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Doomsday (2008)

Director: Neil Marshall

Time Out rating

Average user rating

27 reviews

Synopsis

Rhona Mitra and Bob Hoskins star as elite scientists sent to find a cure to a lethal virus which has ravaged the population of Scotland. Along the way, they deal with desperados, scoundrels and a menacing, Lear-like feudal lord played by Malcolm McDowell.

Movie review

From Time Out London

The Mohawk-sporting villain of Neil Marshall’s futuristic action movie drives a Frankenstein car cobbled together from spare parts, decorated with human skulls and flayed skin. Marshall, likewise, lashes together elements from ’80s post-apocalyptic movies such as ‘Mad Max’ and ‘Escape from New York’ to create a supercharged monster of a movie. Parts cannibalised from other movies are bolted on with less success, but Marshall’s adrenalin-fuelled skill and enthusiasm propel the action forward with reckless abandon.

Twenty-five years after the Reaper virus prompted the quarantining of Scotland behind a modern-day Hadrian’s Wall, the disease resurfaces in London. The only hope for an antidote lies with a group of survivors found north of the border. At the behest of the government and her fatherly mentor, Department of Domestic Security chief Bill Nelson (Bob Hoskins), Major Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) and her crack team of soldiers are dispatched to bring back the cure.

Behind the wall, they find Glasgow presided over by post-punk impresario Sol (Craig Conway) and his tattooed tribe of Marauders; but after escaping through a hillside tunnel, they emerge into a medieval world ruled over by castle-dwelling tyrant king Kane (Malcolm McDowell). With Rhona Mitra’s cold-blooded heroine front and centre, the tense group dynamics and ensemble acting that served Marshall so well in ‘Dog Soldiers’ and ‘The Descent’ are less evident.

Still, the violent fight scenes, explosive set-pieces and retro-future settings fire the imagination. Appropriately, given its throwback pedigree, ‘Doomsday’ culminates in a car chase, accompanied by Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s apt ‘Two Tribes’.

Author: Nigel Floyd 2008-05-06 09:20:25

Time Out London Issue 1968, May 8-14, 2008

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User reviews of this film

davy p said...

Posted on Oct 15 2009 21:22 I thought this film was great entertainment, though not in the way the director intended. I was bent double laughing at how awful it was. i recommend it to friends just for the comedy experience. Plan 9 from Outer Space for the 21st century!

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ST said...

Posted on Apr 16 2009 00:08 If you can ignore the obvious plot holes, you can enjoy this film. i.e. Why did it take them 23 years to realise there were survivors? Why only send 6 solders into a hostile Scotland, wouldnt the whole army have been a better idea? Why does a Bentley get it's ass handed to it by a 2-stroke motor-x bike? etc. But seriously, if you can see through all that, it's an alright film.

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Andy S said...

Posted on Jan 30 2009 14:13 Just awful. The first 10 minutes seemed promising, but thereafter it was one big mess. Terrible script and a rip-off of 'Aliens' when they arive in Scotland. Watched 40 minutes then turned it off. Crud. Total crud.

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gee said...

Posted on Nov 27 2008 10:42 fantastic "end of world" film - too many snobs leaving negative feedback - influenced by others!

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Agnot said...

Posted on Sep 30 2008 10:34 I have never commented on a film before but I felt after wasting an hour watching this thing I had to warn others.
It is most definitely THE WORST FILM I HAVE EVER SEEN.
I feel sorry for Bob Hoskins he probably thought the film would be good because of the money they threw at it...what an embarrassment!!
What a waste of money, time and resources.
With this money they could have made something of worth instead of a badly put together rip off.
Don't make the mistake of sitting and waiting for it to get better..it doesn't.
Other comments on here suggest that It may tongue in cheek (my arse it is) funny like one of the American 'Scary Movie' type spoof films or even a comedy homage like Shaun of the Dead. Sadly it's none of these it's just plain old CRAP!!!
Instead of wasting your time watching this go have that chat with your senile Nan or do that bit of DIY that you've been putting off.... watch the grass growing... anything is better than this.
Please whatever you do don't think...It can't be that bad I'm going to watch it!!!!!!

