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Doomsday

EMAILPRINTUniversal Pictures

Doomsday reviews
51
4.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 117 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Action  |  Drama  |  Sci-fi  |  Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Neil Marshall

Directed by: Neil Marshall

Release Date:
Theatrical: March 14, 2008
DVD: July 29, 2008

Running Time: 105 minutes, Color

Origin: UK

Summary

RATING: R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content/nudity

Starring Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig, and Malcolm McDowell

Authorities brutally quarantine a country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when a virus strikes. The literal walling-off works for three decades--until the dreaded Reaper virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists, captained by Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra), is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare. (Universal Pictures)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

75

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Marshall reveals himself to be a terrific showman of chaos and comic savagery. This is Baz Luhrmann's "Mad Max."

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75

Philadelphia Inquirer David Hiltbrand

One caveat: The film has more blood-splatter than a dozen zombie movies. If you can handle that, Doomsday's drunken mash-up of futuristic and feudal is surprisingly satisfying.

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70

Variety Dennis Harvey

Neil Marshall's flair for visceral action more than compensates for his script's lack of conceptual novelty in Doomsday. Principally South Africa-shot tale of a post-apocalyptic Great Britain cobbles together large chunks of "Escape From New York," "The Road Warrior," "28 Days Later" and "Resident Evil," but those with a taste for revved-up, splattery fantasy thrills won't be complaining.

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63

TV Guide Ken Fox

Marshall delivers what he promises and Mitri makes for a cool, kick-arse heroine in the Ellen Ripley mold.

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58

The Onion (A.V. Club) Steven Hyden

Marshall’s fixation on John Carpenter and early James Cameron is all too apparent, but his own distinctive cinematic style isn’t, making Doomsday a likeably rambling but generic shoot-’em-up.

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50

Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling

Marshall cribs whole sections from other movies (Aliens and The Road Warrior, most blatantly) so baldly that you have to wonder how he'd like it if someone ripped off "The Descent" this egregiously.

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50

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Marshall, like his characters, does not mess around: Good people do bad things to not-entirely bad people while the Man (in this case No. 10 Downing St.) seeks ways to screw everyone.

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50

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Doomsday tries to cram so much into its limited 105 minutes that aspects end up feeling rushed and confused (especially the political situation in England) and the ending is perfunctory.

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50

Film Threat Stina Chyn

As a guilty pleasure, it’s spectacularly entertaining

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50

Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart

Just to shake things up a little, I guess, the creators of the laughably over-the-top Doomsday thought it might be fun to turn the survivors of a deadly epidemic, rather than its victims, into maniacal murderers.

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50

The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck

Mitra, clad in the requisite tight, sexy outfits, conveys a suitable toughness but little in the way of personality, while such distinguished British actors as Bob Hoskins and Adrian Lester dutifully show up to collect their paychecks.

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40

LA Weekly Jim Ridley

I still believe with all my heart that no movie with real car stunts, a tough-chick hero, and a severed head that thunks directly into the camera can be all bad. But this is pushing it.

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40

Empire Helen O'Hara

Marshall's film is crammed full of good ideas but doesn't have the cohesion to pull them all together. Less effective than "Dog Soldiers," never mind "The Descent."

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40

The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz

In terms of story, “The Descent” and Doomsday are as different as two genre films can be, but the falloff in artistic quality is still quantifiable. Where “The Descent” was a slow, quiet, exquisitely modulated, startlingly original film, Doomsday is frenetic, loud, wildly imprecise and so derivative that it doesn’t so much seem to reference its antecedents as try on their famous images like a child playing dress-up. Homage without innovation isn’t homage, it’s karaoke.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 4.7 (out of 10) based on 117 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Shallun D gave it a3:
It's amazing to see that this movie with plotholes can get at least a 51 rating while the movie KNOWING which actually makes sense a far worse rating.Shame on you people!!!

Brian H gave it a7:
Guilty pleasure for sure. But it's a fun tribute to the Mad Max movies and Escape From LA. Rhona Mitra is hot in this movie. I admit that it does have so unintentional humor, but it's the kind of movie you will enjoy if you don't expect something of high art.

b rogers gave it a4:
Some people need to realise that some movies are made for fun - despite the huge investment - especially future virus takes over Scotland type movies. For those of you who have never driven a Bentley in the Scottish Highlands or raced a steam train for that matter - this movie clearly started out as a computer game. That's why the Bentley goes so slow too, it has a speed limiter on it from the game "I drive like an Asian'. If Swine Flu takes hold, I hope I find a passage under the mountain that has a box with a bike in it let alone a Bentley. Then when I go to the castle I can join them as a court jester....guys seriously you have to see this move for what it is - a truncated gore fest where nobody has any idea who says what and life exists in fast forward due to the only food being the insides of Scottish gentry. Can't wait for part 2 - Glasgow Rangers v Glasgow Celtic street soccer!

J Pac gave it a2:
The worst film I have seen in the last few years.

Antz gave it an8:
Entertaining action flick. Basically a Scottish Mad Max variation. If you like the over the top 80's action flick, you'll like this.

G Gill gave it a9:
Quite enjoyable if you understand what the director was trying to accomplish, which was an homage to some really fantastic films in the past 30 years.

Jag gave it a7:
This movie wasn't really amazing but it wasn't bad either. The trailer makes the actual movie look really crappy. When I first saw the trailer I thought "okay great, another invincible hot girl with a gun" but this movie does so much more than that. The beginning hooked me right off the bat and it stayed that way for a while. But then it got kinda boring and I started to loose hope. I thought it was going to turn out to be another 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead. But just when I was ready to start fast-forwarding it got really good again. And the variety here is also a real highlight. I don't want to give away the awesomeness but lets just say it will be the last thing you'll expect. There is also a real story here to but it can be consumed by the constant action which was awesome and well done . At your first watch-through you might think Rhona Mitra's character was really shallow and "topical action girl" but she was also really nasty and bitter. And then it hit me. She plays the role of a special forces soldier and she was in there for a long time (she was a major). She had no family, she grew up without an eye, and literally had no one. And when one is basically stealing, killing, and destroying for a living they usually loose respect for alot of things. Even people. Its that exact case with her so don't judge her to fast or you'll loose interest. It should also be noted that she is not invincible and there are very few"oh please" moments in the action sequences. She does alot of beating up but she gets her fair share of beat down too. This movie may not be the kind you'd want on your shelf but it would make a fun weekend rental or just something to have your buddy's over to watch with you. I liked it and it was worth the 4 dollars I paid to rent it. If you like action movies check it out.

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