Doom DVD Review:

The absurdity of the fact that video games are still being made into feature films is not even what makes Doom so terrible. What makes it terrible is how incredibly uninteresting the violence is. Teens may enjoy the massacre of the video game because of the involvement the killing requires, but the film doesn’t manage to engage the audience on any level. It also does not help that the set-up is not completely unfamiliar.

In the world of Doom, Mars is a home planet, and it is the planet from which a group of mercenary Marines are sent to save the day. On a remote research station, a group of scientists have been killed, and there may be a possible outbreak if the Marines can’t stop it. It’s another zombie type film, but this time there is a heavy arsenal to destroy them.

The Rock jumps into Doom with far more seriousness than a film like this ever deserved, and for the first half of the film there is none of the fun which is accomplished by the quips and one-liners of the game. Even at the point that the film has a first person point of view which is similar to the game, the violence resembles the game, but all humor is missing. There is definitely a raw energy to the short first person sequence near the end of the film, but there is nothing at stake as an audience watches. The game is only fun while participating, and watching the film is remarkably similar to watching someone else play a video game.

The effects in the film are impressive while the plot is not. There are all sorts of creatures, which are actually humans which have died and transformed. It is a lot like the Resident Evil films, but with more men and a lot bigger guns. The guns are so big that they should be a lot cooler than they actually are. The whole point of the video game is to get the best guns and destroy things, and yet the guns are hardly used in the film.

The DVD is set up like a futuristic computer screen, as many of the special features try to convey as well. The menus are screen upon screen with the options set up like a computer, while the video screen has footage from the film. The film itself is unrated, but the differences seem minimal, or at least unnoticeable to most.

The special features are more interesting than the film at some points. There is a “Basic Training” featurette which has behind-the-scenes footage of the training the actors went through to look like special forces. The training is fascinating, especially when the actors are trying not to flinch while shooting extremely large guns. Even though they have blanks in them, the guns are still real and powerful. The “Rock Formation” featurette is all about the prosthetics used on The Rock when he transforms at the end of the film. It looked silly in the film, but the stages to make him look the way he does, is fascinating. “Master Monster Makers” is a featurette about Sam Winston’s creature effects in the film. The creatures are great, and it is only more disappointing that the film never lived up to them. There is also an extended first person shooter sequence, a featurette about the video game Doom, some tips on the new Doom, and a demo for Doom 3 on XBOX.

Ryan Izay

When biohazard incident pushes the Mars research base into quarantine, Sarge (The Rock) and his team of marines are sent to investigate and contain the situation. Arriving on the planet, the team are brought up to speed by Dr Samantha Grimm (Pike) who informs them that most of the base has been locked down and they have lost contact with the scientists in the labs. As the team enter the quarantine zone, they discover that creatures have taken over the base and are killing anyone who gets in their way.

Video game adaptations have not really produced a movie that does the source material justice but can ‘Doom’ change this?

Based on one of the most pioneering games in video game history, ‘Doom’ was the first person shoot-em-up that brought horror, gore and big guns to the fledgling genre. Two game sequels later and selling millions of copies across numerous console and PC platforms, Hollywood started to take notice.

As with all video game adaptations, Hollywood has decided to change a few things. While games are becoming more plot driven, with characters development and production values just as big as any movie but this isn’t good enough for Hollywood. The fact that a successful game can actually make more money than an even the biggest movie doesn’t seem to deter filmmakers from changes things. ‘Doom’ is no different. Instead of a portal to Hell bringing forth the devil’s spawn, we have a genetic engineering plot that sees zombies and monsters take over the Mars base. This is a major change to the dynamic of the movie but the change isn’t as bad as the fans might have thought.

Based more on the ‘Doom III’ game, the look and atmosphere of the movie captures the game really well. Dark, enclosed and very atmospheric, the production design on the film extremely good with all your favourite weapons and the key monsters making appearances. Fans will also rejoice in the fact that BFG also makes an appearance but we don’t really get to see its true destructive power. The best aspect of the film however is when the movie switches into first person view, as we follow a marine through the dark corridors of the base while he fights for his life. Could this be what games of the future look like?

Traditionally with game adaptations, good or bad you can usually rely on a big name star been attached and ‘Doom’ is no different. The Rock stars as Sarge, the leader of the crack marine team sent into clear up the situation. This might seem an ideal role for the wrestler turned thespian but it is different to what he has played before. Some of his fans might be shocked to hear their hero use excessive, bloody violence and foul and abusive language but if he wants to make it in the action genre, he has to stop pulling his punches and wade in. This is a good role for him and should excel him in the action stakes. The star of the show however is Karl Urban as John Grimm. He is the main character in the movie and it is through him that we see most of the action. His Hollywood presence continues to increase and this is another role that should get him noticed. The same can be said for Rosamund Pike, as she strives to shake her Bond girl image with another decent role. The rest of the cast is made of the usual clichéd soldier-type but they are only fodder for the monsters.

‘Doom’ is brainless nonsense but entertaining nonsense all the same. It succeeds in capturing the essence of the game more successfully than most game adaptations and is suitably violent and gory to please fans. While the plot might not be not be the exactly the same as the game, this is still ‘Doom’ so get really to charge up your BFG and fire away.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Basic Training (10.32 mins)
Military training advisor Tom McAdams and stars The Rock, Karl Urban, Richard Brake, Razaaq Adoti and Deobia Oparei take you behind the scenes of the weapons, physical, tactics and team training the cast had to go through to prepare for the film. We see how the onscreen marine team worked on patrolling manoeuvres and the futuristic weapons from the film.

Rock Formation (5.37 mins)
Animatronic & makeup effects supervisor John Rosengrant, makeup artist Jeff Dawn and star The Rock reveal the how the star was transformed throughout the movie as the battle commenced.

Master Monster Makers (10.54 mins)
Producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, ID software – Lead Artistic Kenneth Scott, animatronic & makeup effects supervisor John Rosengrant and stars The Rock, Doug Jones and Rosamund Pike talk about the look of the creatures from the movie. They talk about the how the game influenced the look of them and how the designers where worked out. We also see that most of the creatures are mainly makeup and animatronic effects with as little CG used as possible.

First Person Shooter Sequences (11.00 mins)
Visual effects supervisor Jon Forhat and producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura take you behind the scenes of ‘Doom’s’ unique first person shooter sequence. We see how the five-minute scene was but together from the original storyboards to production. You also get the see the full-uncut version of the sequence.

Doom Nation (14.40 mins)
The Rock, staff from ID software and gamers talk about the impact ‘Doom’ had on the game industry. From its Wolfenstein origins through the three versions of Doom, we see the history of the game and how it advanced from the first film to the almost film like Doom 3.

Game On! (6.47 mins)
The featurette gives you all the hints and tips you will need to make it through some of the more scary moments of Doom 3 on PC and Xbox.

Doom 3 Xbox Demo
Place the DVD in your Xbox and play a full level demo of the third Doom game.

OVERALL

The DVD treatment of Doom is good but not as good as it could have been. While the Uncut version of the film is a welcome one and brings an extra twelve minutes to the movie, the featurettes are a little sort and not as comprehensive as fans would have liked and the absence of a commentary track is disappointing. The inclusion of featurettes about the game and a demo are very welcome however, adding to the value.



Jamie Kelwick