Omega Doom

Starring:Rutger Hauer, Shannon Whirry, Norbert Weisser, Tina Cote, Anna Katarina, Jill Pierce, Simon Poland, Cynthia Ireland, Jahi J.J. Zuri, Earl White, Jozef Apolen, Peter Mates, Peter Janac, Martin Rajec, Robert Kordos, Rasto Demko, Richard Drinka, Valer Jurcak, Jana Korarikova, Mikulas Bittara
Director: Albert Pyun
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Two Opposites Still Each Good
Blind Fury is a good movie But Omega Doom left me bored.
CLASSIC RUTGER
Must See for Hauer Fans
Good thing it's a two-pack, don't pay for just one of them

Omega Doom/Blind Fury
Starring: Rutger Hauer , Terry O'Quinn , Brandon Call , Noble Willingham , and Lisa Blount
Director: Phillip Noyce , and Albert Pyun
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004RERE
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Customer Reviews:

Two Opposites Still Each Good.......2006-07-11

Omega Doom:

Nah, I don't think it's a horrible movie. Sure it lacks a lot of action that movies of the period had, but I never thought of this as an action movie anyway. It seemed to me to be more like a comic book/graphic novel meets 70's samurai movie meets spaghetti western. Despite the obvious overarching situation (apocalypse, possibility of humans returning, obvious society gone to hell), it pretty much all but ignores that and focuses on the problem at hand: ridding the robot town of the "bad guys." It ends with a sense that Omega Doom has really done nothing more than put a band-aid on the whole situation, but his actions are more along the lines of self-preservation than anything else. He just showed up for a drink and gets sucked into a fight. That's how pretty much any of the same genre starts. Someone comes along, wanting to be left alone, but some dumb schmuck picks a fight and then our hero has to teach them a lesson. Nothing is resolved, the world is still as crummy as it ever was, but the hero gets to get back on the road in one piece. Lather, rinse, repeat.

That's why this kind of movie appeals to me. I don't think it's boring or a waste of time. It's interesting enough in it's hopeless nothingness. I don't always want to see a happily ever after ending or some Matrix-y, save-the-human-race type of fight. Those are a dime a dozen. That's what has always appealed to me in old samurai movies, though those tend to focus more on making things better. This movie was very reminiscent of Philip K. Dick stories: bleak futures with small stories that just are what they are.

Of course this kind of movie doesn't appeal to everyone, not by a long shot. I think my little brother fell asleep. Van Damme movies were more his thing. Lots of fight scenes and the bad guys get their due. Not that I don't like those movies, I do. It's just that something of the type of movie that Omega Doom is, is a breath of fresh air. There's a pointless despair to it that I enjoy. Something is done, and yet it isn't.

Also, I know the special effects are bad, but I honestly thought it was an 80's movie. I was surprised to see 1995-1997 as a release date. I think it's much better thinking of it as an 80's movie if you're the type of person who just can't get past special effects not being as good as LotR or Star Wars.

So this gets 4 stars from me. Not the greatest, but not the worst. Despite IMDB and Amazon's plot description, it doesn't try to be anything other than it is, it fulfills my comic book/graphic novel pleasures, and I much enjoyed some of the talent in it compared to, say Van Damme.

Blind Fury:

This was much more of a Van Damme type of movie. I noticed most people who hated Omega Doom loved Blind Fury. That's fine, of course. It just goes to show that Omega Doom is the bleak, Dick-esque style of film, whereas Blind Fury is more of a revenge story in the style of Universal Soldier. I liked Blind Fury fine, but those kinds of movies are a dime a dozen. Yes, there was a lot of action, but after getting out of my Van Damme and Stallone phase, it occurred to me that action sequences aren't something to base a movie on. If it can run in the background while I'm cleaning house or reading a book and I still understand the entire movie and don't miss a thing, then it's nothing more than background noise. If I have to pay attention to it to catch the subtleties, then it's a movie I'm going to enjoy and watch.

I still can't tell the difference between most of those Van Damme movies. Same plot, same storyline. Somehow he's wronged, a friend is wronged, blah blah, and has to go lay a smackdown on someone. Someone shoot me now because the world doesn't need any more of them and could use a few more Omega Dooms (with better production values, of course).

Yes, I liked Blind Fury. I just liked Omega Doom more. I'm a bit of a comic and dystopian scifi geek. Of course I liked Omega Doom better. My brother is a martial arts and action movie geek. Of course he liked Blind Fury better.

Blind Fury is a good movie But Omega Doom left me bored........2004-05-19

Blind Fury is a very good if simple movie. I just could not get into Omega Doom. It had some promise, But never followed through on it.

