be very accepting of that label. Marshall has recently done a couple epic episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones and is currently working on a new King Kong movie called Skull Island, so get excited people. Check out the Bullet Points below:
The Gist: Almost 30 years ago a virus ripped through Scotland, causing thousands among the populace to grow infected and die horrible deaths. To keep the rest of Britain safe a wall was built and the people north of it were left to die. Now, years later, the virus may have found its way into the heart of Britain and the only chance for survival is to send DDS Major Eden Sinclair and her team north of the wall to try and find some sort of cure. The problem is that the virus didn’t kill everyone and the ones who were left are pissed.
The Cast: Rhona Mitra is the lead and carries the brunt of the movie as she was deeply effected by the virus (her family was killed and she lost an eye) and feels like she has to go north of the wall. Bob Hoskins plays her boss and mentor and David O’Hara and Alexander Siddig play bit parts. O’Hara is a guy that I’ve always seen play small, side roles but deserves a big-time villain role. Maybe if one of these comic book movies needed a Scottish villain. Malcolm McDowell also provides his talents. Mitra is both insanely hot and badass at the same time. She gets to use her fake eye ball/camera thingy a couple of times and somehow gets in fights with a knight and a face-tattooed lady.
Rhona Mitra is sexy and badass.
The Villain: I always say that there are two types of villains; the Lex Luthor and the Doomsday, and this has both. O’Hara plays the Lex type who has nothing but bad intentions while Craig Conway is the awesome leader of the cannibal tribe living in Glasgow. I wish Conway would get some more mainstream roles as I love his work in all of Neil Marshall’s movies. Malcolm McDowell also fits into this category as the former scientist turned medieval ruler. It’s a pretty cool idea but it seems like it would have been a tough sell to the people.
Marshall knows that by casting Craig Conway as your villain it essentially assures you that it will rock.
The Action: My only problem with Doomsday is that it takes too long to get to the post-apocalyptic Scotland that is cool as shit. On one end we have a bunch of punk-rock, Mad Max-inspired cannibals, and on the other end we have a 1300’s castle with knightly dudes riding around on horses and spearing people. Rhona Mitra and her crew get into some very Road Warrior-esque car chases. Neil Marshall has made some sweet ass movies but has gotten more famous for directing big episodes of Game of Thrones. He doesn’t skip the gore or blood that he’s used in the past and that makes for some cool death scenes.
It looks like the Gimp-mobile invaded a James Bond movie set.
Take it Home:
- Inspiration: I’ve never seen a movie more inspired by John Carpenter’s Escape from New York and Mad Max That is a very good thing.
- What it is: The DDS stands for Department of Domestic Security.
- Filming: Most of this movie was filmed in South Africa.
- Favorite quote: “I want everyone suited, booted, and strapped. Back here in 10!” I thought the sergeant was pretty convincing.
- Sweet ride: I don’t know how all of the shitty cars catch up to the Bentley at the end.
- Whoops: Only two of the stunts went wrong during filming. On one a motorcycle rider was dragged when he meant to roll safely aside. The other was a man who Sol punched off of the train platform; on the second take of the scene, the stuntman’s nose was broken.
Rating: 3.5/5