The only thing worse than games based on movies is movies based on games. Case in point: Disney's Super Mario Brothers. Universal's adaptation of Doom (slated for release October 21) won't have to be very good to top that stinker. But can the big-screen Doom possibly live up to the legacy of the game, the granddaddy of all first-person shooters?
Fans of the franchise were less than enthused to learn that the script, rewritten almost 30 times, excised the game's core theme (shoot demon, repeat) and turned it into a story about a virus gone AWOL-la Resident Evil (shoot zombie, repeat). And casting wrestler-cum-actor the Rock as Doom's hero didn't reassure them. But producers John Wells (The West Wing) and Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Constantine) insist they've given the film enough familiar "game moments" to satisfy fans. Here's a sneak peek at how the action, look, and bad guys fare.
Adapting Doom for the Multiplex
THE ACTION
An entire battle sequence plays out in Doom's famous first-person perspective - from gunning down chainsaw-wielding monsters to reloading weapons, everything happens as if it were right before your eyes. The continuous sequence is fluid, gory, and nerve-racking.
Gamer cred: HIGH
THE LOOK
id Software provided the filmmakers with the hi-res reference art of game environments. The sets look "straight out of the game, right down to the images on the computer monitors," says Todd Hollenshead, id's CEO. But the dimly lit corridors seem less atmospheric and foreboding in the film.
Gamer cred: MEDIUM
THE BAD GUYS
In addition to CG villains, monster designer Stan Winston (The Thing) crafted homages to Doom game characters like the all-seeing Imps. "The essence is there," says creature f/x supervisor John Rosengrant (Aliens). Mostly. But some resemble a drunken dude in a Halloween costume. Boo!
Gamer cred: LOW
- Paul Davidson
PLAY
>
How Doomed Is It?
