RT Critical Consensus: "Doom" Gloom, "Country" Sounds Sweet
This week at the movies brings stories of marines on Mars ("Doom"), iron miners fighting the man ("North Country"), little girls who love horses ("Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story"), and questions of human identity ("Stay"). Which of these films will score with critics?
"Doom," the video game, was nirvana for button-mashers. It took the simplest concept in the world of gaming - shooting aliens with big guns - and drove it home with a kaleidoscope of sensory pleasures. But video games and movies work on our senses in different ways, and "Doom," the movie, is - perhaps unsurprisingly - far from the revolutionary masterstroke of its source material. Granted, the source was not an Iris Murdoch novel. The film stars The Rock as a marine investigating strange goings-on at a research facility on Mars; naturally, things eventually get blowed up real good. While some critics say it's not all that bad, others say it's just big and loud. At 27 percent, the scribes are pressing the reset button, but its makers should take heart in the fact that it's one of the best-reviewed video game adaptations of all time.
John Lennon once said, "A working class hero is something to be." That's a sentiment the makers of "North Country" feel will resonate in these ambiguous political times. Charlize Theron stars as an iron miner who speaks out against hazardous working conditions and sexual harassment. Critics say that while "North Country" has its flaws, it's an inspiring and passionate underdog story. At 64 percent, critics say this is one beautiful "Country."
A family-friendly tale of a little girl, her father, a horse, and Kris Kristofferson, "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" is not a movie for cynics. Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell work to bring a once-promising horse out of retirement (and, presumably, the glue factory) for a run at the Breeders' Cup. Critics say Fanning is solid as always, but the film, while well-crafted, breaks about as much new ground as an antique plow pulled by an aging nag. At 48 percent on the Tomatometer, the critics are putting this "Dreamer" out to pasture.
"Memento," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Blow Up".... Moviegoers love a good, twisty meditation on the human condition. "Good" is the operative word here. "Stay" stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts in the story of a psychiatrist whose reality starts to crack as his life becomes entwined with that of his suicidal patient. The critics say the movie is certainly a brain-teaser, but it's more tease than brain, and more murky that meditative. At 10 percent, critics are imploring viewers to "Stay" away from this one.
Recent Video Game To Movie Adaptations:
----------------------------------------------------
1% -- Alone in the Dark (2005)
20% -- Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
6% -- House of the Dead (2003)
23% -- Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
36% -- Resident Evil (2002)
18% -- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
7% -- Wing Commander (1999)
24% -- Mortal Kombat (1995)
0% -- Double Dragon (1994)
6% -- Super Mario Bros. (1993)
"Doom," the video game, was nirvana for button-mashers. It took the simplest concept in the world of gaming - shooting aliens with big guns - and drove it home with a kaleidoscope of sensory pleasures. But video games and movies work on our senses in different ways, and "Doom," the movie, is - perhaps unsurprisingly - far from the revolutionary masterstroke of its source material. Granted, the source was not an Iris Murdoch novel. The film stars The Rock as a marine investigating strange goings-on at a research facility on Mars; naturally, things eventually get blowed up real good. While some critics say it's not all that bad, others say it's just big and loud. At 27 percent, the scribes are pressing the reset button, but its makers should take heart in the fact that it's one of the best-reviewed video game adaptations of all time.
John Lennon once said, "A working class hero is something to be." That's a sentiment the makers of "North Country" feel will resonate in these ambiguous political times. Charlize Theron stars as an iron miner who speaks out against hazardous working conditions and sexual harassment. Critics say that while "North Country" has its flaws, it's an inspiring and passionate underdog story. At 64 percent, critics say this is one beautiful "Country."
A family-friendly tale of a little girl, her father, a horse, and Kris Kristofferson, "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" is not a movie for cynics. Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell work to bring a once-promising horse out of retirement (and, presumably, the glue factory) for a run at the Breeders' Cup. Critics say Fanning is solid as always, but the film, while well-crafted, breaks about as much new ground as an antique plow pulled by an aging nag. At 48 percent on the Tomatometer, the critics are putting this "Dreamer" out to pasture.
