Wolfenstein 3-D set the stage for first-person shooters in the video game world.  However, blasting Lego-esque Nazis on your PC would eventually be replaced by something bigger and better.  It would be known simply as Doom. After its release in 1993, it went on to spawn multiple sequels on a variety of platforms as gamers continue to amass an arsenal of firearms while blasting hellish baddies.  As has been the case with a variety of successful video game franchises (Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, etc.) to make the transition to the big screen, Doom follows suit. 

Film 

Doom stars action hero Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson along with Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings, Pathfinder, Star Trek).  Johnson takes on the role of Sarge as he spearheads a mission to Mars leading his band of elite troops known as the RRTS (Rapid Response Tactical Squad).  A distress call was received from the Olduvai Research Facility on Mars where the film opens.  Scientists are running down the hallways from horrors unknown while shreaks of terror fill the air.  The director wasted no time in introducing the gore as one poor lass tries to wedge her way through a set of closing security doors, only to have her arm get caught and severed.  Though we can’t see her on the other side, she screams relentlessly, leaving viewers to only imagine the fate to which she is left.

Enter Sarge and his RRTS bad boys…though they are more like a band of well-trained misfits.  We’ve got one shotgun-toting soldier quoting the Bible while another cannot contain his urge to hop in the sack with some Mexican hotties.  Hooray for contrast.  The group makes the trip to the Olduvai facility via the Arc, a mysterious artifact/gateway that transports the soldiers as liquefied bubbles through space onto the receiving end, located on the big red dust bowl we know as Mars.  Friction begins shortly after their arrival as John Grimm (Karl Urban) comes face to face with a beautiful scientist, Samantha Grimm (Rosamund Pike)…his sister.

Apparently their parents died at the facility years back, but either I completely missed the boat on how they met their demise or it was never explained.  Now I do have the attention span of a goldfish, but I was paying pretty close attention to the film and never did come across a point of explanation.  Anyway, I digress.  Samantha takes the soldiers on a tour throughout the facility, explaining who was last seen where and what rooms are where.  The RRTS splits up upon Sarge’s command, only to have them begin facing death as all hell breaks loose…literally!  Grotesque mutations abound as they operate with mindless determination to take out all in their path.  Fire at will!

Video 

I really want to give this film a 4-rating in the eye candy department but I just can’t.  It’s not too bad going through most of the film.  In fact, the video quality is quite good most of the time, but in the end, the grain that appeared here and there and then rather prevalently near the latter portion of the film and it just became too much.  I’m settling on a 3.5.  Even the first-person sequence had considerable grain around building support beams and other environmental facets (yes folks that’s right…paying homage to the video game is five-and-a-half minute first person shooter sequence).  The VC-1 encode in 1080p was admirable here, just not so much in dark scenes.

Audio 

Why not unleash a few demonic beasts on your ears?  No, I’m not saying go Van Gogh on us.  I’m suggesting you sit back and enjoy the yells and ambushes of Doom‘s villains as they’re met with a ‘fully automatic’ solution.  The sound does not disappoint and there is plenty of utilization of the film’s audio effects.  As the business end of a rifle states its case, the metal-lined corridors of Olduvai do well to echo the noise and bring the viewer closer to the experience.

Special Features 

As with The Kingdom, the back of the Doom box says the film’s extras are shown in 1080i/p and 480i/p.  On one hand, this isn’t false.  On the other hand, the reality is most of the extra features are in 480 (and as I mentioned in the past, when we’re talking 480, ‘i’ or ‘p’ is not relevant; inferior resolution is inferior resolution).  Nevertheless, there are a handful of extras and the content is sufficient.  It’s not great but it is better than average.

• My Scenes – Start a collection of your favorite bookmarked scenes from Doom.
• Basic Training – The cast gets a hands-on experience on the firing range with former British special ops soldier, Tom McAdams (just over 10.5 minutes).
• Rock Formation – In this extra that runs just over five-and-half minutes, viewers get a backstage look at what goes into the makeup for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
• Master Monster Makers - This 11-minute extra takes a peak at the body casting and sculpting of the film’s creatures and the habitants within the mutant suits.
• First-Person Shooter Sequence – Just shy of 6 minutes, fans and viewers alike get to witness the amount of work that went on to create the film’s sequence that is a tip of the hat to its video game counterpart.
• Doom Nation - The longest featurette at 14:37, Doom Nation shares interviews with the masterminds behind the Doom game series and how it shot to stardom.
• Game On! – A self-proclaimed fan of the Doom series provides viewers with hints and tips on the Doom 3 game (6:47).
• BD Live

Final Thoughts 

It’s tough to escape the stereotype of game-to-film transfers and unfortunately, Doom doesn’t do a grand job to escape the curse that has befallen its peers.  It is entertaining, but with a run-time hovering close to two hours, I could easily lop off twenty minutes to maintain the energy and flow of the film.  The acting is not spectacular but The Rock does a decent job and the story does offer a twist or two that I didn’t see coming.  Doom is worth a viewing and is a film I do grade higher than other films born of the video game genre.  Lock and load, soldier!

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