Doomsday: Mad Max Meets 28 Days Later

I sometimes wondered what it would be like to cross movies. Usually this only results in wild fantasies that are "cool" in the way a kid would yell after an explosion. But given the right budget and taken seriously, writer/director Neil Marshall (The Descent) shows us in Doomsday it is possible to mix Mad Max with 28 Days Later and Escape from New York/L.A.

Doomsday is set in the UK, where the deadly Reaper virus in Scotland has caused the rest of the UK to seperate and isolate it's Northern region by means of a very big wall with lots of guns. They leave Scotland without attention for 30 years, letting the virus kill off as it wants. But when London shows the first signs of Reaper infecting its people, the government sends in a team to track down Glasgow survivors (seen from satellite images) and find out the cure. Leading the team is Eden Sinclair (Mitra Rhona), who evacuated Glasgow when the Reaper first hit. Once they hit Glasgow, they've surrounded by mobs of survivors, people who are immune but are reduced to living like savages because of the abandonment, death, and blood from the last 30 years.


The movie is largely entertaining because of it's unique blend of imagination, action, and the general exploitation of issues. Yes, the politicians are bad, some of the savages are funny, and alot of the movie is left to the action. However, there's a couple of plot twists that give it more depth than it originally appears. The quality of action is great, relying on more than just gunfire and explosions to keep us entertained.

Marshall doesn't get too wrapped up in his own imagination. We're not here to explore every type of crazy people can go through, but instead leaves us with glances at this or that. If they're cannibals, then Marshall shows us the feast and not the distractions. Cannibalism is the point, the horror, and the humor, and keeps it to only that. The action, although most of it the usual stupid good guy kicking butt, it stays intense for a large part.

Is it entertaining? Although the action is mostly over-used, it does have decent moments that are hard to come by. The half-serious storyline keeps a pace and movement, so there's more than just killing.

Is it marketable? Although not for everyone, everyone who liked Escape from L.A., Escape from New York, 28 Days Later, and Mad Max, then it is for you. If you didn't, then no.

Is it memorable? Like the four I mentioned above, it will be remembered as a worthy tribute.