Review of Doomsday (2008) by Inaneswine — 14 Nov 2017

What begins as a decent enough concept - a lethal virus decimates the Scottish population, forcing the government to close its borders - descends fairly rapidly into a pointless exercise in style over content.

The film has a somewhat promising beginning, with its chilling shots of the deserted streets of Scotland, and its representation of a government unwilling to help those in need. It also creates a disturbing portrayal of the remaining population, showing their descent from humanity into barbarity, murder and cannibalism. However, director Neil Marshall injudiciously pushes these elements of the plot to one side, making room for a monotonous string of car chases and battle sequences, hindered further by Marshall's poor dialogue read by a collection of flimsy actors, save for Bob Hoskins and Craig Conway who give fine performances.

One should not dismiss the film entirely, as the plot is interesting, and there is a handful of scenes that make the film interesting. It's just a shame that Marshall allowed his Hollywood action-flick notions to get the better of him, resulting in a film that fails to accommodate its great potential.