Movie Review

Doom

"Doom" is the one movie of this Oscar season in which expectations aren?t necessary. The film is based on a video game, so the only real thought-provocation the movie has to offer is, "Why does Hollywood continue to turn to this area for ideas?" The genre has been a wasteland of flicks including "Street Fighter" and "Mortal Kombat" that have no stories and exist only to go from one violent encounter to the next. I played "Doom" as a kid and enjoyed it on an entertainment level, but the game is primarily shooting creatures until they kill you. It?s fun as a game but there is nothing here that is interesting enough to satisfy a movie. The entire thing just wears thin.

Take the opening scene for example ? I actually enjoyed it. "Doom" begins on a research facility on Mars where terrified scientists are running all over the place trying to escape something. The research facility is dark, grimy, and one corridor leads to another corridor that may or may not have something lurking in it. The scientists are readily disposed of, one running into an ugly misfortune with a closing mechanical door. It?s the kind of scene that promises blood, excitement, and scares all at the same time, only what follows is more of the first one and less of the next two.

The movie takes place in the year 2046 where a portal has been discovered (called ?The Arc?) which can transport anyone to Mars. That?s how the before-mentioned scientists got there. Jumping ahead we are introduced to the Rapid Response Tactical Squad, marines armed with the most advanced firepower. They are led by Sarge (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), and the second in command is Johnny Reaper Grimm (Karl Urban). They have been dispatched to Mars to investigate what happened to the scientists.
There they meet scientist Samantha Grimm (Rosamund Pike), who is the sister of Johnny. Their parents were also scientists, but when they died, Samantha and Johnny each took separate paths. You want character development? That?s the best you?re going to get. Samantha tells us that the facility on Mars was used for archeological research. Encased in her office are the bones of a Martian woman protecting her infant child. She tells us that this Martian race had the power to perform self-healing, but the better question is what is Martian woman shielding the child from?

What follows is pretty much what you would expect. The response team slowly walks around, scanning the facility, waiting for some monstrous creature to kill them in the bloodiest way imaginable. A character?s head is knocked off; the tongue of one of the creatures actually burrows into someone?s neck. What is pretty disappointing about this film is that it can?t even find new ways to kill people. Another disappointment is the creatures. The story ? if you want to call it that ? is primarily paying lip service to "Alien" and "Predator,? but couldn?t they have at least used some imagination on coming up with what the creatures look like? They?re just a mix of both classic characters.

There are a few action sequences in this film worth mentioning ? one involving a character fighting one of the creatures surrounded by electric walls and the other is the final battle. Otherwise, the film is devoid of any real action. One terrible idea in particular is a scene near the end in which the audience is put behind the gun, mirroring the first-person shooter effect of the game. Character or suspense is nowhere to be found, and is instead replaced by something that feels terribly artificial.

And finally, I?m not even going to say disappointment on this one, but rather just plain rip-off. This movie barely utilizes The Rock. He manages to make this movie somewhat entertaining all by himself, giving us a testosterone-charged and commanding performance in the lead role. Only the movie bypasses what makes him-HIM. There is no trademark humor. There are very few occasions in which we see him kicking ass. There is nothing particularly interesting about him. The character could have just as easily been played by some reject actor on the sci-fi network.

The rest of the cast is blah. Every time this movie gets emotional I felt like hurling. "Doom" is a video game, and not only that but a bland video game. There is nothing in here that merits a movie, and most of what it does show is stolen from other movies. If you?re looking for a film without the slightest touch of ambition, then this is the movie for you.

Craig's Grade: D+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%