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Doomsday Review

Release Date: Mar 14, 2008
Rated: strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content/nudity
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Director:Neil Marshall
Cast:Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, Alexander Siddig, David O'Hara. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

5.0

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

Does it suck? Sorta. Is that awesome? Absolutely. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

3.0

51

out of 100

Metascore^®
Mixed or average reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
50

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly
Marshall cribs whole sections from other movies (Aliens and The Road Warrior, most blatantly) so baldly that you have to wonder how he'd like it if someone ripped off "The Descent" this egregiously.

Read Full Review
50

out of 100

ReelViews James Berardinelli
Doomsday tries to cram so much into its limited 105 minutes that aspects end up feeling rushed and confused (especially the political situation in England) and the ending is perfunctory.

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50

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck
Mitra, clad in the requisite tight, sexy outfits, conveys a suitable toughness but little in the way of personality, while such distinguished British actors as Bob Hoskins and Adrian Lester dutifully show up to collect their paychecks.

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70

out of 100

Variety Dennis Harvey
Neil Marshall's flair for visceral action more than compensates for his script's lack of conceptual novelty in Doomsday. Principally South Africa-shot tale of a post-apocalyptic Great Britain cobbles together large chunks of "Escape From New York," "The Road Warrior," "28 Days Later" and "Resident Evil," but those with a taste for revved-up, splattery fantasy thrills won't be complaining.

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See all Doomsday reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 16+

Violent action flick paints a grim, bloody future.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this post-apocalyptic action-horror movie is brimming with bloody, splatty, graphic violence. Weapons include guns, swords, arrows, knives, and grenades, and brutal images include suicide by gun, decapitation, stabbing, torture, shooting, fighting, cannibalism, car chases, and crashes. A woman's naked breasts are visible during a shooting; other scenes feature pole dancing and cleavage-revealing outfits. Language includes lots of "f--k"s, plus other profanity. The heroine smokes cigarettes.

Families can talk about the kinds of things that post-apocalyptic movies often have in common. How does Hollywood tend to signal a civilization in decline? What other movies does this one remind you of? What sets it apart? Is it significant that the main character is a woman? How does Eden see the world differently from her male adversaries? How does her traumatic past shape her attitude toward authority and morality?

The good stuff

Messages: The main female character is surly but moralistic; the prime minister's assistant is power-hungry and cruel; punked-out tribe in Glasgow is furious and cannibalistic; one young soldier wants to protect a young woman.

What to watch for

Violence: Ongoing graphic, bloody violence. Armed military personnel with guns abuse panicking crowds. Injuries/deaths (including a graphic suicide) from gunshots, trampling, beating, and barbed wire. Many gory images: child's eye bloody from gunshot; smashed, mangled cow and person; decapitation (shown on screen, via grisly prosthetics); stabbing; shooting; cut throat (spurting blood). The infected appear covered in gooey skin and blisters. Combat scenes (in which streets are strewn with skulls and skeletons) feature vehicles crashing, guns, arrows, fighting, swords, and explosions from grenades. Torture scenes include hot poker branding, whipping, punching, and biting. Gladiator-style arena fight features kicking, hitting, knifing, an axe to a head. A cannibalism scene shows a man burned/charred alive; scenes in which the raging crowd gnaws at the meat are grotesque. A rabbit blows up on screen.
Sex: Various cleavage shots. A naked woman's breasts are visible when she's in the bathtub during a raid. Sol kisses his girlfriend lasciviously; he tries to kiss Eden, who bites his lip. Pole dancers wear fishnets, bikini tops, and bikini-style bottoms (their rears appear in close-ups). A masochist appears in black vinyl suit, begging to be hurt.
Language: Frequent use of "f--k" (sometimes with "mother-"), plus other language: "s--t," "bastard," "hell," "damn," "bollocks," "balls," "ass," "bitch."
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Repeated cigarette smoking main characters.

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.