Reviewed by Jon Barton

In what can only be considered one of the best sequels ever made, JP returns, bringing his skills and ideals of what made the original Doom so great along with him on friendly terms rather than on a kicking and screaming basis. Indeed, like any decent sequel should do The Awakening not only extends the world but also serves to enhance it, supplying interiors and intensity and thus allowing the characters (Durden most notably), the visual style and JP as a director to breathe fluidly. At first it seems as though Doom, for all its good qualities can't compete with its superior sequel (ironic given the reputation of second outings), but Doom 2 is a very different film, gifted with a longer more appropriate spitshine than the first, which seems barely an expository prologue when viewed in context. Thus comparisons between the two are needless, and The Awakening is perfectly able of standing on its own very weighty two feet, emotionally and stylistically hitting all the right notes and providing a perfect balance.

Matching the two movies together, calling this installment the more kinetic, more eye-catching of the two, adds to its function as the action-packed Yin to the original’s Yang becomes clear. JP works a lot harder this time to clearly develop a style while similar to Doom’s, but all the while developing a clear sense of separation from Mars and bringing us back to the emotional joyride of Manhattan, although respectively we spend little time within the metropolis. This story has a clear focus and that is on Michael Durden. Most notably the movie relies more-so on his state of consciousness throughout, especially he begins to recognise things are going up shit creek, making the character one we can emphasise with easily. No easy feat given the supernatural elements constantly toyed with here. But as the title suggests, this is no happy go lucky day in the park. As a result Doom 2 is a dark harrowing story, moody and atmospheric, the way JP likes it. As far as I know, only this man can make darkened corridors and lifeless lights so effortlessly cool and powerful, contrasting nicely when shadows are incorporated in the daylight hours to give a very polished and handsome feel to the visuals (noting the train and Manhattan as examples).

Taking up where the first Doom left off, JP burrows into the story and constructs a plausible narrative that overlaps the first, fitting nicely together to make a very effective jigsaw puzzle, even if it took a further edition of the first film to fully realise this. Unlike Manhattan Folds however, where vital jigsaw pieces were missing narrative-wise, this one is fully completed with many left over for the upcoming D3mons. There’s a sense of irony of having an overly completed sculpture here and not having enough clay to mould Manhattan Folds, which was again a product of JP. What is so great about this one is that it doesn’t rely on the first film nearly enough. True references are neatly made and even a few shots in flashback form are present, but on the whole JP entrusts the viewer to know enough about the original already to bother using any kind of expository or referencing device. This does nothing but benefit the movie, and better still it doesn’t remotely harm it either.

Again, it is the utilisation of what made Doom so brilliant that makes Doom 2 such a welcome return. However, unlike your standard re-run where the elements that makes first films good are just thrown into the sequel in the hope of bettering it, JP finds succinct reason for having it in there. Not settling for this he goes on to find ways of offering something very new and précised. The action is much crisper and detailed (the rooftop chase is a blur of wisdom), the creepiness is raised to a level beyond the first, with a contagious black and white style so similar to Doom’s and yet never offering the safety of colour. Manhattan seems more of a dangerous habitat than Mars, an interesting take and a categorical reference to the inevitable sense of the series' titular explanation of what exactly the issue is here. Michael Durden is not a hero, and he is not fighting. He is running, trying to escape a fate that exists as a hand in front of your face does. The action stakes, coupled with the level of character drama, make the entire experience more of a sorrowful one than the first, and this makes it a more memorable one in my mind.

If Doom hasn’t suffered the test of time, The Awakening is clearly an invincible mark, not only in JP’s career but also in the steadily defining chain of events Doom 2 reflects. And quite honestly it’s the most refined, most clearly defined sequel of them all, and that’s not going to do Doom or JP’s reputation any harm at all. Two years on and still going strong, The Awakening: Doom 2 acts its age and remains a crucial and pivotal sequel of its time. When another sequel, specifically D3mons: The Distant World, comes along and betters it in the same field, time for such innovative praise will be over. But for now, like JP has done these past two years, let’s enjoy the moment.

10/10