Dir. Andrzei Bartkowiak, US/Czech Rep, 2005, 100 mins
Cast: The Rock, Rosamund Pike, Carl Urban, Deobia Oparei
The videogame to movie adaptation has become its own genre over the past decade. A collection of films that include such celluloid monstrosities as Super Mario Bros, Alone in the Dark and the Resident Evil franchise are enough to make even the most forgiving moviegoer shudder. But before reaching for the off button at the prospect of DOOM, it’s worth noting that it is one of the better attempts to bring the pixels to life, and that is one of the most tenuously positive quotes ever applied to a film.
The action (and lets face it, that’s the films only appeal) takes place in a research lab on Mars and with echoes of the Alien franchise the inhabitants of the isolated compound are exposed to a B-Movie plot involving genetically mutated Martians and a deadly virus that can only be stopped by the Rapid Response Tactical Squad led by a grunting Sarge (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and his second in command, John Grimm (Karl Urban).
The above paragraph is the type of generic set-up that is usually read (or ignored in most cases) in the instruction booklet accompanying a computer game. Any attempts by DOOM’s creators to raise the bar by expanding on the exposition are unnoticeable, or irrelevant in advancing the plot or the character dimensions. Karl Urban’s character is given a subplot in which he must battle the inner demons of his past alongside the literal ones that he is blasting with his heavy artillery but that is as profound as it gets.
Andrej Bartkowick is a director with an impressive pedigree. His fledgling career behind the camera may include average action films such as Romeo Must Die but look further down his CV and you will see cinematography credits on Terms of Endearments, Prizzi’s Honour and most notably Speed, a production on which you may expect he would have learnt a few techniques on how to deliver an action set-piece, non of which are on show in DOOM. The sequences are repetitive and uninspired, and the lighting of the film is so poor that following the visuals becomes a chore. It also raises an interesting question of why the super-intelligent team of marines didn’t bring any night vision goggles with them.
The films major draw, aside from the obvious appeal to the target audience of gamers, is the casting of “The Rock” as the Sarge. The success of his previous incarnations has been his tongue in cheek approach to the roles, whether it is his “Rambo-lite” of Walking Tall or his film saving turn in the otherwise awful Be Cool, none of that charm is on display here as the stoic leader of the marines.
The viewing experience of DOOM is similar to watching over you friends shoulder as he plays on his playstation for two hours. Tedious, sporadically entertaining, and the constantly irksome feeling that you could do something more constructive with your time.
Matthew Rodgers
Universal Pictures have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Doom for 3rd April 2006. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson stars in this sci-fi action movie based on the popular videogame series in which an experiment on a remote planet goes horribly wrong and a team of marines is sent to investigate.
Bonus features include:
- Basic Training (10:30)
- Rock Formation (5:34)
- Master Monster Makers (10:51)
- First person shooter sequence 5:53
- Doom Nation (14:36)
- Game On (6:44)
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