Doom (2005)

"Video game movies are doomed to fail."  A hundred variations on this quippy sentence have been written in the past week.  Yes, let's be honest.  Movies adapted from video games do not have a good track record, from the cheap, eclectic Super Mario Bros. to a disappointing Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within to the much, much maligned House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark.  (In fact, Dead director Uwe Boll is doing his best to keep the video game "genre" in the dark ages.  Read Nate's article for more on that.)  Sure, the Resident Evil franchise has achieved some cult success, but that only matters if you're part of the cult.  Suffice to say, the genre isn't in good shape when the 1982 "classic" Tron is still one of the better examples.

Well, add another contender to the list: Doom, the next cult-classic video game movie.

 

Popcorn

74%

Whether or not one enjoys the movie may depend on whether or not one has played and enjoyed any of the Doom computer games.  I've been a Doom fan of varying degrees since the late nineties.  Roger Ebert clearly has not.  This may account for the difference of opinion between Doom being "an enjoyable, albeit dumb, horror/action romp" and "worst movie of the year".  So what's there to like?

For fans of the game, there's the familiar recipe of ambiance, suspense, "Hurt me plenty!" violence and big-gun, big-boom action.  The film is draped in shadows, offering the same fear of the unknown that the most recent Doom 3 relied heavily on, and it provides around-the-corner gotchas more similar to the original 1993 game.  The chaingun, chainsaw, and BFG each make appearances, and there's a fairly well-explained plot device more or less equivalent to the "Berserker" power-up.  While the first-person POV appeared cheesy in trailers, in the film it's the icing on the cake that will leave fans cheering--or howling--for more.

Unfortunately, the monsters from the games haven't carried over as well as the arsenal.  There are zombies, there's the bull demon affectionately known as "Pinky", and there are imps--sort of.  The more alien creatures of the film are not very distinguished from one another, so much so that fans will be wondering what's an imp, what's a "maggot", and what's supposed to be among the larger hellions.  (Non-fans will see even less difference, seeing these "freaks" as little more than generic Halloween costumes.)  Worse, there's no Cyberdemon, no "Spider Mastermind", and no mother demon...  Sorry folks, you'd better hope for a sequel if you want to see these bad boys.  As for their origins, the bad guys are failed genetic experiments, not demons--as far as we know.  There's no mention of Hell, though there is some mention of an inherent, supernatural evil behand all of it.  Still, the glossed-over rogues gallery should be a forgivable sin for most fans, as the film otherwise maintains a fairly faithful and respectable interpretation of the film.

For a general audience, there's admittedly less to enjoy.   Some may be able to appreciate Doom as a no-brainer action adventure.  Others will see it as a pale imitation of Alien and Predator, which any Doom movie is ultimately destined to be compared to.

 

Smarts

38%

Lest I seem too enthusiastic about the movie, I must reiterate that it is certainly a no-brainer as films go.  There's just enough plot to semi-explain why exactly these Marines are on Mars shooting at shadowy figures.  Weak attempts at character development are really just not-so-cunning means of sneaking in more exposition about the baddies.  It's actually unnecessary, given the type of film this is, and fortunately David Callaham and Wesley Strick had no delusions of grandeur about their script...  Such plotting didn't outlast its welcome.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is Doom's top-billed actor, and as a self-proclaimed fan of the game, he seems to have taken his role as Sarge seriously...  He plays a career Marine, stoic and by-the-book.  Not once does he wisecrack or lift that famous eyebrow of his.  Doom is not exactly the right film to showcase one's acting chops, but it's good to see The Rock trying something different, with a role that neither plays upon his persona (as with Walking Tall) or deliberately against it (Be Cool).  Karl Urban is the true protagonist of the film, and despite a grim, uninteresting character, he somehow manages to keep from being overshadowed by his more famous costar.

Director Andrzej Bartkowiak and the producers were well aware of his film's budget--$60 million, generous for a video game movie but hardly sufficient as action films go.  By making the most of their money and not spreading themselves too thin, they delivered a film that, while modest, looks clean and respectable.  Set pieces may look like set pieces, but they don't look cheap.  Doom is helped by cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts, who's good use of lighting gives depth and personality to a set that might otherwise seem claustrophobic and monotonous. 

 

Final

Though much of the gore is obscured by camera angles, Doom is still an incredibly violent movie...  If you have no stomach or interest in gratuitous violence, you can sit this one out.  Fans of the games will most definitely want to catch the movie in theatres.  Others can use their best judgement, either waiting for DVD or skipping it altogether.  Doom may not be a great movie, but it doesn't live up to its name, and that's a good thing.