Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Doomsday 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Doomsday is a science-fiction action thriller with plenty of excitement for genre fans. Produced by Rogue Pictures, Crystal Sky Pictures, Intrepid Pictures, and Scion Films, Doomsday was originally distributed in North America on 14th of May 2008. An exciting and thrilling instant classic.

Produced by Benedict Carver (Maps to the Stars, Eye in the Sky) and Steven Paul (Ghost in the Shell, Crawlspace), Doomsday stars Rhona Mitra, Bob Hoskins, Adrian Lester, David O'Hara, and Malcolm McDowell. Doomsday was released with both a theatrical and unrated director’s cut version of the film. Though Doomsday flopped at the box-office it became a cult hit and has garnered a good reputation as a science-fiction favorite with genre fans.

The stakes are high and the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance. A dangerous and viral outbreak has caused a spiral to happen. An epidemic is plaguing the world. Now it is up to a team to help counterattack the outbreak and search for a way to cure the growing epidemic.

The epidemic may be causing Doomsday across the world but there is still hope for the future of humanity. Can the heroes of the story defeat the dangerous opposition and stop the end of the entire world as they know it? The fight for survival won’t stop the heroes from fighting for a better tomorrow.

Doomsday pays homage to Mad Max and other post-apocalyptic thrillers including The Warriors. The production is epic in scope and showcases the imagination of its filmmakers. The production design features excellent work by Simon Bowles (The Descent, A Quiet Place: Day One). The design aspects look outstanding throughout the film and the callbacks to other genre films add to the charms of Doomsday. These design attributes are top-notch.

The costume designs by John Norster (The Good Thief, Bridgerton) are excellent and add to the genre sensibilities. The costumes add to the charm in spades. The production has a wonderful aesthetic enhanced by the costuming. The characters feel more alive and engaging with sleek style for the apocalypse.

The cinematography by Sam McCurdy (The Descent, Dog Soldiers) is gorgeous throughout and there is a radiance to the aesthetic. McCurdy is a talent with a wonderful vision and sense of scope for the film. There is plenty of warmth and charm to the cinematography.

Edited by Andrew MacRitchie (Die Another Day, Sahara), Doomsday is a well-paced thrill ride from start to finish. The editing style is fantastic and there is so much joy in the editing. The action scenes are so well paced and the flow of the film is terrific.

The score composed by Tyler Bates (John Wick: Chapter 4, Deadpool 2) is first-rate and one of the best qualities of the production. Bates is a gifted composer and someone with a great knowledge for film scoring. The music is energetic and exhilarating. There is enormous gravitas to the score and how it enhances the filmmaking.

Written and directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers), Doomsday is a cult classic. A fun gem with plenty of adrenaline-packed mayhem, Doomsday is exhilarating from first to last frame. There is wonderful beauty to the filmmaking and the way it expands on its concept for a science-fiction thrill ride. Marshall made something enormously special with Doomsday and it is one of the finest action thrillers of the 2000s. A rollercoaster ride and every frame is beautiful to look at. Doomsday is an incredible action achievement and a classic with so much fun brimming in every moment of the production.

Doomsday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Shout Factory, Doomsday is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release features a brand new 4K restoration of the feature-film. The restoration comes from the original DI film negative. The film negative featured a master 2K format.

The original negative is limited to 2K resolution. The new 4K restoration has upscaled the original elements to 4K resolution. The release comes with a HDR10 (standard) and Dolby Vision master. The high dynamic range presentation is one of the strong points of the presentation. The HDR grading looks exceptional and adds vibrancy and depth to the presentation. The depth and detail are impressive – the darker color palate looking especially impressive with the HDR grading.

For some reason, Shout Factory has elected to only include the 4K HDR UHD presentation of Doomsday on the theatrical cut only. The unrated cut is not provided on a 4K UHD disc (and is only provided on a standard Blu-ray). The 4K presentation of the theatrical cut is well-done. There is a lot to appreciate. Clarity and detail look excellent on the release. Even despite the original DI being 2K, the new 4K restoration of the original elements looks exceptional and there are obvious improvements to presentation clarity.

Doomsday has a strong post-apocalyptic visual sensibility and there is plenty to appreciate about the manner in which these visuals are reproduced on the release. The cinematography looks great. The outstanding visuals add to the science-fiction aesthetic and the presentation is all the better as a result.

Doomsday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio quality on the release is excellent. A wonderful audio presentation and one that is reference-level in every manner. The audio quality is fantastic and there is so much immersion to the presentation.

Depth and detail are top-notch. The presentation allows for great immersion with the surround sound mixing – the surrounds actively utilized throughout the presentation. The amount of detail is fantastic and the sound mix is one of the most lively and exciting mixes I have ever heard with my system. It is such a creative sound stage. The sound designer made a masterpiece of a sound design and the end result is a more exhilarating experience – every subtle nuance of the action brimming with creative wonder.

Doomsday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the release comes with a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover adds to the quality of the release. For slipcover collectors, the slipcover adds something of considerable value to the release and the package looks even better in hand and will look great on the shelf.

The 4K restoration has been provided on each of the three discs included in the package – with different options across discs. The set includes a 4K UHD disc with the 4K HDR presentation, a Blu-ray disc with the 4K restoration of the theatrical cut, and a Blu-ray disc featuring the 4K restoration of the unrated version.

On disc supplements:

Audio Commentary with Author David J. Moore

Theatrical Cut:

Consider This A Warning: Making Doomsday (HD, 35:59)

The End Is Nigh: Producing Doomsday (HD, 11:38)

You Are What You Eat: Becoming Sol (HD, 19:13)

Escape from Glasgow: Designing Doomsday (HD, 23:47)

It's Medieval Out There: Inside the Make-Up Effects (HD, 11:56)

Piss & Vinegar: Scoring Doomsday (HD, 17:52)

Unrated Cut:

Audio Commentary with Cast and Crew

Soldiers of Misfortune: Becoming Sergeant Norton (HD, 11:46)

Anatomy of Catastrophe: Civilization on the Brink (SD, 17:24)

The Visual Effects and Wizardry of Doomsday (SD, 8:32)

Devices of Death: Guns, Gadgets, and Vehicles of Destruction (SD, 20:10)

Image Gallery (HD, 4:45)

Trailer (HD, 2:29)

Doomsday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Doomsday is an exhilarating thrill ride from start to finish. The epic sense of scope and scale to the film is enormous. The filmmaking is beautiful and the action set pieces are so fine-tuned that every sequence is bursting with energy. Rhona Mitra delivers a tough and fun performance while looking gorgeous the entire feature.

The 4K UHD features a superb restoration from the original DI. Only the theatrical cut is provided on the 4K UHD disc. The 4K restoration is also provided on the theatrical cut and unrated version Blu-ray discs. An outstanding package, Doomsday arrives with a package including extensive supplemental features and a nice o-card slipcover. Highly recommended.