Archive for April, 2005

How fantastic was that?

10/10

Oh, you want a proper review?

This was Doctor Who myth building at its best – taking a classic, hell the classic, monster and updating it whilst staying true to the orginal; and revealing more about the Time War backstory.

When I first heard that this episode would feature just one Dalek I thought that it would be acting in an Alien/Terminator/Predator fashion. And it did. This is what the Daleks have always been like in our mind’s eye. But this Dalek was more than that. This Dalek was a character, a real genuine character.

Oh, and the human and Time Lord characters were good in this one as well.

I f***ing loved this episode.

And isn’t it odd when you compare the Science Fiction that was on screen quarter of a century ago and now? Star Wars. Doctor Who. Battlestar Galactica. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. So when can we expect the Blake’s 7 revival?

… and ready for deployment in 45 seconds no less! Was that just a little bit of politics? Oh yes.

Last week I said:

Doctor Who grows up and enters its second childhood all at once.

Which is probably a fairly good reaction to the current state of British politics.

So this week we learnt how to hack into the Royal Navy from a flat on a South London council estate and launch a missile to blow up Number 10 (but it’s okay ‘cos only nasty aliens who want to nuke the planet and sell bits of it as scrap get killed) – This is proper Doctor Who: totally barking mad in a very British way. Love it.

And the stuff about vinegar and Hannibal was a nice reminder that way back in the mists of time DW had been envisioned as an educational programme.

The plot had holes you could drive a starship through but I just don’t care. And next week we get a Dalek. 😀

9/10

Doctor Who grows up and enters its second childhood all at once.

For the first time we see the emotional impact of a companion returning home after some time spent away with the Doctor. And in the same episode we get a bunch of fart gags.

It was the closest so far to traditional Doctor Who – a cliffhanger, an alien running around a hospital, something creepy going on in the corridors of power. And it reintroduces UNIT in a way that will, fingers crossed, please old fans whilst not overwhelming new ones. Likewise the concept of regeneration was subtly alluded to for the first time (handy that, considering).

My one gripe is with the visual aspects of the aliens – dodgy CGI as they emerged from their “suits” and then dodgy rubber costumes. But the Big Ben crash was excellently put together, and the pig alien was so cute.

9/10

Ah, and David Tennant? I think he’ll be good. I’m not worried about him being “too young” (some people are feeling old ‘cos he’s the first Doctor to be younger than them, but I’m safe until next time at least 😉 and he’s five years older than Peter Davison was when he took over) and on the evidence of Casanova and Quatermass he can act well enough.

Doctor Who and Gothic Victoriana have always suited each other and with Mark “League of Gentleman” Gatiss penning this episode we had high hopes. They weren’t misplaced.

This episode felt less rushed than the previous two, maybe Gatiss coming from a comedy sketch writing background rather than a mini-series background like Davies is more comfortable the time limits, or maybe there was simpler fewer concepts and characters to introduce this time around.

Simon Callow was superb as Dickens, as one would expect. I was pleasantly surprised at how little of Callow himself came through in the performance. Ecclestone and Piper continue to delight – so different to what’s been done in the past but still without any of doubt Doctor and companion.

But how post-coital was the scene where the Doctor and Rose, laughing, picked themselves up off the floor as the TARDIS made a bumpy landing? Hmmm.

I was surprised that the Gelth’s plight was tied to the Time War. Will there be any episodes not tied to the arc? Would the Doctor have been less quick to trust them if they hadn’t been refugees from “his” war?

The scene with Dickens and the Doctor in the coach, a not at all subtle dig at the relationship between creators and fans? Oh yes. 🙂

Not quite as “fantastic” as is humanly imaginable but very, very close. 8/10