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Doomsday
Universal Pictures

4.8 based on 14 reviews Read critic reviews How did we calculate this? based on 96 votes Read user comments Rate this movie

FILM:

• The Descent

• Internet Movie Database
• View The Trailer
• Official Studio Site

MPAA 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)

GENRE(S):	Action  |  Drama  |  Sci-fi  |  Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Neil Marshall
DIRECTED BY:	Neil Marshall
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: July 29, 2008  Theatrical: March 14, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	105 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	UK

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."

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.

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.

63

TV Guide Ken Fox

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

50

Film Threat Stina Chyn

As a guilty pleasure, it’s spectacularly entertaining

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

The average user rating for this movie is 4.8 (out of 10) based on 96 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a0:
This was hands down the worst movie I've ever seen in my life. You couldn't pay me to go see it again. Entirely too much blood and way too unrealistic. This should never have even made it to theaters and I'd like to kill my friends for choosing that movie.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
This movie has everything a typical "guy" movie should have. Action, gore, hot chicks, futuristic military battles, and even a little swordfighting. The plot is a little crazy but its really entertaining.

Erik R. gave it a7:
Ok i just saw this tonight. Its the weirdest movie iv ever seen. umm its like what if you isolate a country completely cut off. what would happen? like i said it was the weirdest movie ive seen. i did like the scotish accents

[Anonymous] gave it a3:
The Road Warrior meets 28 Days Later. An absolutely retarded film, but worth watching for free On Demand when you're drunk and have nothing better to do.

Adam L. gave it an8:
About as deep and substantive as a pudding cup, this is not a great movie. It is, however, a great movie to watch. It riffs on more post-apocalyptic movies than you can count, and you just don't care. It's worth watching, and lots of fun.

Adam R gave it a9:
Now I think a rating below 5 makes you markedly less intelligent because it is IMMEDIATELY apparent that you don't understand that this movie has a niche in which it is perfect. If it's not your type of movie, don't f*(&%ing rate it. Every so often, a movie comes around that is some person's brainchild and will be excruciatingly painful in the name of "art" (Babel comes to mind). You know these. They feel like over-acted high-school plays shot in black and white with vaseline on the screen. The end usually ends with "fin" in script. These movies suck, yet we all feel there's a greater meaning that requires donning this s*$% sandwich with an academy award or five. All I wanted tonight was a little action, a little (lot) gore, a little comedy, and a movie that's not completely predictable. "Doomsday" provided outstandingly on all fronts while evoking the nostalgia of "Mad Max," "28 days later," and strangely "I am legend" (which was ironically released AFTER Doomsday was shot). If you gave this movie a poor rating, perhaps you should learn the terms GENRE and NICHE understand why people may like the movie that you hated. If you like chick flicks, go watch those instead of plaguing us with your fanboy opinions about something you chose to watch knowing it wouldn't be enjoyable for you.

Ariane A. gave it a10:
I love it! I love Rhona Mitra. She rocks, really kicks some ass & super cool! All the actors & crews really did there job! Great job guys! What a great movie you've made! I've been telling everybody to really watch it. :)

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