Doomed
  Release Date: April 3, 2007 Tag Line: One island. Five teams. Let the hunt begin. Description: In the near future, society’s thirst for reality TV has pushed the envelope to the edge, creating a sadistic kind of entertainment . . . Survival Island 2020. The concept is simple . . . stay alive! Ten contestants are divided into five teams on a remote desert island. They must reach the other side of the island in three days, where for the winner, a boat and the $50 million cash prize await. While scavenging for food, supplies, and weapons, the players realize that they are not alone on the island. They are being hunted by an army unit of cold-blooded zombies. The demented super soldiers were left behind on the island, where it once housed a military base conducting secret, but failed, human experiments. Each team must find their strengths, gather their wits, and try to outsmart the savage death squad that stalks them. If not, they are all doomed! Running time: 76 minutes Rating: Not rated Scoop ReviewPlot: It was only a matter of time before a movie like this was made, an extreme Survivor-type horror flick that attempts to come across as a futuristic television program. Is this the way reality TV will be in the future? It’s difficult to say, of course, but it certainly seems to be headed in that direction. So I’ll give the filmmakers points for constructing a plot with potential. The only problem is that they didn’t tap very much of that potential. Acting: After extensive consideration, I’ve decided that there are three types of acting in Doomed: bad, really bad, and horrible. Special Effects: A lot of CGI effects, for the most part. The majority of them were cheesy. One thing that was annoying was how the participants would rack up points for punches and “death blows” and the like, and the action would be paused momentarily to show the audience how many points each move was worth. And that’s not all. The undead army dudes are supposed to be crazed zombies who eat their prey. We don’t get to witness the carnage. The flying cameras recording all of the action go dead at just the right moment. “Transmission terminated” is how they justify it. More like, “Movie’s budget terminated.” Keep an Eye Out For. . .
The Straight Scoop: Okay, even a diehard Survivor fan wouldn’t derive much pleasure from this flick. Now I have to give Maverick Entertainment props for being in business for 10 years. Making a profit producing straight-to-video movies isn’t easy. But I can’t give props to Doomed. Its heart was in the right place, but unfortunately, the rest of it wasn’t. Recommendation: Sorry, Doomed. You’ve been voted off Straight-to-Video Island. Want to watch a movie about a future reality television show? Watch The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Better yet, read the short story it was based on by Stephen King. He wrote it in 1982. Now that’s a piece of futuristic literature that was right on the mark. Quality Rating: One and a half scoops Riff Rating: Four scoops Reviewer: Matt Deutsch
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