Movie Review

Movie Review :: Doom
Posted :: Oct 26, 2005 by Antares

Movie: Doom
Genre: Sci-fi/Action/Horror
Cast: The Rock, Rosamund Pike

For the faint of heart, the genre is enough to make them run. Will the movie adaptation of our beloved Doom make us run as well? Here's a brief overview:

Thumbs down:
NO Hell
You can't have Doom without Hell. It's just not the same. It's like a LAN party without caffeine. We already knew this, but there isn't enough demonic influence. This is why Doom 3 can freak the living crap out of most people.

Zombies
Kind of cheesy. I wish they had been more like Doom 3 zombies.

Plot
The human genome thing just cracks me up. They did talk about the archaeological efforts of the UAC. Doom has plot, but only some are able to appreciate it!

No Cyberdemon
No Revenants, no mutated commandos. Hey, a guy can dream.

Thumbs up:
Music
Better than expected, but still nothing compared to the soundtracks of the Doom games.

Rosamund Pike
A total babe. ;)

Live-action BFG
Need I say more? Sarge spends like five minutes just admiring it. I could not help but applaud when I saw this, confirming my geekdom in the pages of eternity.

FPS sequence
Easily the best part of the movie, very well done overall. If you've seen the trailer, this is the first-person-view sequence (a first in movie history). Not scary though. This is like your first mission in Doom 3, just some zombies.

Feels like UAC
The rooms, the environment, the computers, bloody scientists, AWESOME!

Conclusion
For fans of the FPS genre, there is a lot to be happy about. The entire movie is a testament to the work of id Software, from the use of game artwork to the Doom-style credits. Doom fans will appreciate the film's subtle details and the best scene of the movie, a live-action chainsaw fight with a Pinky Demon.

It's far from a true adaptation, however, and it doesn't represent the Doom franchise by any stretch of the imagination. It is not scary at all... and I think it's fair to say we're proud of Doom's ability to terrify.

There is considerable violence, but not by any respectable Doom player's standards. I could easily have brought my squeamish little brother.

Fans of horror have nothing to see here; there's a good bit of sci-fi, though. Like so many video-game adaptations, most people will not appreciate the effort. id Software's creative genius sometimes shows, but is more often clouded by Hollywood's poor attempts at acting and changing a masterpiece.

In short, a good "hoorah!" for Doom and FPS fans. Although it leaves MUCH to be desired, I recommend you see it right away! I give Doom six out of ten frags.

-- Antares