"Memento," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Blow Up".... Moviegoers love a good, twisty meditation on the human condition. "Good" is the operative word here. "Stay" stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts in the story of a psychiatrist whose reality starts to crack as his life becomes entwined with that of his suicidal patient. The critics say the movie is certainly a brain-teaser, but it's more tease than brain, and more murky that meditative. At 10 percent, critics are imploring viewers to "Stay" away from this one.
Recent Video Game To Movie Adaptations:
----------------------------------------------------
1% -- Alone in the Dark (2005)
20% -- Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
6% -- House of the Dead (2003)
23% -- Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
36% -- Resident Evil (2002)
18% -- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
7% -- Wing Commander (1999)
24% -- Mortal Kombat (1995)
0% -- Double Dragon (1994)
6% -- Super Mario Bros. (1993)
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JnBa73 writes: on Oct 20 2005 06:53 PM [b]suprise, suprise[/b] anyone suprised that doom is low on the tomatometer? i mean, i still plan to see it this weekend... this movie does not need good reviews to get loads of business. its not the type of movie to get high marks anway (Reply to this) |
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jeremyd4 writes: on Oct 20 2005 11:56 PM It's a tricky situation because when reading the reviews it sounds as though 'Doom' is exactly what it's supposed to be. It has a low score on the Tomatometer but that doesn't reflect the reviews it's getting - most of the bad ones aren't panning the movie, they're just saying it doesn't bring anything new to the table. I for one, like movies like 'Predator' and 'Aliens', and if people can give a movie like 'Land of the Dead' good reviews because it's mindless fun and nostalgic, all the while being predictable, generic and adding nothing significant to the genre - then why not do the same with this?!?! They're both faithful to what they're trying to be. Reviewers who go in there expecting anything more or some deep masterpiece - i wish they wouldn't act so surprised when it's not. (Reply to this) |
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killthemall4444 writes: on Oct 21 2005 08:15 AM well the the doom reviews were as good as i expected them to be. The makers of the movie couldn't have hoped for much better. I am dissapointed that stay got such terrible reviews i like Ewan McGregor. (Reply to this) |
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dudemovies writes: on Oct 21 2005 09:03 AM In reply to this comment (#826899) [b]Stay[/b] Didn't the guy who directed Monster Ball and Finding Neverland direct it? Thats kind of shcoking that the reviews were so bad. I like Namoi Watts, Ewan Mcgregor, and Ryan Gosling (Reply to this) |
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southfrisco writes: on Oct 21 2005 04:41 PM In reply to this comment (#826897) Congratulations JnBa! You will continue to give Hollywood a reason to make crap like this over, and over, and over again. I see a Doom 2 in our future, followed by the end of the world as we know it. (Reply to this) |
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dudemovies writes: on Oct 22 2005 06:45 AM [b]Dreamer[/b] It up to a 66 (Reply to this) |
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lovelykeira writes: on Oct 22 2005 10:54 AM I'm seeing Stay no matter what the critics say. (Reply to this) |
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AnTy writes: on Oct 22 2005 07:37 PM In reply to this comment (#826901) Oh quit your crying, no one forces you or Millions of other people to go see Doom or other "crap" like this. If you want better movies, make them yourself. Until then stop bitching and let people watch what they want. THAT being said.....I'll be seeing this on Monday. (Reply to this) |
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dudemovies writes: on Oct 23 2005 09:21 AM In reply to this comment (#826904) [b]lol[/b] That was funny. I don't think the slump is b/c dont want to see movie its b/c they could wait for the DVD and save about 500000000000000000 dollars. (Reply to this) |
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JnBa73 writes: on Oct 23 2005 02:27 PM In reply to this comment (#826901) who said video game movies are the end of the world? while ill admit doom was terrible, i think that eventually "good" video game movies will come about. think "Halo" (Peter Jackson). (Reply to this) |
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kfarschman writes: on Oct 23 2005 08:12 PM In reply to this comment (#826898) i wouldn't compare 'Doom' with 'Aliens' or 'Predator'. It looks like it's more 'Alien Vs. Predator'. (Reply to this) |
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killamike316 writes: on Oct 24 2005 10:06 PM alien vs. predator sucked (Reply to this) |
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