The dictionary defines the word “doom” as, “Death, destruction, or some other terrible fate.” We here at Cine-Men are sadly talking about the later part of that definition. We are talking about the 2005 blockbuster flop, “Doom.”

For those that do not know this movie, it is based off the video game series of the same name. The games follow the plot of a solitary space marine trying to push back the hordes of Hell from leaving the martian base that forms the game’s setting.

The movie details the story of groups of marines tasked with searching a hidden Mars base and find out why all forms of communication go dark. Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson are the movie’s main protagonists.

Later, viewers discover that the scientists of the base have discovered actual martian mummified corpses, and of course they begin experimenting with their DNA. This transitions into our group of heroes fighting “martian DNA mutated zombies.” The characters are slowly picked off and succumb to the dark horrors of Mars.

With all that said, this movie was set to be a huge blockbuster. With big names such as “Judge Dredd” and “The Rock” involved in the movie’s production, it is easy to see why moviegoers got excited.

However, critics and viewers panned the movie. With its current score on Rotten Tomatoes sitting at 19% and its Metacritic score echoing at 34, this movie was a flop. Time Magazine called it, “one of the worst video game movies of all time.” With the film only grossing $28 million out of its $60 million budget, the movie only gained traction with oversea sales and physical video releases.

My Take:
Despite the reviews and the opening box office numbers, I thought I was pretty ok. It seemed like an “Aliens” rip-off, at times. But, without a doubt, the last 15 minutes of the film were, for lack of a better word, kick-ass.

It was, in my opinion, the perfect representation of the video games this film was based on: a first-person romp filled with violence, gore, and not a single care in the world. But that is only for the last 15 minutes.

The rest just seems like a loose reference to its source material. That might make a couple fans of the games giggle in their seats, but it disheartens me. It made me think that if it fully embraced its albeit silly heritage, things might have been different.

Hopefully, the new movie announced to be in the works earlier this year turns out better. For me, it was a 4/10 experience. Just buy and play the games.

 Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in “Doom,” based on the eponymous video game series.