Doomsday (DVD, 2008, Widescreen)

Like Mad Max? How about Escape from New York? This movie is a hybrid of those two great films, with a sprinkling of medieval warfare and a dash of 28 Days Later. If you think, from reading this description, that Doomsday may be trying to do too much, you're probably right. Still, this movie is good fun, with gore, special effects and chases aplenty. In 2035, an "infected" part of the UK has been walled off for years. Meanwhile, the world outside seems to be going to hell. In order to stave off a new outbreak, an elite team is sent over the wall for a cure. But what they find is more hell -- a lawless, amoral land divided into roughly two camps -- urban cannibals and rural medievalists. The action cuts between the world inside the walls, where the team fights and runs, and the world outside, where politicians scheme as the virus spreads through London. This is fast-moving entertainment, but because Doomsday is trying to do so much, the brushstrokes are often broad. Details of how each society continues to survive, which might heighten the action or make the drama more compelling, are jettisoned in favor of a thrill ride. It's a great ride, though, and one worthy of a sequel. If you enjoy Doomsday, be sure to check out director Neil Marshall's first real masterpiece, Dog Soldiers.

Pick your favorite post-apocalyptic movie like Road Warrior; add your favorite medieval movie with horses and armor; think about the best car chase in any movie; add a great virus outbreak like 28 Days Later; throw in a little Spartacus or Gladiator action; shut off an entire city/country like I Am Legend; blend in a few scenes that could just as easily have been in Hostel or Saw; and mix in anarchy, blood, explosions, axe-wielding maniacs, and a few beheadings for good measure and you'll touch the surface of Doomsday. I'm already declaring it one of the top ten guy movies of all time.

There is a terrible viral outbreak in Scotland, and the best way to deal with it is isolation. The entire country is condemned and sealed off with a massive wall full of firearms to keep out the undesirables. Allow decades to go by and all is well. Right?

Evidently not. People survive, evolve, and turn into a raping, murdering, cannibalistic horde hell-bent on survival. Unfortunately for those outside of the quarantine zone the virus has returned, and it's up to the government to go back into the original land of infected and find the cure amongst the survivors who want nothing more than to destroy and consume all who dare to invade their turf.

Rhona Mitra is a hardened, lethal, and incredibly hot leader of the group sent in for the nearly hopeless mission. From beginning to end she is on a race for survival - blasting, kicking, stabbing, and decapitating her way to a possible cure and eventual freedom.

Doomsday is action packed throughout, and it's surprisingly beautifully filmed, with great shots of the countryside as well as the dirty, urban environment left to fend for itself. It's a great action movie, great post-apocalyptic movie, has tons of worthwhile battles and gore, and is an all-out blast. If you love to watch a movie for pure entertainment, this should be on the top of the list.

I didn't get the chance to see Escape from New York in the theaters but I did get to see Escape from L.A. I loved them both. It is a movie that shows you can take the best elements from different sci-fi action movies and blender them up into a really fun frothy, bloody good time.

Rhona Mitra is excellent as the modern Snake Plissken- Eden Sinclair. And she fights the good fight throughout the film. With swords and axes. And kudos to director Neil Marshall for never making her a sex object in her battles. She just kicks butt.

She ventures into a Closed off Country looking for a cure to a deadly and disgusting disease. London officials believe there are survivors who may have it. In goes Eden with her team only to find the country has split into two. Those who live in medieval times - complete with castle and sword. And those who live in post Apocalypse - complete with Mohawk and .. oh yeah sword. Either way no one is friendly.

It's all a bit mindless and gory but it is a the most fun I've had in the theater in a long time and the action is gritty. Never resorting to Matrix style shenanigans.

This movie is a mish mash of plenty of movies you've seen before: Mad Max, Escape from New York, 28 Days Later, and a little bit of Gladiator thrown in for spice. In other words: It's nothing really new. That's the bad part.

The good part is that it's so delightfully over the top that it's really fun.

Not shakespeare, no interesting twist on the genre or deep meaningful social commentary but excellent cinematography, really well shot action scenes and genuinely eery locations.

Liked- Strong and realistic female lead, who wasn't wearing bits of floss
Loved- Over the top gore and violence with a good plot, great costume and vehicle design reminiscent of the Mad Max series.
Disliked-Didn't dislike anything. I bought to see gore and violence. It delivered those in spades with a good story and interesting characters

Bought it because of a Movie Bob review on The Escapist.
Also watched the trailer on youtube.