At this price Omega Doom is a throw in anyway, so if you like
Blind Fury go ahead and buy this.

CLASSIC RUTGER.......2004-01-08

BLIND FURY IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER MADE BY RUTGER
GREAT STORY AND HEARTWARMING LOVE

OMEGA DOOM IS DIFFERENT- GOOD MOVIE
"LOVED THE HEAD" !!!!!

Must See for Hauer Fans.......2003-10-23

I always enjoy watching a movie with Rutger Hauer in the cast. He is a good, sometimes great, actor who often appears in low-grade junk. Moviegoers know him from such stand out films as "Blade Runner" and "The Hitcher," but he is quite capable of turning in excellent performances in movies that, for all intensive purposes, reek. Some movie fans would probably castigate Hauer more than I would for making so many B films, and they would be right to some extent, but at least when this actor shows up in schlock you know you will see something interesting. If you have any doubt as to Hauer's acting skills, look no further than an obscure little film made a few years ago called "Fatherland." There is a scene in that movie where Hauer's character tells his son a story about a watchmaker that comprises one of the most powerful moments I have ever seen in a film. My admiration for this wonderful actor prompted me to recently view this Rutger Hauer double feature DVD. The two films on the disc are 1989's "Blind Fury" and 1995's "Omega Doom."

"Blind Fury" is the more recognizable of the two films. Hauer plays Nick Parker, a recently returned Vietnam veteran who went blind due to a combat injury. Afterwards, Parker spent years living in a Vietnamese village learning how to cope with his disability. Several of the men in the settlement taught Parker how to use a sword by relying on his sense of hearing, and through this training the former soldier knows how to get around quite well in the world. Parker's first goal on returning to the United States is to visit his old war buddy Frank Devereaux, a man supposedly living in Florida with his wife and young son. What Nick doesn't know is that his old friend left his family and now faces a heap of trouble after losing at the roulette wheel from a gambling tycoon in Las Vegas. The baddies want Devereaux, a chemist by trade, to whip up a batch of designer drugs that will help the tycoon keep his casino out of the hands of creditors. In order to persuade Frank to help them, the goons attempt to abduct his wife and child. A series of events beginning with Parker's arrival on his friend's doorstep culminates with a showdown between the blind man and Devereaux's enemies in Vegas. Nick also manages to bond with his buddy's son and find some closure about his disability.

"Blind Fury" is a fun movie, loaded with lots of shoot 'em up violence, nifty swordplay, and great character actors. Along for the ride with Hauer are Randall "Tex" Cobb as the right hand baddie of the tycoon, Terry O'Quinn as Parker's hapless war buddy, Meg Foster in a small role as O'Quinn's wife, and Nick Cassavetes as one of the thugs pursuing Parker. There are more recognizable faces in this movie than there are at a family reunion. Everybody does a good job with their roles, especially Hauer, who looks like he is having a heap of fun playing a blind guy who can wield a sword, drive a van, and generally beat up bad guys. Sure, there are plot holes you can sail a battleship through: why does the tycoon shell out big bucks to hire a sword-wielding assassin if he faces bankruptcy? Moreover, wouldn't be easier to just give up on Devereaux once the trouble with Parker starts instead of sending out waves of hired thugs to kill Nick and Devereaux's family? I could pick "Blind Fury" apart on point after point, but I really don't want to. I liked the movie and if you enjoy Hauer, you will too.

"Omega Doom" comes from the mind of Albert Pyun, a schlock director who occasionally manages to produce something worthwhile (see "Nemesis" and "The Sword and The Sorcerer" for proof of this claim). In the case of this 1995 Hauer vehicle, Pyun finds himself on shaky ground with a low budget rip-off of the spaghetti western genre set in an apocalyptic future where androids and cyborgs rule most of the planet. Hauer plays Omega Doom, a robot soldier who fought against the armies of the human race before receiving a wound to the head that destroyed his memory. Reconfigured by surviving humans, Omega Doom now roams the wastelands of America hunting down troublesome gangs of robots. The entire movie takes place in one or two buildings in a wasted city, where two groups of robots called droids and roms square off over the rumor of a huge cache of firearms. Both groups wish to acquire guns so they can deal with the potential threat of a renewed offensive by human beings. Omega Doom proceeds to play both groups of robots off of one another while killing off the more hostile machines. Pyun uses the robot characters to examine philosophical questions about destiny, change, and existence. This film is far from great, but it isn't nearly as bad as many people say.

