From its approximate 15 million original users, the game Doom has set the standard for all first person shooter games. Its popularity was so big we saw it in multiple releases for the PC, PlayStation One, and the x-box. That being said, it was no surprise to see this popular game franchise added to the long list of video game to film adaptations. So on Friday, October 21, 2005 the movie Doom hit theaters all across America and trying to have as little bias as possible (being a big fan of the game), I found myself sitting in the local theater with very mixed feelings on the film.

Director Andrzej Barkowiak (U.S. Marshals, Devils Advocate) starts the film on the Mars based Olduvai Research Facility where there's a level 5 disturbance in it's archeology sector. So when protocol is followed they call in the RRTS(or the rapid response tactical squad) led by Sarge (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - The Rundown, The Scorpion King) a kind of government operated clean-up or sweeper team, who must now face a new kind of evil before it comes back through "the ark" (the gateway portal to and from mars). When one of the team members, John Grimm (Karl Urban, The Bourne Supremacy and The Chronicles of Riddick) gets there he runs into his estranged sister, Samantha Grimm (Rosamund Pike, Pride And Prejudice) who helps them figure out what the force they are dealing with is. The rest of the team is worth noting, as a mixed bowl of nuts as you'll see, when watching this film.

If your looking for differences between the game and movie be assured you'll find plenty of them, but it's best to remember that it's not the game, and not everything can be transferred to film, however the cinematographer, Tony Pierce did capture some of the important attributes in the game such as the darkness and claustrophobic feel that you got when playing. There was also a thrilling moment that i assume anyone who played the game will get when the movie switches from second to first person, which includes the heavy breathing and everything. I think the biggest factor from the Doom game that's missing is "hell" or rather the lack there of. That was probably the most important angle they should have tried to stick to considering that's what the entire Doom game was based on.

If you can set aside your hopes of seeing a game accurately brought to life on the big screen then you'll be able to enjoy the action scenes, cool technology, weapons and freaky monsters a lot more. The makers of Doom knew what they were doing when they made the movie in that, once the action starts it doesn't stop it has a very good flow to it that keeps you interested from beginning to end. I also feel The Rock should be commended for turning down the lead role of John Grimm so he could play "the more interesting" role of Sarge, it allowed him to be a little more strange and intense than his normal characters (and gave him the freedom to have a filthier mouth). All in all i'd say if you like action/sci-fi movies this one's pretty decent, its not deserving of a sequel and I don't see it getting any awards for film of the year, but it is worth spending the $8 or a least catching it when it makes it to television and or DVD. The films runtime is approx. 145 minutes and is rated R for strong language violence and content its currently playing all across America.