DOOM (2005)

Above is a most interesting happening. The top image is from the Internet. There were a few other equivalent images, but the top one was the best. The lower image, however, puts a different spin on all this. The bottom image is a screenshot made as I played DOOM well-calibrated on my iMac.  The difference is startling.  I like them both, though.  TKM

[NOTE:  Though my book, MARS IN THE MOVIES: A HISTORY, covered about 100 Mars film and video productions, you would not be surprised to learn that I liked some Mars movies better than others. When writing the posts for this blog, naturally I focused on my favorites—the 30 or 40 before this post on DOOM (see Table of Contents or Archive). Of course, that means that many subsequent posts will discuss films that are less well-regarded, beginning with DOOM.] 
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The first few moments of DOOM are the best it has to offer. These moments constitute the Universal Pictures logo that you’ve seen thousands of times. Typically, the word “Universal” enters the screen from the right and begins to encircle what the camera pulling back reveals to be the planet earth. When all is said and done, the “Universal” encompasses the equator of the planet, and then this logo fades into whatever is next. The logo for DOOM is exactly the same, except that it is not the planet earth that is revealed; it is the planet Mars. How cool is that? When I saw what was happening, I literally jumped out of my seat squealing with joy.

Unfortunately, nothing that follows is 1/100th as interesting.
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Summary. When communications from the Olduvai research lab on Mars inexpli- cably ceases, the Rapid Response Tactical Squad arrives, unclear what to expect but finding hordes of demons from Hell. The task is to destroy the monsters before they find a way to earth.
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Furthermore, this is only a Mars movie by a technicality. Except for a few establishing shots zooming into the exterior of the lab facility, there is nothing especially “Mars-y” about this movie. There seems to be a lot of that going around: Much the same thing can be said about Watchmen, Martian Successor Nadesico—The Motion Picture: Prince of Darkness, and Mr. Nobody. The Mars aspects of these movies are too slight to gain them entrance into the pantheon of real Mars movies. I’m letting DOOM in on the strength of its Universal logo being a masterstroke.

DOOM, like Resident Evil, Wing Commander, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, is an action movie based on a popular and influential video game. In this case DOOM the game (1993) has the distinction of being universally considered the seminal, perhaps the first, first-person shooter game.

I wouldn’t let my son play with any first person shooter games in our home. Doubtless, when he was at his friends’ homes, he was able to conveniently forget our family’s rules.
There have been volumes of talk about whether or not these sorts of games influence the level of violence in the U.S.  I have my own opinion, but, in the long-run, the jury is out and likely to remain so for decades.

But this is not a commentary on the game. It’s about the movie that was released in 2005. I cannot speak to how true the movie is to the game, but I am happy to say that the first-person-shooter element is reduced to a mere nod at the very end.

Above I mentioned that DOOM is based on a video game and offered a few examples. However, Doom is not in the same league as those. The difference is that those films—Resident Evil, Wing Commander, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider—were colorful, well-crafted, lovingly stylized, and fun. DOOM, though, has nothing to redeem itself, aside from the already-mentioned classically new take on the Universal logo at the start.

DOOM (2005)

USA, UK, Czech Republic, Germany. Universal Pictures, John Wells Productions, Di Bonaven- tura Pictures, Doom Productions, Stillking Films, BPS Babelsberg Production Services, Reaper Productions, Distant Planet Productions. C. 2.35:1. 105m.

CREW: Director Andrzej Bartkowiak. Script David Callaham and Wesley Strick. Story David Callaham. Based on the Video Game DOOM by id Software. Producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, John Wells. Score Clint Mansell. Director of Photography Tony Pierce-Roberts. Production Designer Stephen Scott. Editor Derek G. Brechin. Casting Jina Jay. Special Effects Stan Winston Studio, Effects Specials DDT. Special Visual Effects Double Negative, Framestore CFC, Flash FX, AVC Productions, Cine Image Film Opticals, Thousand Monkeys.

CAST: Sarge The Rock (Dwayne Johnson). John Grimm Karl Urban. Destroyer DeObia Oparei. Samantha Grimm Rosamund Pike. Duke Raz Adoti. Portman Richard Brake. The Kid Al Weaver. Pinky Dexter Fletcher. Hell Knight Brian Steele. Goat Ben Daniels.

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