Release Date: March 14th, 2008 Studio: Rogue MPAA Rating: R Genre: Horror •
Scifi Director: Neil Marshall Writers: Neil Marshall Cast: Rhona Mitra, Alexander Siddig, Bob Hoskins, David O'Hara, Cokey Falkow, Lee-Anne Liebenberg, Malcolm McDowell, Rick Warden, Adrian Lester, Jeremy Crutchley, Craig Conway, MyAnna Buring Synopsis: A lethal virus spreads throughout the British isles,infection millions and kills hundreds of thousands. To contain the threat, acting authorities brutally quarantine the country as it succumbs to fear and chaos. The quarantine is successful. Three decades later, the Reaper virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of specialists, including Eden Sinclair, is urgently dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. The Review: The Bangers and Mash Review
Last year at comic-con I picked up this stunning little press/promo kit for a little flick called DOOMSDAY, I love post apocalyptic movies so this seemed right up my alley...oh wait it's directed by the guy who gave us Dog Soldiers? Double Bonus!
Over the coming months since word was that this thing was a total mess, but I figured it would all come out in the wash and still hold up as a decent little bit of fun. When the Deez and I reported in for the midnight screening last night hope gave way to dread as the movie un-spooled before us.
The Mash: As in Mash-Up for the purpose of this review.
Fist add an unhealthy dose of “28 Weeks Later”. Deadly Virus runs amok, gets contained, and rears its ugly head again.
Then add wayyyyyy too much “Escape From New York”. Seriously the girl wears an eye patch, they have cheesy graphics explain the set up, some very John Carpenter style music riffs on the score, and even a character named Carpenter. The plan of course is all too familiar…go into contained area retrieve something and bring it back…all for the corrupt government in a no win scenario.
Don’t stop there toss in some “Time Line” medieval wannabe crap.
Set the oven to brain dead and sprinkle on a heaping dose of “The Road Warrior” just for shits and giggles.
The Bangers: Now you have your Mash, it’s on to the Bangers….by which I mean you’ll be banging your head on the wall wishing you were doing something else…or to be more polite maybe you’ll just watch this movie thinking about banging Rhona Mitra...wait was that more or less polite? Well...at least it's something nice to say...close enough.
I could really dive into the plot but once I got out of the film I realized I couldn’t find it. I really wanted to enjoy this, to find some silly little fun flick to check my brain at the door and just have fun with, but the longer things went on the more Pear shaped it went and the more I just started hoping it would end sooner than later before it got worse.
To add insult to injury; did anyone in this movie know how to stage a proper fight scene? Holy Shit! The action in this movie cuts and shakes so much I had to have double check with Deez to make sure I wasn’t having a seizure. It stole what little joy this movie had in it and just made my head ache.
Perhaps Neil Marshall is just more creative when’s his forced into it by slimmer budgets or perhaps this one just got away from him and ran amok. Dog Soldiers rulez and The Decent really sets a tone and nails it, so I’m hoping Neil takes this in stride and is better for it.
The Bottom Line: Doomsday So Genre confused Eddie Murphy would probably try to pick it up and give it a ride home.
Wait for DVD, perhaps a directors cut could cut down on the calories and make more sense. If all else fails we’ll make up a drinking game that’ll get you fucked up quick...you'll thank us. Rating:
