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 | Reviews for The Feast of Axos |
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There are 3 reviews so far. To add a review of your own for this item, visit the voting page.
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| Axos calling Earth plot thread exhausted |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Saturday 21 May 2011 |
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| Rating: |   7 |
I havent bought any new audio adventures for a while before my birthday, so it was a delight to hear Maggie Stables again after such a long time. I love Evelyn, shes such a solid character, and she just slots into place with the character of Colin Baker's sixth Doctor.
But now we have the added dimension of that idiot Thomas Brewster to the mix, which rather upsets the flow of these two characters I have to say. Im not saying John Pickard isnt good, im just saying that this trio is one for me that doesnt seem to work so well at all. Which is sad. Thomas Brewster was okay with the fifth Doctor, but no so well with Colin. I love the classic mix of just the Doc and Evelyn. Ill have to try to get used to this new companion for the sixth Doctor. Maybe he'll grow on me.
At least Maggie's still her old self, and is what lifts this story up rather a lot on the whole. And its really great to hear Bernard Holley return as Axos, although most parts of his vocals here are a little less recognisable as Axos, due to the fact that he is over forty years older! But not too bad a job on Bernard's part at all.
And yet one isnt glad that this is just another run of the mill follow on from the classic Claws of Axos. And the ending is rather too similiar, albeit Axos now going round forever into an explosion rather than just a time loop. Here Campbell Irons is the high up official replacing Chinn in the original. Rather the same type of character, with the same kind of plot thread too. One would prefer the axons to come back in a totally original tale with only the fact that its Axos being the sole link to the past show, which in my opinion is better than this story. Sad, considering Mike's first whole script for Big Finish, Legend of The Cybermen, was so brilliant.
And another problem is the almost total lack of natural form axons. And as in the original story the axon clones had huge strength, then Id like to know how Brewster can hold onto a writhing mass of sphaghetti at the climax of this tale! Axos by this time is getting more strength after all. Maybe the axons actually were a wrong choice for audio for once.
But its not all negative though I have to say. The climax to part three is rather emotional and Maggie gives it her all here, and the Doctor's temporary loss he feels is brilliant acted by Colin. And like ive said, Thomas Brewster isnt written badly, its just for me he jars too much with the Doc and dear old Evey. But the sound scenes all set within axos are brilliantly similar to the original, and so you feel youre back on axos again. Believe me this is not the best story big finish have done, but its still better than a huge range of episodes in the new series.
Just please tell me that this DOC/ EVELYN/ BREWSTER mix isnt going to go on for too long. One would rather have Jamie with this group again, that would be a far better mix, and a far more interesting one! A rare dissapointment in the Big Finish range. Thankfully they dont appear with regularity.
| By: | Matt Saunders, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Wednesday 12 March 2014 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Nick Briggs recently said that Maggie Stables was not very well and it was unlikely that there would be another Evelyn story...so I've started to listen to some of her classics. This is one of them.
I have to admit that at first, I thought, "oh no, not Axos". I was worried about another old monster, especially one that was finished off nicely in the Pertwee era.
However, I was wrong! This story is really excellent and Evelyn Smythe is at her best. I loved this companion and loved most of the stories that she was in. Another highlight for me was the fact that Bernard Holley was back in it! Absolutely brilliant character actor.
Highly recommended. :)
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| Not a Retread But Doesn't Add Much |
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| By: | David Layton, Los Angeles, United States |
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| Date: | Friday 3 May 2019 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
We obviously have to have every "monster" return. That Big Finish could get the original voice of Axos, Bernard Holley, is a definite treat. Wow, what a voice. This story finds Doctor 6, Evelyn, and Brewster visiting Axos, still locked in the time loop that Doctor 3 put it into. This time, at least at the start, it's not Axos trying to steal Earth's energy, but humans trying to steal Axos' energy. Of course, this is, as The Doctor points out, a really stupid idea, but greed overrides sense. The scenario allows for exploration of Axos as a living being, which is certainly a more contemporary touch than would have happened in the 1970s on TV. However, Axos is still Axos, and that means trouble. There is some questionable playing around with time at the edge of the time loop, questionable mainly because it is used as a get out of jail free card, but otherwise serves little purpose in the plot. This story has large amounts devoted to understanding Brewster, essentially to the effect of saying he isn't so bad, just misunderstood. I remain not much of a Brewster fan, though. The Feast of Axos is a reasonably entertaining story.
