This is the ultimate "homage" film from Director Neil Marshall who previously gave us low budget gems Dog Soldiers and Descent. Marshall "borrows" from so many movies that you would expect Doomsday to be a complete mess, but he ends up making it work extremely well. Here's a list of movies that came to mind while watching: Escape from New York (complete with some bouncy John Carpenter-eske soundtrack music), Road Warrior, 28 days, Casino Royale (Astin Martin DBS vehicle), Apocalypse Now and believe it or not, King Arthur and Gladiator. I'm sure there's even more.
Doomsday begins April 2008 Glasgow, Scotland when an unstoppable virus epidemic hits resulting in a 30' wall being built around Scotland to avoid spreading the virus. (This part was weird because Akiko and I will be on vacation in Scotland this April. Uh oh.) 30 years in the future the virus shows up again in England so they send a team into Scotland to look for a cure led by super soldier, Eden Sinclair. Mayhem ensues when they run into the survivors. Gore aplenty with limbs flying, several decapitations, explosions, gunfire, car chases, sword fights and a guy being roasted alive for some good old fashioned cannibalism. Marshall does most of the shots here in old-school in-camera style and his action scenes really do offer some blood pumping excitement.
This type movies is as good as its villain and actor Craig Conway pulls out one of THE great over the top Crazed-Maniac-Psycho leaders ever.
Although Marshall makes Rhona Mitra look good playing the anti-hero, Eden, she just seems a little too slight to come off as the Ultra Bad-ass who could beat the crap out everyone in the room. She tries ,but isn't quite there even when wearing a Snake Plissken eye patch on occasion, due to a nifty removable bionic eyeball.
Overall there is nothing original here, but Doomsday is a near perfect mish-mash of grade B action films. Loved it.
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