Doomsday

There's a Blockbuster a block away from my apartment and about once a month they do a four for $20 DVD sale. I am unable to pass this up even though the inevitable time crunch happens and I have stacks of unwatched DVD's sitting around (a good portion of which are some random titles that I picked up to fill up my four). This is one step in a continual effort to get through the monstrosity.

Doomsday combines two genres (post-apocalyptic thriller and man on a mission) that I have an soft spot for. As a result I'm probably predisposed to give it more of a pass than I would, say, a Romantic Comedy or something starring Adam Sandler. Bias aside, its a solid B-Movie (and I mean that in the best sense of the word) that in general delivers what it sets out to do.

The film begins with the aptly named Reaper Virus ripping its way through Scotland. Of course there is no cure so in a drastic measure the government of Great Britain walls of the Scottish border, mines the oceans, and institutes a no fly zone so no one can get in or out, leaving everyone in Scotland to die. However just before all this happens we see a little girl get flown on the last helicopter out of dodge, and then a smash cut to thirty years in the future. It turns out the rest of Britain hasn't been doing so well in the intervening years and is near the breaking point (note to self between this film, Children of Men, and V for Vendetta, I think settling in England may not be the best choice to settle in for the long term). The government has just found out that the reaper virus has reappeared in London, and unless a cure can be found in the next two days they intend flood the infected area to get rid of all traces of the disease. The potential for a cure lies in Scotland where the government has discovered traces of life and, but they need to send a team in to find it. The person chosen to lead said team? Why of course its the little girl from the beginning for the film now embodied in her ass-kicking goodness by an eye patch sporting Rhona Mitra.

And we're off. The team sets out to find the mysterious Doctor Kane (the scientist who was working on the cure when Scotland was walled off) and note that not only are there signs of life but the survivors have separated into two distinct tribes. One, in the cities, is populated by heavily tattooed, mad-max esque, feather haired wild men who have the tendency to eat whoever invades their sanctum. Really its like the crowd from a mid-eighties Flock of Seagulls concert that has been jacked up on crystal meth.

The other tribe, led by the enigmatic Kane, is based out of a castle in the country and have completely modeled themselves on the middle ages (right down to writing on parchment and saying 'thou' all the time). They even have public executions.

This me to a digression. If I've learned anything from movies it's that once society collapses the survivors will break into groups similar to the two above. Therefore assuming that I survive the Apocalypse (which given my raw animal strength, reptilian cunning, and rapier wit is a given) the question becomes which group would I join? The hedonists definitely seem like a lot more fun and not as hung up on things like laws and good behavior. Plus I think I could rock a Mohawk and face tattoos like nobody's business. On the downside I'm not sure I could completely get on board with random acts of cannibalism, and all the chains I'd have to wear around would probably chafe.

The medievalists on the other hand have the advantage of stability, and probably a better health plan (in that I would probably live longer), but given my staggering intellect I would probably be seen as a threat and either be consigned to a kitchen, exiled, or stoned. But on the plus side I would get to wear armor, swing cleavers, and generally act like a character from the castlevania video game.

So the final verdict? Its a tough call, I would probably be able to have a better chance imposing my will on the thunderdome, but live longer with King Arthur. Still the Apocalypse has happened so how long do I really want to live anyway? Mohawk and body ink here I come.

Oh yeah, the film. The rest of the plot is fairly straightforward, and predictable, but so what. I don't watch these films for the intricate plotting. The film delivers several well choreographed action sequences, and one of the more entertaining car chases this side of Blues Brothers. Also while it generally plays everything straight, there are some nice humorous touches (ie. the gift shop sign still being up at the castle) sprinkled throughout that show that the film's makers aren't taking themselves too seriously. Mitra does a nice job playing an Eastwood-esque loner who is badder than anyone else, and her number two is played by the main character from Primary Colors (Adrian Lester) who I'm always happy to see getting work. Basically if you're looking for a high-end B-Movie, with plenty of gore and action you could do worse than this.