A Review by Phil Calabro
2005, Universal, Dir. Andrzej Bartkowiak - Starring The Rock, Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Deobia Oparei, Ben Daniels, Razaaq Adoti, Richard Brake, Al Weaver, Dexter Fletcher, Brian Steele, Yao Chin, Robert Russell, Daniel York, Ian Hughes, Sara Houghton
The possibilities are many, but the most obvious difference between video games and film is narrative. In virtual reality, you are the narrative, you are what you make yourself to be. A film introduces several narratives, and you wallow within these. Here's where 'Doom' comes into play. As Hollywood plans to continue doing, the studios are buying rights to all mediums to market some mullah, and so it only seems right that this classic shoot-em-up arrives on the scene. 'Doom' is a great, aged idea. Don't get me wrong - this is from a guy who hardly plays video games, but I still realize the worth in a game like this. This put 'Duck Hunt' to shame, and became one of the fastest selling games ever. It starts out promising, albeit shamefully cast and brain-numbingly written. But then it whips out a two-foot semi-automatic machine gun and shoots itself in the foot repeatedly. The final act not only disappoints, but leaves an angry aftertaste in our mouths. 'Doom' may have its brief moments, but it fuses out for thrills.
It's the distant future (they never say how distant, but OK), and there's a big archeological dig on Mars and people can visit there for summer vacations. But alas, something does go wrong in the big secret laboratories on the Red Planet - something that involves super-human creatures who have been knocking off all the scientists who have been working there. Sent in on orders of the Marine commanders, Sarge (The Rock) is put in charge of a small brigade to try and learn more about the deaths and put an end to this. Along with him is the sensitive yet tough John Grimm (Urban), the god-fearing Goat (Daniels), the randy jackass Portman (Brake), the indestructible Destroyer (Oparei), the ladies' man Duke (Adoti), and the naive Kid (Weaver). Along with the help of John's estranged sister Samantha (Pike), they must seek and destroy these deadly beings - who end up being injected with a 24th chromosome which gives them supernatural strength. Anyone bitten by one of these creatures may in turn be corrupted themselves.
I love watching the Rock, but his role requires hardly any acting skills whatsoever. This is not a challenge, nor a step up from his role in 'Be Cool' - this is our champ's opportunity to look angry and never once crack his trademark eyebrow. Regardless, he is the most charismatic of the cast, and never lets down on his character. The problem with his character lies in the screenplay, but I'll get into that later. Karl Urban seems like he'd be a good actor, but there's not much of a reason he's in this movie other than his muscularity. Not a speck of emotion arises from the character of John Grimm, which really becomes a letdown. A director can't just give an actor a gun and expect him to act like a badass - you have to compose some sort of mindset, rather than a good choice of weaponry. Both him and fellow cast member Rosamund Pike are from other countries, and it's embarassing for them to try and speak in American accents. They slip every minute, and it's these little things that drive me crazy.
I went into 'Doom' with one expectation that was exposed in the trailer: the gimmick of using a first-person shooting viewpoint for fight scenes. It works for video games, why not try it out in films? The gimmick is only used for about five minutes tops, but I can assure you that it's five of the coolest minutes this fall season. If it hadn't been for that scene, I probably would've given up on this movie altogether. The experience is much like that of a Disney World ride, but on a more universal level. What's better than being in the shoes of the hero at the grand finale? Nothing, until you realize what's going to happen in the last scene, and the movie is ruined. I can't describe how disappointing this twist at the end is, but it's a failure in character development and screenwriting. Not only does it distract us from our intended hero, but it makes us hate him as well. The Rock's character slowly but surely becomes the antigonist, and there's nothing more distressing than watching talent get thrown away in a stupid twist.
The title of 'Doom' captivates everything that the average audience member will be feeling towards the end of the second act. There's a strong distaste in this flashy and somewhat frantic horror shooter. Let's just find a couple of good screenwriters, throw in some guns, and see what comes out. Perhaps some superhuman screenwriters with an extra chromosome for good taste? In your dreams.
