Video Game: The Movie—A Tale of Two DOOMed Adaptations

August 6, 2026 - 04:02

When id Software released DOOM in 1993, it didn't just change first-person shooters. It gave players a story about a lone marine on Mars fighting demons from hell. That narrative backbone, thin as it was, became the foundation for a movie just a year later. But the path from pixels to cinema was never straight, and the result was two very different films that share a name and almost nothing else.

The first attempt, a 2005 feature starring Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson, tried to be a faithful adaptation. It kept the Mars setting, the demonic invasion, and even included a first-person sequence that mimicked the game's perspective. Critics were harsh, but fans appreciated the effort to honor the source material. The movie was a modest box office success, yet it never captured the raw, relentless energy of the game.

Then came the 2016 reboot, simply titled DOOM. This one went in the opposite direction. It dropped the Mars base and the slow-burn horror for a fast, brutal, almost comedic tone. The plot was simpler: a demonic force takes over a research facility, and one guy has to kill everything. The film leaned into the absurdity, with over-the-top violence and a constant stream of one-liners. It was a different beast entirely, and it split the audience right down the middle.

What is interesting is that both movies failed to fully capture what makes DOOM special. The games are about isolation, speed, and the feeling of being outnumbered. The 2005 film tried to build atmosphere but got bogged down in plot. The 2016 film had the speed but lost the dread. Neither managed to balance the two. The result is a strange legacy where fans still argue over which one got it less wrong. The truth is, the games themselves are so iconic that any movie will struggle to match them. Both films are worth watching for different reasons, but neither will ever replace the feeling of playing the original.