Doom (2005) - Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak
Rated 'R' for strong violence/gore and language.

Few failures in cinema can compare to video game adaptations. From the abysmal Mortal Kombat Annihilation to the more recent Paul WS Anderson films Resident Evil and Alien vs. Predator, the jump to cinema almost guarantees outrage from the games original fan base. Now Doom, one of the older and most recognizable games out there, gets its chance at the silver screen.

In Doom, Marine sergeant 'Sarge' (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) leads a diverse group of special forces operatives to Mars. Something has gone terribly wrong at the Union Aerospace Corporation's research base. Before long, the marines find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of unknown creatures. Meanwhile, 'Reaper' (Karl Urban) battles his personal daemons.

Having never been pleased with a video game adaptation, I went into Doom with very low expectations. This being said, Doom rocked...hard. Full of one-liners, catch phrases, and trash talk, this movie is so undeniably fun and lighthearted that I couldn't help laugh throughout. This was a welcome change from other game-to-movie's overly serious tone. Doom knows what it is, and doesn't try to be anything more.

But this lightheartedness doesn't mean tame, by any means. A 'hard R,' I was a bit surprised at the amount of blood and gore. Again, another welcome change from the Pg-13 mediocrity of the before mentioned Alien vs. Predator.

There are actors in this movie; they recite lines and build a story. That's about all I'll say about that, as Doom doesn't put much importance on the acting aspect. The leading duo of The Rock and Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings) fit their parts and get no complaints from me. There are some pretty tacky lines (especially from The Rock), but they were such a throwback to 80's action cinema that I couldn't help but grin.

Speaking of tacky, there's one scene in Doom I was very much dreading. A nod to the games roots, a sequence near the end is shot through the first-person perspective of one of the marines. Seeing only the tip of his firearm, the camera weaves through corridors and around corners--all the while, monsters jump out to attack. Surprisingly, as dumb as this may sound, it was actually pretty funny. Short enough to avoid getting old, it really helped to set the stage for the climax.

Essentially, Doom is a liberal retelling of Aliens (1986). But who cares? Aliens is the de facto standard for horror/action. Most other films in the genre have copied it in one way or another, but Doom is the first to really get most of it right. Hardcore fans will probably be turned off by the lack of an overt Hell, but there was plenty of foreshadowing for the eventual (hopefully) sequel. I give Doom 4 entertaining pentagrams out of 5.

Rating: 4/5

~Khyron