Director: Neil Marshall
Writer: Neil Marshall
Cast: Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Sean Pertwee, Christine Tomlinson, Malcolm McDowell
Great Britain, 2007. A deadly plague, known as the "Reaper Virus," has broken out, killing hundreds of thousands in its wake. In desperation, the British Government evacuates as many survivors as it can out of the infected area, and then builds a wall, preventing the remainder from escaping. Thirty years later, with the wall still up and the victims all but forgotten, the virus breaks out again. The Government decides to send a crack team of operatives, led by Major Eden Sinclair, into the hot zone to investigate the possibility of a cure.
'If any director can lay claim to being one of horrors modern masters then it’s Neil Marshall, having first won fans over with his humorous werewolf and army tale Dog Soldiers, then making arguably the best horror of the millennium so far with his mutant cave tour de force Descent. Now with his 3rd feature Doomsday Marshall oddly takes a step away from horror a little, though it’s violent and bloody enough to please his fans. The plot mixes equal parts Escape From New York, Mad Max and 28 Days Later into a tale about a virus outbreak that’s contained within the Scottish borders. Only 20 years after the virus breaks out into London, a government agency sends a team led by Eden (Rhona Mitra) back up to Scotland to find a believed cure. Problem being that without any rule for 2 decades Scotland’s turned into a massive frenzy of mutant cannibalistic tribal gangs. As a massive Marshall fan I’m kinda split over this film, on one hand it’s highly entertaining on a very take it as it comes Grindhouse trashfest level, on the other hand though its plot is muddled and very and I mean very derivative of other well known genre outings. So while viewing it your spell bound under its glossy high octane action, sadly on leaving the theatre you’ll know doubt like me get that hollow feeling of being served a very unoriginal film. Has to be said though its got several great moments like the Duran Duran style gang showpiece and the Mad Max styled race for freedom.'
(7 out of 10)
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