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Doomsday: Unrated
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Universal Pictures Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (5th August 2008). |
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The Film
 Neil Marshall blew me away with "The Descent" (2005) it was one of the best horror films of that year and also one of the best full stop. After I saw that film I discovered his previous "Dog Soldiers" (2002) and enjoyed every minute of it. Suffice it to say I was a Marshall convert and eagerly awaited "Doomsday", sadly it's not the best of his films and is rather a disappointment considering the sheer awesomeness of 'The Descent", while "Doomsday" includes some excellent action sequences there isn't a shred of originality here. As far stripped back as the film's script, it's all stuff we've seen before with killer/mutant/zombie viruses taking out mass civilizations etc. To the post-apocalyptic setting of the film, and the many 'homages' to 70's and 80's action specifically the "Mad Max" series (1979-1985). If you're going to write your own homage to these film at least add your own unique brand to the project, don't just borrow/rip-off...oops...sorry, be 'influenced' by them. I was hoping for an intelligent look at the post-apocalyptic virus story but all I got was the same old thing over and over again. Now, having said that, the film is fun for action fans. I was impressed with the action and loved the over-the-top nature of the film's villain. So the film doesn't totally suck. "Doomsday" takes place in the United Kingdom (specifically Scotland) were a virus has spread among the masses and to prevent the spread the government annexes the area by erecting a wall around it monitored by guards and drones that fire at anything that moves near the wall. However their efforts are useless as the virus has broken out in a major city and the government decides to send in an elite military group behind the wall to find a cure. But what awaits them behind the wall is a nightmare post-apocalyptic society driven by pack behavior, survival of the fittest and violence. "Doomsday" is another in a line of films that features a strong and independent female lead, Maj. Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), Eden was evacuated from Glasgow when the virus spread and now she's a hardcore military specialist who is chosen to lead the team into Scotland in search of a cure. Mitra does a decent job of taking on the mantle of action heroine, which was a bit of a surprise as I'd only known her from appearances on "Boston Legal" (2004-Present). She kicks some ass and is a bit rough around the edges, it would have been nice for the character to have some charm or finesse. There's no point mentioning any of the other supporting players that make up the military team because frankly I've already forgotten about them, a fair indication that their characters were hollow or plain unoriginal. Having said that it was nice to see Bob Hoskins again, he plays Eden's boss and although he's not in the film for very long he manages to leave an impression. As mentioned before the film does take its influence from other 80's action films, this includes the cyber-punk style villains, which are all over-the-top. Most especially Sol (Craig Conway) who's basically the king of the cyber-punk-castaway people and plays the role as if he's totally insane but not in any realistic manner. It's as if he's been hanging out with King Leonidas from "300" (2006) too long. Despite the over-the-top insanity driven performances the cyber punks never felt like a real threat and after a road chase were pretty easy to beat. The film's script is also uninspired, there's the whole 'virus' story line that's a threat to humanity which has been used in countless zombie films, as well as "28 Days Later" (2002) and its sequel as well as "I Am Legend" (2007) among others, so there's nothing new here. In fact the majority of the film's plot is ludicrous and uninspired however it's still a worthy film to see, if for quick brainless viewing. Then it's a perfect choice, as the action is really where the film stands out, and the chases are exciting and for gore hounds there's a suitable amount of violence thrown in.
Video
Presented in the film's original ratio of 2.35:1 and in 1080p 24/fps, this high-definition transfer has been created using VC-1 compression codec. The film maintains a rugged look and thus the film's look represents this, with sharpness looking good and detail holding up exceptionally well. The film's HD transfer is top notch, colors look approriatley gloomy, blacks are deep and bold with little noise amid them and consistent shadow detail. The image is clean and free of any flaws like dirt as well as compression problems or edge-enhancement.
Audio
Presented with a single English DTS-HD lossless master audio 5.1 surround track. As an action film there's plenty of activity to go around, the DTS-HD track is simply bombastic with intense amount of activity spaced around the 5.1 speakers. Dialogue is clear and distortion free, action scenes explode off th screen and the film's music comes across in an overwhelming manner. Explosions sound great with added bass for kick and the bullets literally fly over your head. This audio can easily be considered refernence quality. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.
Extras
Universal Pictures has released this film with a few extras that includes an audio commentary plus some interactive extras. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up is a feature-length audio commentary by writer/director Neil Marshall and actors Darren Morfitt, Rick Warden, Sean Pertwee and Les Simpson. This track wasn't exactly what I expected, the track features a bit of dead air and consdiering the amount of participants that shouldn't be the case. The director provides a lot of decent background on the making of the film, the various action scenes as well as shares stories from the production. The cast also comment on their experinces on the production and also gloss over their characters. Generally you get a sense of how much fun the film was to make as well as some of the challenges faced by the filmmakers. Following that are some Blu-ray exclusive extras under Universal's "U-control features" which are interactive feautures that allows viewers further into the filmmkaing process as well as provides some fun features exploring various aspects of the film, these features include: - "Reaper Virus Files" interactive feature, these are basically files that provide infomation on the virus and the characters invoved in the film. This feature is playable on profile 1.0 players or greater. - "Tech Specs" pop-up feature, this feature pops up during playback of the film, and basically provides technical specs for the equiptment and vehicles seen in the film. This feature is playable on profile 1.1 players or greater. (This feature remains unreviewed as I own a profile 1.0 player). - "Picture-in-picture" behind the scenes feature, finally this features allows viewers access to a heap of behind the scenes video of the filming of certain actions scenes while you watch the film. This feature is playable on profile 1.1 players or greater. (This feature remains unreviewed as I own a profile 1.0 player). Included in the case is a 3-panel booklet which features instructions on how to use the "U-control" features.
Packaging
Packaged in a standard Blu-ray case housed in a cardboard slip-cover.
Overall
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