Action fans will likely be disappointed with "Omega Doom," as will those viewers looking for lots of flashy special effects. The fact that the "killer" robots resemble Go-Go's guitarist Jane Wieldin with a bad case of vitiligo will certainly cause more laughs than anything else, and the robot known as "The Head" is downright offensive on every level. But if you accept this lack of conventional sci-fi attributes along with a few laughable scenes and cheesy effects, you might just enjoy "Omega Doom." Between "Omega Doom" and "Blind Fury," I think I can recommend this DVD. The picture quality of both films looks good, and extras include a Hauer talent bio and three trailers. Rutger Hauer fans will enjoy this disc.

Good thing it's a two-pack, don't pay for just one of them.......2003-06-22

While "Blind Fury" is certainly a good movie, if you're looking for something in the "kick butt" genre, it drags a little, attempting to rely too much on "charming" interaction between Hauer and his bratty costar than the action. Hauer should have been allowed more action scenes, and given more comedic lines. The young boy character is too much of a brat, and though I'm sure they were attempting to make him "impish", he's more simply foul and annoying. The film's a good one for a lazy summer afternoon when nothing else is on.
"Omega Doom", on the other hand, is probably better for a cold, rainy day when you're tired of your other DVDs. It's almost painfully low-budget, and considering the silliness that takes place in it, it could be great. Unfortunately, the silliness comes off as mostly unintentional, and the film seems to take itself almost deadly serious, to the point where something that could have been a huge laugh merely becomes vaguely discomfiting because it's creepy, but not really enjoyable-creepy a la Return of the Living Dead.
I'd say this two-pack is worth it, especially if you buy a used copy for less than the regular price. Just don't expect these to be anything other than "slow programming day on the minidish" features.

Average customer rating:

An enjoyable story for the imaginative viewer
Somewhat disturbing, but it has its beauty
Call me Mr Weird but I liked it...
Not Supposed to be Van Damme
Rutger Hauer still blows me away

Omega Doom
Starring: Rutger Hauer , Shannon Whirry , Norbert Weisser , Tina Cote , and Anna Katarina
Director: Albert Pyun
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002XVSKQ
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Customer Reviews:

An enjoyable story for the imaginative viewer.......2007-03-18

Many people dislike this film because it seems boring or confusing to them. I say all you need is a little imagination to find the beauty of this simple sci-fi story. It seems to take place in a very small part of a very big world. Almost like a tiny glimse into a great novel. While the big story going on far away is deep and complex, the smaller story of these few individuals who came in contact with Omega Doom is more subtle.

I won't spoil it for you, but I recommend watching this movie and doing so with your imagination ready. If you look further into it than just the surface, you can see so many things. Don't let yourself be blinded by all the big-budget, high action, CGI-filled blockbusters out there.

Somewhat disturbing, but it has its beauty.......2007-03-03

As a sci-fi fan, I liked this movie.
It starts in a distrubing way, in totally demolished, post-war buildings.
Dead bodies lying everywhere... There has been a nuclear war and
the humans are dead, only cyborgs remained. The groups of cyborgs
fight each other. But then Omega Doom (the good cyborg) comes,
destroys the bad cyborgs, leaves the good cyborgs alive, and departs.
The end is definitely optimistic, it's a happy end. So, the movie gave me
a moral satisfaction that the good prevails over evil after all.

This movie really has extremes in it: extremely beautiful women (a blond and 3 brunettes)
and an extremely ugly one (with a black mask). It has amazing special effects, such as
the talking head, detached from its body.
Overall, once you get into the spirit of the movie, you can enjoy it.
Inside, the demolished building looks like a medieval tavern, so it's not too bad.
It's a simple, unpretentious movie - more like a theatrical play than like a film. But it has it's merits.
I remove one star from the rating, because I think that the movie could have been
much better if the surrounding buildings were more futuristic, rather than
looking so destroyed.

Call me Mr Weird but I liked it..........2006-07-22

I think some of this film's reviewers are so 'blown away' by films with excesive CGI, big budgets - and even bigger names - that they either won't, or cant, see the good in lesser offerings. This film makes so many sly references to other films that part of the fun is spotting them.

Take the opening where we see a foot coming down on a pile of human bones and skulls. Terminator, right? Then there's all the other stuff that people have picked up on by Sergio Leonne but why has no one mentioned Clint Eastwood and Pale Rider? The scene at the end where Hauer's character just disappears into the sunset? I mean, come on... Oh yeah, and the penultimate fight scene between the Bauhaus look-a-like droid and Hauer is straight out of The Matrix PLUS the Talking Head was like a character out of the Wizard of Oz.

