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 | Reviews for Day of the Daleks |
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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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| One thing that truly grates... |
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| By: | Matthew David Rabjohns, Bridgend, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 September 2011 |
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| Rating: |   8 |
What is it with the the Who theme tune playing for a few seconds after each episode reprise? It is rather annoying, and it makes the editing look jerky and a mess. I much rather the BBC have put special effects on the abridged un episodic version, then we would have had that annoying jumping and Who theme that spoilt the effect for me somewhat.
The Special edition could have been any better in other ways though too. Overall the new edition is far more bold and the ending is far more epic in feeling, although even here one can rather tell which ogrons are the original and which are the new, and the effects of the newly shot scenes do rather jar with the older footage, as the slight grain to the old footage is all but absent from all the new shots. Its rather like a hodge podge that could have been done a bit better. But the ending is more grand, and gives rather more of a sense of scale than the original ending.
But I still prefer the version that is abridged, without those annoying who theme few seconds refrains. What were the producers thinking of on this one? I would wish that the BBC read this and put the effects on this version, one wonders why they didnt, as Battlefield got the abridged treatment, so why not here?
Otherwise this tale does work very well, and the new version does cut out a few fluffs inherent in the original, very clever editing. Overall i like the new effects version, but its not the best by far.
The New dalek voices are the best thing. At least they dont jar or grate, and they make the daleks all the more menacing and impacting along the way. The best added piece of dialogue, is the single added exterminate to the end of part two, which makes it more of a traditional and good ending, not just the silent dalek we're treated to in the original version. Nick Briggs again does a great job. Although to be honest Im one of the few fans who thinks that the original voices werent all that bad as many make out, they were distinctive and decidedly different from all the dalek tales before.
Grrr! If only the special edition had been of an abridged nature! Then my mark would have been nearer to ten for sure.
The acting in the tale is excellent, and the scripting is very strong, making this story one of the strongest Jon Pertwee tales. The fact that the Guerillas become involved in their own history is excellently described and explained. There are no plots threads hanging loose and its all very well rounded overall. And the good Doc does get fired at first in opart two, so his shooting of that Ogron isnt as rather heartless as it appears in the original tale. So, not too bad, just not a out and out winner either.
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| Special Edition - Fancy Effects Day |
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| By: | Graham Pilato, Washington D.C., United States |
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| Date: | Thursday 22 September 2011 |
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| Rating: | 7 |
Day of the Daleks was never a classic story. It was notable for the return of the Daleks after their "final end" in Evil of the Daleks, five years before. Also, this is the first time we see Ogrons as their servants. However, these Daleks needn't be in this story at all, except for the purpose of old Who continuity, to say that Earth is under their evil regime in the middle of the 22nd Century (as established in 1964's Dalek Invasion of Earth). This plot is really not about Daleks at all, but time travel paradoxes and a little bit of a play with good intentions.
The final episode is where almost all the really satisfying parts are, as the realization comes that this paradox is occurring, and the people who seemed to be good guys turn out to be the opposite.
The story does work, but has some very skaky acting, especially on the part of some of the marauding time guerrillas, and way too much simple exposition is used to tell of what the future is without an image to recognize as a pitiful future, as in Dalek Invasion of Earth. (Classic drama criticism: if you can, show, don't tell). Aubrey Davis does something approaching a good job as the Controller, but he's burdened with impossible lines and the most uninteresting Daleks ever to communicate with.
With the souped up FX of this special edition, we now have the same story with very impressive gunshot explosions and time travel tunnels. It doesn't feel outrageously dated anymore, and is actually a lot more palatable for the uninitiated to 70s Who. However, it really wasn't the FX that made this a bit of a ho-hum story and a minor disappointment, it was the stuff I just mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Still, I'd love to see the dinosaurs of Invasion of the Dinosaurs updated like this. For that matter, the Loch Ness Monster of Terror of the Zygons would benefit from a good FX updating also.
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Date: | Friday 24 May 2013 |
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| Rating: | 10 |
Of the three 3rd Doctor/Dalek story's this is by far the best story. A smart, interesting, thoughtful, action packed story with the Doctor, Jo, The Brig & UNIT in fine form as they battle Daleks, Ogron's & time traveling freedom fighters.
The DVD extras are top notch not least the special edition of the story complete with wonderful CGI effects & Daleks voiced over by Nick Briggs, a huge improvement on the terrible voices on the original.
A wonderful DVD that should be in every Who fans collection.
