Doom Runners Review

Doom Runners


Broadcast Date: 20th December 1997 - USA


Production Companies
Millennium Pictures Pty. Limited
Showtime Networks, Inc (presents)
Nickelodeon Productions (presents)

Hallmark Entertainment (in association with)


Genre: Sci-Fi/Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 95 minutes


Plot Summary
In this futuristic story, 14-
year-old Jada Wesley and
her 12-year-old brother, 

Adam, share a cramped
living space with their
grandfather, William,
in a dark, dank warehouse
named Sector 7, where
hundreds of other people live
under the same dreadful conditions.

They struggle to survive in a
desolate world known as
AfterTime in which all of the
environmental resources; 

food, water, oil are controlled 

by The Corporation and 

enforced by the Doom 

Troopers. (Source -
Sonar Entertainment)


Cast
Dean O'Gorman - Deek
Lea Moreno - Jada
Bradley Pierce - Adam
Nathan Jones - Vike
Tim Curry - Dr. Kao
Rebecca Smart - Lizzie
Peter Carroll - William
David Whitney - Thorne
Putu Winchester - Danny
Paul Livingston - Cesar Lopez
Jon Pollard - Rule

Crew
Director - Brendan Maher
Writer - Barney Cohen
Writer/Executive Producer - Ken Lipman
Executive Producers - Paula Hart, Albie Hecht and Kathryn Wallack
Co-Executive Producer - Doug Greiff
Script/Story Editor/Producer - Posie Graeme-Evans
Production Designer - David McKay
Costume Designer - Angus Straithe
Cinematography - Steve Arnold
Visual Effects Designer - Dale Duguid
Visual Effects Producer - Daniel Harvey
Visual Effects Director - Trevor Hawkins

Film Editor - Henry Dangar
Music Supervisor - Karen Telfer

Music - Braedy Neal

Review

This low-budgeted post-apocalyptic family movie was co-produced and shot in Australia and was televised as a joint effort for Nickelodeon and Showtime Networks in USA. Unlike the big budget fare seen on the telly and cinemas with features like 'Mad Max' and to a lesser extent 'Waterworld'. It not only was unknown to many movie audiences, it is a subpar and cheesy film that any intelligent person would notice the low production values. The filmmakers have tried to do a lot with its smaller budget, but the narrative is very inconsistent. Even some illogical decisions hurt the film more. The fact that it is supposed to be a much safer kid-friendly alternative to the adult-oriented 'Mad Max' film series, but children aren't ready for a sort of an adventure that is to be set in a world after the apocalypse.

The cast is less than perfect when most of the actors didn't perform so well in the picture of 'DOOM RUNNERS'. Young New Zealander actor Dean O'Gorman did an okay performance, but to have his character being the narrator of the story in his point of view isn't this necessary. Tim Curry being his usual self when he overacts as the comical, yet darkly twisted villain Dr. Kao who is the de facto of the Corporation and delights himself of gaining information through people's minds while wiping them out. At one point, he also referenced a line from his previous role in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'.

This picture would be left as forgotten and no one would see 'DOOM RUNNERS' as it had a lower impact on the audience. It would be best for younger kids to see it as it is geared towards children.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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