Doom

Dir: Andrzej Bartkowiak

2005

**

It's bizarre how a great director like Andrzej Bartkowiak can go from Terms of Endearment to Falling Down in ten years and then to Doom twelve years later. However, for a film that looks quite serious, this is the biggest tongue-in-cheek adaption the world of computer games has ever seen. I liked the original computer game very much, the world’s first serious first person shooter with genuine frights, big guns and nasty aliens. I could never complete the thing but it didn't stop me from trying, a lot. I don't grieve for the hours wasted on the game, I do however, resent the time taken from me when viewing the film. It's a fairly lose adaption of the game itself and more of a lethargic imitation of films such as Aliens, Predator and Resident Evil which is a huge shame as there was so much potential to play with. I would hazard a guess that it was made by people who never really played the game and never had very much interest in it, or indeed games in general. The film was sold on the name alone, amazing in many ways that this was still happening in 2005, more amazing that we were still buying it. However, like many a terrible action horror, the film does redeem itself ever so slightly in what is a spectacularly over the top final fifteen minutes. It isn't quite enough to make up for miserable viewing that came before but it is something and makes this film a two star film rather than a one star failure. That said, it still appeals to me in a funny kind of way as it is a bit of a nerd hit. It stars Dwayne Johnson and Karl Urban who both have appeal in various nerd communities, Dexter Fletcher (who everyone loves) whose appearance is as bizarre as it is unexpected and the cult hero and sci-fi contortionist Doug Jones. Seriously, spotting Doug Jones in a film is the new Wilhelm scream. Overall, not enough horror, not enough monsters, not enough guns and not enough Doom.