Doomsday

Set decades after a superflu has quarantined all of Scotland, Doomsday follows a tough-as-nails soldier (Rhona Mitra’s Eden Sinclair) as she and her men are sent into the now-lawless country to track down a cure – with the movie detailing their progressively violent attempts at tracking down a mysterious medical researcher named Dr. Kane (Malcolm McDowell). Filmmaker Neil Marshall delivers a blisteringly-paced opening stretch that effectively establishes the movie’s dystopian landscape and the rough-and-tumble protagonists, with the decidedly familiar bent of the film’s atmosphere allayed by Marshall’s solid, stylish handling of his own screenplay. It’s only as Doomsday segues into its erratic midsection that one’s interest begins to flag, with, especially, the initial emphasis on several post-apocalyptic, Mad Max-like thugs infusing the proceedings with a tired and been-there-done-that sort of feel. There’s little doubt that the film begins to improve almost immediately after that point, however, as Marshall’s remarkably inventive script contains a number of impressive tonal changes throughout the movie’s (somewhat overlong) running time – with the narrative morphing into, among other things, an exciting car-chase thriller and a engrossing medieval actioner. By the time the fairly enthralling third act rolls around, Doomsday has undoubtedly managed to overcome an uneven start to become a surprisingly entertaining (and unabashedly over-the-top) piece of work – with Mitra’s fine work, as well as the strong performances from an accomplished supporting cast, perpetuating the movie’s better-than-expected vibe.

*** out of ****

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