Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12427 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-02-02
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Grab your BFG and get ready to kick some Martian-demon butt in Doom, another entry in the increasingly crowded videogame-to-movie genre. The Rock plays Sarge, the commander of a squad of Marines sent to investigate a disturbance at a scientific research facility on Mars. Among the squad is John Grimm (Karl Urban, who played Eomer in The Lord of the Rings), who turns out to have had a previous relationship with Samantha (Rosamund Pike, Die Another Day), the scientist who's accompanying the Marines in order to retrieve some vital data from the facility.

Based on id Software's legendary first-person shooter, Doom tries its best to look like a game, with dark, angled corridors, ferocious creatures appearing out of nowhere, and a variety of lethal weapons that will, like the aforementioned BFG, warm the cockles of a gamer's heart. There's also one memorable sequence that actually turns the movie into a first-person shooter; the good news is that in the context of the whole film, it's not quite as goofy as it might have been.

And that's not a bad frame of reference for the film in general. Considering the game-to-movie field includes such duds as Wing Commander, if you go into Doom with low expectations, you'll probably find it a surprisingly respectable horror/sci-fi thriller in the Resident Evil vein (including its somewhat obligatory subplot of corporate wrongdoing). Also in its favor is that it's unabashedly R-rated, for the extreme gore that is a trademark of the game. After all, the purpose of the movie is to pack scares and thrills into a setting that gamers will quickly recognize. In that sense, it qualifies as a success. --David Horiuchi

Synopsis
In the not-so-distant future, a portal has been discovered leading from Earth to Mars, where the government operates a research base to examine the ruins of a lost civilisation; scientists are studying it, conducting experiments they perhaps shouldn't be, and trying find out what happened. Answer: nothing good. That's what Sarge (The Rock) and his unit of high-tech Marines find out the hard way when they're sent to investigate a disturbance on the base which turns out to be nothing less than an infestation of terrifying, evil, flesh-eating monsters. Doom, based on one of the most popular video games of all time, knows exactly what it wants to do, and wastes no time in doing it. Andrzej Bartkowiak, the director of lean, effective action flicks like Romeo Must Die and Exit Wounds, gets right to the meat of the movie: marines versus monsters in dark, dank corridors. The Rock brings just the right balance of bad-ass attitude and deadpan humour to the role of Sarge, while the cast's other standout is Reaper (Lord of the Rings' Karl Urban), who tries to repair his strained relationship with his sister Samantha (Rosamund Pike), one of the base's scientists. They're joined by a motley crew, including the twisted Portman, intensely religious Goat, affable Duke, and newbie The Kid. While the plot differs from that of the game in a few key ways, it remains true to the spirit of the original a no-frills fest of shooting, explosions, gore, and vicious zombies. The game was, of course, a first-person shooter, and in an inspired moment, the movie turns itself into one for a stretch. It's exhilarating, as are several surprising twists that separate this fun, streamlined action extravaganza from lesser video game adaptations.

Customer Reviews

enjoyable and fun action film
Something has gone horribly amiss at the scientific settlement of Olduvai on the planet of Mars, and a panicked Dr Carmack (named after the co-founder of ID Software, which released the game) calls for assistance. Cue the Sarge (Dwayne Johnson, former WWE wrestler "The Rock", The Scorpion King [DVD] [2002]) and his men - a Special Forces team, the RRTS (Rapid Response Tactical Squad), who are dispatched via the transport system called the "arc" to place the site under quarantine and find out what is going on. When they arrive at the settlement they discover more of a problem than they expected.

One of the RRTS team has previous experience of Olduvai - his parents were killed on an archaeological dig and his twin sister, Sam (Rosamund Pike), who followed their footsteps, is working on Olduvai. John Grimm known as "Reaper" (Karl Urban The Truth About Demons [DVD] [2007], Bones in Star Trek XI (2-Disc Edition) with Free Comic Book (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) [DVD] and Eomer in the The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Edition Box Set) [DVD]) is apprehensive about going back.

People tend to fall into one of two camps where this film is concerned - you are either a fan of the games or you haven't seen/played the games.

