Sunday 13 April 2014

Doomsday Movie


I don't review many movies I'll explain why I'm mentioning this one in particular. It was really odd was having a chat with my mate Johnny (Lord Siwoc) about post apocalyptic movies  and he showed me a trailer for this movie. I was quite surprised that  I hadn't heard of it this sooner considering it came out in 2008! So asap I picked it up as from the trailer I'd seenI thought it would make good fodder for Across the Dead Earth.


In 2008, an unknown killer virus, dubbed "The Reaper Virus", has infected Scotland, turning people into savage animals and killing the host. The UK government cannot quarantine the virus because they have neither cure nor vaccine, and they decide to build a 60-foot containment wall over the border with Scotland, isolating it from the rest of Britain, and also the docks, airports and bridges, preventing it from spreading. Meanwhile, with teams of soldiers evacuating the last of the healthy survivors, a Scottish woman begs a soldier to rescue her daughter, wounded after a riot and missing her right eye. A soldier sacrifices his place in the helicopter to save the girl, and she is transported out of the quarantine zone as the soldier and her mother stay behind.

The quarantine is deemed a success, with the rest of the Scottish population dying off from the virus, in ensuring the safety of the rest of the UK population across the decades. However the genocidal quarantine operation formed by the government destroys diplomatic relations between the UK and the rest of the world including the United States and the Commonwealth of Nations, causing massive unemployment, civil unrest and extreme economic turmoil in the UK as the people oppose the containment and genocide concluded by the government.

27 years after the Scotland quarantine, in 2035 London, during a police raid, the police officers find several people infected with a similar Reaper Virus. Fearing that the virus has returned to the rest of Britain, Prime Minister Hatcher and his right-hand man, Canaris, share with domestic security chief Captain Nelson news of survivors in Scotland during a CCTV filming of the area, and they believe a cure may exist there. They order him to send a team into Scotland to find medical researcher Dr. Kane, who was working on a cure when Scotland was quarantined. Nelson chooses Major Eden Sinclair, the little girl saved in the initial evacuation, now grown up and an DDS (Department of Domestic Security) soldier, to lead the team, who has a new medical mechanical eye to replace her missing one.





That pretty much sets the scene nicely without going into spoiling what happens to much. There is plenty of action throughout great special effects and it has a great atmosphere about  it. There are some interesting factions and I found some of the cast quite comical but loved them all the more for it especially Sol and Viper there also seems to be a love of 80's music as it features quite a lot (a good thing IMO as its done really well). There's bits from many film that are similar but it doesn't feel out of place and in away it pays homage to them and compliments them in a nice way. It has quite a star studded cast from Bob Hoskins, Malcom McDowell, Adrian Lester, MyAnna Buring, David O'Hara and Sean Pertwee and many more your sure to recognise as you watch it.



Only the car chase at the end seemed a bit off to me and not so much that there was one in it.more how they came across the car and how it was used. Its definitely worth a watch and I've watched it twice in the past few weeks which means its a good one (well to me anyway)




If I was to rate it I'd have to give it a 4 out of 5 stars not perfect but certainly watch able again and again :)


39 comments:

  1. I''d always assumed it was a documentary about going for a holiday in Scotland after independence.

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  2. The setting is quite good, but the story (and especially the ending) and the almost superhuman abilities of the main character make the movie a bit 'meh'.

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    1. I don't really regard her as having superhuman powers at all but the ending was a bit meh hence only giving it 4 stars.

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  3. I recall only reading bad things about this when it was released, but you've convinced me to keep an eye out for it on DVD. Thanks for the review.

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    1. I'd certainly give it a watch mate it quite entertaining.

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  4. I saw this at the cinema when it was first released and really enjoyed it. I have it on a DVD. A lot of fun can be had in referencing moments from other films. A four star rating seems fair to me.

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    1. I would of loved to have seen this in the cinema.

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  5. Damn good movie, my highlight is the scene in the middle with the Can-Can music and cannibals!

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  6. I love this movie, im a big fan the director. you should try to watch the ultimate warrior and Logans run also beneath the planet of the apes and the hard to find 80s USA/Japan production movie "Virus" I could send you a copy of Virus you give me your address.

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    1. Not heard of ultimate warrior I'll check it out what year did virus come out?

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. 1980

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus_%281980_film%29

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    4. Cheers could find a 1999 one but it didn't sound the same. The whole film is on youtube! I shall watch that in the week thanks for the heads up!

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    5. The version on you tube is the USA cut, they cut out the soul of the movie, you want to watch the full Japan cut

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    6. I found a link to watch or download the full cut,the movie is in the public domain.

      https://archive.org/details/Virus_FukkatsuNoHi_DVD5

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  7. Cool movie, nice cannibal tribe, good chase, could have done with a slightly better ending. Not a total disaster though. I'd watch it again.

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  8. Loved this movie. I found the mix between the city cannibals and the rural medieval society really good. Agree with bob though, the ending could have been better.

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  9. This film is totally mental ( in a good way); the numerous film references are great fun, as is the way it throws plot convention out if the window and does whatever it [the director] likes. One scene in particular stands out for me: a 'medieval' fight scene in a Scottish castle is interposed with a Visitors' shop' sign on the wall. Brilliant stuff.

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    1. Its setting was great and as you say it was mental in a good way :)

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  10. I love Doomsday. Lots of humour in there and salutes to other movies.

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  11. Not seen this film but it seems to be one to look out for. Thanks for pointing it out.

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    1. You won't regret at least watching the once ;)

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  12. I had a feeling you would like it Simon. I certaintly have enjoyed watching it more than twice!

    The feeling from the gathering, can can scotsmen, barbecue and the lot really is great!!

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  13. On a funny note.... The scene where Sol goes onto the stage and has his speech....NONE of the gangers knew what it was. They had been told to just act rowdy and react to the speech.

    The actor who played Sol later said: I had no idea if they were about to storm the stage or if any fights would happen. They made one hell of a noice and it really scared me a bit!"

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    1. That was an awesome section of the film. Probably my favourite bit if I'm honest

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  14. I've seen this one too and I enjoyed it a lot, it's strange that it isn't as wildy known as some worse films.

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  15. I saw it in the theater and was please but the ending was a letdown. That maybe why its not as well know as one would think.

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    1. Yeah I have to agree its almost like it wasn't bad enough to garner a reputation either. Shame really I really enjoyed. Waterworld is pretty similar starts out well but the end is a bit meh!

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    2. Waterworld's ending was bad enough to garner a reputation!

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  16. Looks like a well made movie, but I can't bring myself to view "zombies" as fearful as real people gone bad.

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  17. They just finished showing it here today on FX network. Unfortunately, I started watching it mid-way through, but I found it entertaining. It certainly is worth watching again, and I'll be looking for a copy of the DVD to add to my collection.

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  18. Thanks for the report I havent seen this movie but will hunt it down

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  19. How have I missed this? Heading over to Amazon now!

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  20. The Cannibal scene(all cannibal scenes in any move) disturb me. But realistically one guy would not feed all those people + I would think the cook time would have to be more of a flash fire for ten second. Other that that it was a cool movie.

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