Survivor leader Sol (Craig Conway) interrogates Major Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) in ''Doomsday.'' (Courtesy photo)

By Bob Polunsky
Movie Critic

“Doomsday” re-lives every catastrophe recorded in history, or so it seems. It’s a disaster film, and the victim is the human race. The villain is Nature, and there’s no way to control Nature completely. That’s one of the points of the film, and it’s an emphatic one that covers plagues that happen over and over again.

There might be a lesson in this movie somehow – like the often-said comment that Hurricane Katrina may re-visit Louisiana, so we better be prepared!  According to the film, people never are prepared, and that’s also what gives the movie its pizzazz.

It has pizzazz in spite of – not because – of any big name personalities in the cast. Contrary to Hollywood’s usual pattern, the lack of big names gives the overall show curiosity value. You can’t help but wonder if the suspense would have been more intense if Tom Cruise or Angelina Jolie or even Lassie had to cope with death-defying disasters like those pictured. It would have given the audience identifiable characters to root for, true, but would it have been more or less suspenseful with big names in the cast?

One-time famous performers Malcolm MacDowell and Bob Hoskins have small roles (not big enough to be called “cameos”), but neither has been active in the movie industry in quite awhile so their name value has diminished over time.

The movie starts when a virus spreads through Great Britain infecting thousands of people. The authorities have no choice: The British Isles must be quarantined to protect the uninfected world!

That doesn’t sound humane, but it works. The quarantine leads to 30 years of normalcy before the virus makes a return engagement and starts its lethal action all over again.

One scientist (there’s always only one in movies like this) is recruited to stop the virus from spreading to the rest of the world, killing thousands more men, women and children when they battle the virus-infected landscape.

“The plague” (it’s also called “the reaper virus that shows no mercy”) causes people to be quarantined (again!) and walls built to hold back the frightened victims so they won’t contaminate the rest of the world (again!). It also means the same man nominated to find a cure for the deadly virus is recruited (again!) to make another stand in the name of good health and, although not mentioned, Medicare coverage.

You get the feeling that the virus never will be contained as long as the studio holds onto the rights for another sequel. Don’t laugh. That’s what happened to “King Kong” with its three versions thus far and counting.

“Doomsday” is laughable, but it’s practically impossible not to feel scared in the presence of so much mortal danger. If you think it’s too exciting to bear, get a candy bar, a box of popcorn and a cold soft drink to help you through it. Just remember that the movie may not be a classic, but it puts fear in perspective, and that’s the main reason to see disaster movies.
 
Studio rating: R for violence
Bob says: “What a popcorn picture!” 
2 ½ Stars