I came to this film without knowing about the video games (in all honesty I'd never heard of the games prior to getting the film), so I came with an open mind and I enjoyed the film for what it is - an action flick with zombies thrown in. The basic story is set up in the first 10-15 minutes after that you simply hang on and watch the action.

Not having played the games before I watched the film I did not understand the problem with the demons (or lack of them), yet there is a nod to them in various places throughout the film. Nor did I understand the First Person Shooter scene towards the end of the film. Since watching the film I have purchased the games Doom - Collector's Edition (PC CD) and Doom 3 (PC) and have started playing (well, I'm trying) and I now understand the disappointment - but it doesn't stop this being a great action film.

On the first few viewings I didn't get the First Person Shooter sequence near the end of the film, since I have started playing the games I now get it and actually jump when some of the monsters appear. For gamers it includes the Big Force Gun (BFG).

There are extras (basic training, rock formation, master monster makers, first person shooter sequence, doom nation and game on). There are also subtitles - I know from personal experience that subtitles tend to contain an edited text of what is spoken. These subtitles, however, contain out-and-out errors - for example: "on you Duke" becomes "funny Duke" (which makes no sense in the scene); "airway's clear" becomes "now he's clear"; and so on - a friend of mine does subtitling and tells me that they get a copy of the script to work from, so there is no excuse for errors like these.

If you are into film errors I spotted a couple: one error happens when they are trying to resuscitate one of their team the heart monitor is bleeping and then goes flat line - only then do they put the chest lead connectors on the patient (but still don't connect the leads); I've yet to meet a sergeant/serjeant that will accept being called "sir"; and us marines never call each other soldier.

I tend to refer to this as Resident Evil in space. It's one of those films which can be watched without too much brain power. It is a great action film which I have enjoyed watching over and over again.

Different rules for different medias
In response to some other reviewers, this game should technically be called Doom 3, since it is the film of that game and not of any other versions of Doom, but calling it that would obviously lead to confusion. Knocking this film because does not feature enemies from other versions of the game is a little unjust in such terms. The backgrounds and lighting and what monsters there are are very faithful to the game in question, though it is true that some of the more supernatural creatures are sadly absent. This is due to the fact that plot writers have thrown out all supernatural aspects of the story and gone for a more "scientific" approach to possession and just thrown in some low level philosophical comments about hell and the definition of evil. This is a big shame, but is probably due to a lack of budget or, more likely, a lack of nerve. Then again those who have seen "Event Horizon" will know that some hellish storylines can feel very contrived, as they are never really fully explained or justified. Once again this is something that will work in a video game because players don't really care that much if things are contrived (as in fact they need to be if you expect a first aid kit to immediately heal all wounds).

But as I mentioned earlier, many of the game's visual aspects are very well rendered in the film, some elements looking as if they were lifted directly from the game. Most of the action takes place in dark corridors lit by the torches of the soldiers, just as in the game. This is a good example of some of the concessions made to keep the film close to the game, since the soldiers, despite having other high tech equipment, have to rely on torches, in place of IR or night scopes or any other gadgets, to see in the dark. This is not the only limitation that is imposed on the film by the subject matter, but is a good example as to why the film as an independent entity is a little weak. Likewise, players who jumped out of their skins when a monster jumped at them from the shadows will be knocking the film for using similar scare tactics and complaining that the film is not scary. When the interaction is removed most of the game's scare mechanics fall flat, which is why the film does not try to be a horror film but more a tense action film instead. Those looking for scares should look elsewhere.

Overall this is a film that doesn't really take itself too seriously and is fun to watch. It does have something to offer for the non-discerning viewer who has no knowledge of the game, despite its slightly mediocre storyline and acting, though it does feel like a poor man's "Aliens" (which, in turn, inspired to game, so what do you expect). For players of Doom 3 there is still something to offer in the decors and atmosphere, though you'll have to stay open-minded about how the game has been interpreted. Personally I found it gave me the desire to go back and play the game again.

Enjoyable
I wasn't expecting a lot from this ilm and was very surprised to find that I really enjoyed it. Its quite fast paced and its far more enjoyable than your average action horror film. Sure it misses some of the excitement of other FPS games and could have been a lot better but its still a very exciting watch.