Review: Doctor Who - Day of the Daleks

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

The third Doctor is back with the 1970s story arc, Day of the Daleks, which is brought to DVD for all to remember. In classic Doctor Who style, this serial finds world peace once again hanging in the balance, and the only person standing between mankind and the possibility of a third and final world war is diplomat Reginald Styles. However the diplomat’s fate is also in jeopardy, as a 22nd century guerrilla force believes that Styles helped shape their horrific world, and therefore he needs to die.

After being thrown into the world being policed by the guerrillas, the Doctor and his assistant Jo soon discover that this force are the least of their problems, as they come face to face with the Doctors arch enemies, the Daleks.

Soon, with the Daleks invading Earth and enslaving the population, the Doctor is left in a difficult position, where he must decide whether to stick to what he believes in or betray his beliefs and condone the murder of Styles, thereby changing the course of history forever.

This particular serial does sound like a very appealing and compelling watch, however the episodes do tend to drag a bit, while at the same it still manages to feel like there’s too much going on for the four episodes that the story arc runs. I personally think there are much better episodes from the original run of Doctor Who with this feeling like a bit of a missed opportunity.

The one potentially good thing about this serial is the fact that they have updated the special effects for the episodes on disc two. However this does appear to be a bit of a mistake as the special effects of the new paired with the old doesn’t really work and they stick out like a sore thumb.

Overall Verdict: The overall appeal of this DVD and story arc is pretty limited. If you are a huge fan of the original run then you should be happy enough, but for anyone who loves the new series and wants to discover more about the original run, then there are much better episodes out there for you to start with.

Review: Doctor Who - Colony in Space

Originally posted on www.moviemuser.co.uk

In a blast from the past John Pertwee stars as the third incarnation of the Doctor all the way from 1972, accompanied by Jo Grant in this adventure into space. Containing all six episodes from the 1970s serial, the Doctor is summoned from his exile on Earth and sent five centuries into the future to confront the Master, whom the time lords have discovered has located the dreaded doomsday weapon.


Upon their arrival the Doctor and Jo encounter a colony of humans who are under threat from the Interplanetary Mining Corporation, which is disputing the colonists’ claim to the planet where they have set up home. Their only hope lies with an adjudicator from Earth. The Doctor on the other hand pursues his mission of finding the Master and stopping him, whilst also combating the IMC, helping the colony and battling with killer robots, giant lizards and primitive tribesmen who aren’t quite what they seem.


This Doctor Who serial is definitely worth while watching. Although the graphics and the monsters don’t look as good as they do in the newer series (which is obvious considering this was made almost 40 year ago), the basic story is still there and any fan of the series old and new will understand what’s going on. It keeps you enthralled from the start when the Doctor ends up on this distant far away planet, right through to the obvious resolution that happens at end. We all know what the Doctor is about, don’t we?


In all fairness it does drag a bit in parts when you watch all the episodes back to back, and at times it does feel like there are two completely separate story lines going on. To be honest there is, but it all links up in the end when you discover what is happening, and I must say the writing for Doctor Who was just as good then as it is now – or should I have put that the other way round.


Overall Verdict: It is nice to see the old episodes of Doctor Who coming to DVD so that old fans can once again relive the memories of the Doctors past, and it’s brilliant for the fans of the new series to see where the Doctor began and what he was up to all those years ago. Even though they can’t expect much from the imagery in comparison to what it is now, the story is still there and it’s a fun watch for anyone.


Special Features:
Commentary
IMC Need You – Making of the story
From the cutting room floor
Photo Gallery
Radio Times Listing
Programme Subtitles
Coming soon trailer