Doomsday

Thursday, April 10, 2008

It's like someone specifically tailored this movie just so I'd buy a ticket. It's just a big knock-off of Escape From New York with a dollop of Mad Max thrown in for good measure.

Is it as good as those films? No. Is it a lot of fun? Yes. Does it manage to recapture any of the magic of those other films? Sometimes, but not enough to make it a classic. Does it add anything unique to the mix? Enough so that the movie doesn't feel stale or boring.

The director, Neil Marshall, has never been shy about borrowing heavily from other sources, although I never expected him to do anything this brazen. I mean, he practically lifts whole scenes from the movies of John Carpenter and George Miller. Hell, he even steals the font Carpenter uses on all his movies, and throws in an 80's-style electronic score to boot.

There's not an action scene as good as the best stuff from The Road Warrior, or a character as great as Snake Plisken, but I still had a big grin plastered on my face for most of the movie. It's just an exuberant work of nerdy fanboy nostalgia, a sloppy but eager blowjob to some movies that Marshall clearly loves, but done well. And I love those movies too, and I'm happy to share in his nostalgia.