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v said...

Posted on Sep 15 2008 18:31 Giving it five stars because it certainly doesn't merit ONE!

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Shawn said...

Posted on Sep 11 2008 21:56 I usually love these sorts of films, end of the world and all. But this has to be the worst I have ever soon. At the start it showed promise then it fell too pieces. It would seem that fashion and technology stopped moving forward in 30 years. Come on, if you do a movie in the future at least make it look plausible! Disgraceful and a complete waste of £14.99!

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smegfish said...

Posted on Aug 12 2008 22:21 unbelievable load of toss so much so that i felt compelled to waste even more time writting this review its as if He wanted to prove that its not only the americans who can sew together lots of cliches forget about the plot and film a bunch of cars exploding when they hit a person yes it happens but by that point it seems credible dog soldiers was awesome but this wasnt even van damme funny or mad max curiosuly watchable it was just shit the only entertainment was pointing out the gaping holes in the plausability im even more gutted that im compelled to even give it 1 star

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evo said...

Posted on Jun 25 2008 12:05 this was the most boring film ive ever seen what do people find so good about it i coudnt get into the film it made no sence wat so ever no one can even call it good

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usman said...

Posted on Jun 13 2008 17:32 everyoneseems to hate this so much i wonder why as i found it like a black comedy or was it just me and the timeout critic ,it was better than in bruges with it's so-called satire on violence and cassandra dream which was woody allen's worst ever

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Ricky said...

Posted on Jun 12 2008 01:12 Worst film iv ever seen. I put up with the mad max/robin hood rubbish but when they pulled out that bently (which cudnt outrun a 4x4 made of scrap for sum reason) it was the end for me. Thot it would be an urban version of dog soldiers, cudnt have been more wrong.

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Steve Knight said...

Posted on May 31 2008 11:08 I was very disappointed with Neil Marshall's latest offering after the brilliant 'Dog Soldiers' and 'Descent'. The latest offering sees him quarantine Scotland (Why couldn't it have been Wales?) until England needs a cure.
The story starts with the right idea and some amazing effects, but then ends up after the first 30 mins as though the Director had got ahold of a script that was being made up as he went along. I was just beginning to think it was a second rate version of Mad Max, when suddenly; CASTLE? Malcolm McDowell? We were in a second rate version of Braveheart. Suddenly, a cave, were we in the second rate version of Lord of the Rings? Then ... the heroine was driving some mega car that was boxed up in the cave. Second Rate Tomb Raiser. Then suddenly we were back to the Second Rate Mad max apoocalyptic scene.
It's sad to see that some directors rush out, usually a terrible third or fourth film. We had it with Nick Love on 'Outlaw'. Now Neil Marshall has joined the club. And Bod Hoskins was the common denominator. He could do a lot better than these second rate pieces of junk.

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peter mills said...

Posted on May 27 2008 23:57 mad max, escape from newyork, brave hart, 28 days later, ghosts of mars, all rolled in to one all over the place could not keep up with the camera at some points. not my cup of tea, (poor)

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ed said...

Posted on May 27 2008 12:24 Dopey fun. The plot doesn't bear any type of scrutiny. But if you go out to see this kind of thing, you can't really complain about the flaws... It was never going to be a coen brothers film...
This is to be filed with GRINDHOUSE... as i'm sure it's intended.
Future cult film imo...
Loved every frame... plot be damned. As good as DOG SOLDIERS... and more entertaining tan THE DESCENT... Looking forward to his next one...!
I hope he's as brave!

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rimbo said...

Posted on May 26 2008 17:07 My mate quite rightly asked the question why eat each other with thousands of sheep roaming about. This sums up how poor this film is. A black cab keeping up with a Bently GT and blatent rip offs of every post apocalyptic movie ever made should be enough to warn you off this film. I have to agree with Robert Martin as I would have left half way through but was tricked into believing it would get better. Dog soldiers and the Descent are two great films so back to the drawing board for the next effort from Neil Marshall.

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