DVD | Doom

Rating: R16 - Contains Violence, Offensive Language & Horror.
Duration: 108 mins.
Genre : Action Sci-Fi.
Actors: The Rock, Rosamund Pike, Karl Urban, Razaaq Adoti, Richard Brake.
Release Date: Available now.

Doom is the latest entry into the over crowded video game to movie genre. Why you may be asking, do we need another video game based movie? Because Doom is the ‘original’ video game. Well, maybe not, but it did re-define what video games were.

Enough of the history, this is a movie review, so lets talk about the movie. Doom follows the premise of the game, and probably doesn’t stray far away from its roots. The basic overview is this – scientists on Mars have made a discovery, and in doing so have opened the gates of hell. More figurative than literal, they’ve discovered a genetic mutation that looks into your soul and decides if you’re inherently good or evil. If you’re evil, it can use you.

Put simply, the Mars research facility has been put on lock down as genetically mutated spawn-of-the-devil monsters wreak havoc. But in a move similar to Aliens, a corporation owns the works that’s being done and the marines are sent into on a search and destroy, and recover mission. That is recovering the research material.

The movie starts off pretty damn slow for what was promised to be an edge of your seats action thriller, but don’t let this lull you into a false sense of security, because pretty soon you’re gonna be on the edge of your seat, or hiding behind it.

It’s cheesy in places – hey it stars the Rock – but not to a degree that it spoils the gun blazing action. Ill prepared for what they are about to encounter the marines get picked off one by one, until half of them are gone, and they start to realise what they’re up against.

Visually Doom is a feast for the eyes, with an industrial feel perfect for what you expect of a Mars based research facility. The special effects are great, with the monsters and gore adding to the freak-me-out factor and the atmospheric sound helps ramp up your blood pressure.

Director Andrzej Bartkowiak even goes so far as to give the movie the video game touch in one segment where local boy Karl Urban goes on a rampage, first person shooter style.

The pace is blazing once started and never seems to let up, with things going from bad to worse and them some. The story line twists and turns with some predictability, but still managed to hold a few surprises.

If you’re into a visual feast of head-exploding-bullet-laden action, with little in the way of believability (if you decide to stop and think about it) then Doom is your cup of over caffeinated coffee.

Food for thought
Genetically mutated monsters sounds a bit far fetched doesn’t it? But is it? We’re already experimenting in genetic modification, cloning and other scientific discoveries, all in the name of progress, but how far, is too far?