The masses unloaded with lots of fun feedback with regard to our last Scream-centric
Face-Off which had part 3 stabbing part 4 to death. I’m a big fan of the series and it was cool hearing everybody’s passionate thoughts!
For today’s Face-Off, we are going with a desolate, post-apocalyptic theme in honor of Mad Max: Fury Road which roars into theaters this Friday! Today’s two bad ass flicks are a pair of fairly recent apocalypse-style actioners that definitely don’t skimp on going hardcore. So, let’s begin this wasteland battle and put Doomsday up against The Book of Eli.
Rhona Mitra’s “Eden Sinclair” (great name!) is an actioin heroinne for the ages! Part Mad Max, part Snake Plissken, and 100% super hot chick! This woman kicks ass on all levels, despite only having one eye. She fights, drives, and talks like a bad ass. If she doesn’t kill you with her hands, she’ll do so with her looks!
Denzel Washington is an absolute master of bad ass action. Even though he’s getting up there in age, it doesn’t ever show! Here, his “Eli” is a super cool, bible-quoting customer who wants to make his desolate wasteland a better place. And don’t you dare try to f*ck with him because he’s an expert at hacking up crowds with his extra long blade!
There are a fair amount of big bad guys in Doomsday, but I’m gonna have to go with Craig Conway’s insane “Sol” as the number one lead. He’s the brashest, deadliest, and most psycho of the bunch. He’s a cannibalistic leader who kills and cooks people and makes it into a show. The wild mohawk and black eyeshadow only add to his abrasive persona.
Eli definitely lucked out by nabbing Mr. Gary Oldman for its lead baddie. The man is such a damn pro, he can turn the flimsiest of characters into something worth viewing. That, I feel, is the case here with his “Carnegie”, a bad guy who’s more about giving orders than getting mixed up in the shit. At least there’s enough menace in his voice to frighten a few folks.
The land of Scotland takes center stage as the desolate region in Doomsday and offers a wide range of different landscapes to infect. There’s the rural, city-like zone which leaves lots of space for structural support or demolition. Plus, there are woodland regions that can provide sanctuary and privacy.
The lands in Eli just seem like one dusty, desolate desert with some highways. The Earth appears sunscorched and dead. Drinking water is also in short supply, which does not help the matter. Ironically, the one safe haven is located all the way on the west coast on Alcatraz Island.
Doomsday will absolutely blow you the f*ck away in terms of action! The damn thing is near relentless, staging fights, car chases, and explosions to pitch perfect degrees! This is true pulse-pounding, crowd pleasing, ass-kicking entertainment! Best of all, it doesn’t shy away from extreme violence and gore for a second!
Book of Eli has a pretty nice share of fights and car-themed action. There’s nothing like watching Denzel take down a bunch of assholes coming at him single handedly. Most impressive was a standoff at the house of an old couple in the middle of the desert as Gary Oldman unloads a full-scale onslaught of weaponry on them.
After driving the shit out of a Bentley Continental GT and defeating the wild. marauding bad guys in a Road Warrior-style car chase, Sinclair delivers the cure for the virus that started it all to a corrupt politician. However, she also records his damning words and uses it to screw him over. Electing to stay within the confines of the Scottish wasteland, she collects Sol’s decapitated head and delivers it to his band of marauders. They cheer her bad ass demeanor, thus welcoming her as their brand new leader.
Oldman shoots Denzel in the belly, leaves him for dead and takes his precious book. However, Denzel has powerful spiritual beliefs and, with the help of Mila Kunis, is able to reach the west coast to the place where he believes his good book should be delivered. He may not have the actual book, but over time has actually memorized the damn thing and is able to recite it before dying while Malcolm McDowell writes it all down! Plus, he gets once last zinger in on Mr. Oldman who unlocks the stolen book to learn it’s all in braille.
The apocalypse has ended! And as the dust settles and the bodies have been counted, it would appear that Doomsday has won the day! I can’t help but strongly agree with this outcome because Neil Marshall’s Doomsday is a near perfect slice of B-movie genre brilliance. While The Book of Eli is far from terrible, it does seem to drag in a few spots despite having the presence of Denzel. I’ve gotta hear your thoughts on this one. I wonder how many of you actually remember Doomsday and if you think it is worthy of such high praise. Blast them bullets below! And feel free to send any future Face-Off ideas to me at
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