DOOMSDAY (2008) *** DVD capsule by COOP

“28 Days Later,” “Escape from New York,” and “The Road Warrior.”

If you can imagine that amalgamation of those three sci-fi films, then you’ve already seen “Doomsday.” I planned to see this one in the theater, but I’m actually glad I waited for the “Unrated” DVD. This is one of the goriest, wide-release movie of the year and I can guess they dumped all the blood and guts into this video version.

This film doesn’t even come close to taking itself seriously. It begins as the “reaper virus” sweeps across Scotland, causing England to close its borders and shoot anyone who tries to cross. Only one little girl escapes the country plague-free, Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra). Fast forward to 2033, when the reaper virus suddenly appears in London. The Prime Minister sends a team of soldiers led by Snake Plissken… I mean Sinclair, back into Scotland to find a cure. Beyond the barrier, they find a country plunged into anarchy and feudal barbarism.

I had a lot of fun with this one, but I had to apologize to my brain later. It starts off great and rips off every trick in the book from the films mentioned above:

- Deadly virus… check
- Hero with eye patch… check
- Crazy weapons… check
- Gladiator fights… check
- Cannibals… check
- Malcolm McDowell… check
- Car chases… check
- Outrageous villains… double check
- Cynical ending… and then some

This was a blast until it got out of control towards the end (Medieval knights? Huh?). Loved the setup and the first half, though.

Check out the trailer below and see if you can spot all the sci-fi film references…