To me this film had humour,atmosphere and subtlety and a cracking performance from Rutger Hauer as the thinking man's - or woman's - Schwarzenneger. I feel sorry for all those who possess the attention span of a goldfish and see any film where 2 mins go by without some scene of mindless sex, or violence, as boring. Don't try reading Dickens guys!

Not Supposed to be Van Damme.......2006-07-11

Nah, I don't think it's a horrible movie. Sure it lacks a lot of action that movies of the period had, but I never thought of this as an action movie anyway. It seemed to me to be more like a comic book/graphic novel meets 70's samurai movie meets spaghetti western. Despite the obvious overarching situation (apocalypse, possibility of humans returning, obvious society gone to hell), it pretty much all but ignores that and focuses on the problem at hand: ridding the robot town of the "bad guys." It ends with a sense that Omega Doom has really done nothing more than put a band-aid on the whole situation, but his actions are more along the lines of self-preservation than anything else. He just showed up for a drink and gets sucked into a fight. That's how pretty much any of the same genre starts. Someone comes along, wanting to be left alone, but some dumb schmuck picks a fight and then our hero has to teach them a lesson. Nothing is resolved, the world is still as crummy as it ever was, but the hero gets to get back on the road in one piece. Lather, rinse, repeat.

That's why this kind of movie appeals to me. I don't think it's boring or a waste of time. It's interesting enough in it's hopeless nothingness. I don't always want to see a happily ever after ending or some Matrix-y, save-the-human-race type of fight. Those are a dime a dozen. That's what has always appealed to me in old samurai movies, though those tend to focus more on making things better. This movie was very reminiscent of Philip K. Dick stories: bleak futures with small stories that just are what they are.

Of course this kind of movie doesn't appeal to everyone, not by a long shot. I think my little brother fell asleep. Van Damme movies were more his thing. Lots of fight scenes and the bad guys get their due. Not that I don't like those movies, I do. It's just that something of the type of movie that Omega Doom is, is a breath of fresh air. There's a pointless despair to it that I enjoy. Something is done, and yet it isn't.

Also, I know the special effects are bad, but I honestly thought it was an 80's movie. I was surprised to see 1995-1997 as a release date. I think it's much better thinking of it as an 80's movie if you're the type of person who just can't get past special effects not being as good as LotR or Star Wars.

So this gets 4 stars from me. Not the greatest, but not the worst. Despite IMDB and Amazon's plot description, it doesn't try to be anything other than it is, it fulfills my comic book/graphic novel pleasures, and I much enjoyed some of the talent in it compared to, say Van Damme.

Rutger Hauer still blows me away.......2005-10-02

Doesn't matter how "good" or "bad" a film is: If Rutger Hauer is in it, he'll upstage everybody. He can't help it. That's the way he's always been and the way he'll always be. Many Rutger Hauer fans understand this about him, which is why we're not as hard on films like "Omega Doom" as some others might be, nor are we critical of Hauer for appearing in them. The man needs a paycheck. The man has to eat.

Rutger Hauer is one of the world's most unusual and most magnificent actors, yet the shocking truth is that for at least a decade he's been forced to wander the globe like a man without a country, ever in search of a role that's worthy of him. He's way too classy for the usual Hollywood "star vehicle" and way too full-blooded for most U.S. independent films. Even Europe doesn't know quite what to do with him, as "Omega Doom" (filmed in Bratislava, Slovakia, on a 20-dollar budget) amply attests.

Hauer's enormous magnetism, keenly intelligent sensuality, and unshakeable elegance have been his greatest liabilities as well as his greatest assets as an actor. When you're a powerfully masculine, one-of-a-kind screen presence in a world where film audiences prefer their male actors to be mindless head-bashing clones or AC/DC pretty boys, you're likely to find yourself banished to Bratislava making Grade B philosophical robot movies; there it is.

I'm always careful to watch Rutger Hauer films because they're Rutger Hauer films, not because I expect them to be "good" films. I don't expect them to be "bad" films, either, although I'm happier for Rutger when his films are "good." Mainly, I'm happy for Rutger that he's working at all in any film anywhere. In "Omega Doom" he keeps his chin up and soldiers on, way too brainy and generous an actor for the scant material he's been given to work with, but work with it he does, and, as usual, manages to be as mesmerizing and as sexy as ever.

All 3 stars I've given to "Omega Doom" belong entirely to Rutger Hauer, so if you're not a wild fan of his the way I am, you might want to consider skipping this one. Even wild fans of his might want to consider skipping "Omega Doom" and consoling themselves with watching "The Hitcher" again.

Me, I wouldn't miss a Rutger Hauer film -- "good", "bad," or "unclassified" -- for all the tea in China.

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