There are 4,137 reviews so far. To add a review of your own, click on the item in question, then click the Vote link.
| What: | Series 3 Volume 4: (BBC new series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
|
| By: | TOBIAS PETERS, UK |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 15 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: |  10 |
THE PROGRAM IS BRILLIANT
 |  |  |
 | The Legend is Better Than the Reality |
|
| | |
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Having just "watched" a reconstruction of The Evil of the Daleks made from the audio of the story, some still photos, running commentary by Frazer Hines, and the existing version of episode 2, my opinion on this story is that it is better to read a synopsis and imagine than it is to actually listen to/watch the story.
At seven episodes, this is another case of a classic story that is overlong and padded with a lot of very boring stuff. Furthermore, the heart of the story doesn't make a lot of sense. The idea is that the Daleks, who have somehow come through a "smoke and mirrors" time portal of some sort that was created in the 19th Century, succeed in separating the Doctor and Jamie from the TARDIS and abducting them from the 20th Century back to one hundred years into the past, where they have human agents they have coerced into working in a laboratory for them. The Doctor is made to believe that the Daleks wish to use Jamie to provide them with data on a "human factor" that they will incorporate into individual Daleks to enable the Daleks to finally conquer Earth. Interestingly, the Doctor does a bit of manipulation of Jamie to get him to unwittingly cooperate, somewhat similarly to what we see the Seventh Doctor do with Ace later on. But what ends up happening is that the "human factor" is used to enable the Daleks to identify a "Dalek factor," which they somehow do not already have. The plan is then to get the Doctor to infect the population of Earth with the "Dalek factor" throughout its history, thereby turning humans into altered creatures obedient to the Daleks.
When the "human factor" is introduced into a few Dalek test subjects, they become like children, "playing trains," which is one of the silliest, nonsensical, most ridiculous scenes I've ever seen in the show's history. In addition to this, somehow the Daleks don't yet get the idea that the Doctor is not human. After passing the Doctor through a process that infects humans with the "Dalek factor," they think he is under their control, but... surprise, he isn't, and he tricks them and throws the proverbial monkey wrench in the works, manipulating the Daleks into passing all of the lower-grade grey Daleks through the machine and causing them to come under the influence of the "human factor." This ends up resulting in a Dalek civil war that supposedly wipes out all of them. It's really a terrible story. Besides all of that, it's never quite apparent what the "Evil" of the Daleks is supposed to be, because The Daleks, The Dalek Invasion of Earth, The Chase, and The Daleks' Masterplan were all more "evil" stories than this one, especially considering that the plan for domination of the Earth never even came close to being realized.
Having said all of that, The Evil of the Daleks does have some rather interesting parts, including the badass Emperor Dalek (which I don't believe we see again until it is very nicely and fairly accurately recreated in season one of the new series), a few interesting performances by Patrick Troughton, and the final battle scene on Skaro, which I would love to actually be able to watch in full motion video, as it was originally broadcast.
But overall, I see this as a highly overrated story that is best when left in the mists of legend.
| What: | Combat Rock (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | Martin Smith, England |
|
| Date: | Thursday 9 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: |  1 |
I've seen quite a few reviews of Combat Rock that have praised it for being uncompromisingly raw and a vivid read. Which it is, just not in the positive way that's implied.
It would be a cop out to have a book about jungle warfare and cannibalism neutered of its violence and gore, but Combat Rock widely oversteps the line in regards to what's too much. I'm not adverse to graphic violence, I perhaps even like it, but some of the scenes regarding the cannibalism are stomach churning at best. It really doesn't suit the manner of the 2nd Doctor era, even allowing for more mature stories within it. It doesn't even fit the manner of the more graphic New Adventures.
The story is populated with deeply unpleasant characters, with even the more endearing ones difficult to like much at all. This destroys most of the dramatic tension as I honestly couldn't give a damn what happens to any of them. The Dogs and the Indonian captain are most notably two dimensional and hollow, with Pan being hugely aggravating, as it's clear he was created solely with the notion that he's "edgy" and "raw", whereas he's actually more like the product of an exceptionally immature 14 year old boy trying to be deep.
The places and structure is also clearly an allegory for Indonesia, which makes the bizarre decision that all the native characters will speak in broken, unintelligent, pidgin English even more insulting. Leaving aside the facts that a) they probably wouldn't speak in English and b) that the Tardis crew could understand whatever language they used, it smacks of the author having a laugh at foreigners.
The real scare isn't until the last pages of the book, where Mick Lewis reveals that the book is based in part on his own experiences in Indonesia. It's mind-boggling how someone could get so involved with a culture like this, to the point of marrying into it, only to write such a crap, insulting book about it.
| | |
| 7 out of 10, surprisingly. |
|
| | |
| What: | Time-Flight / Arc of Infinity (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
|
| By: | Gene Crooner, Up yer sister's fundament |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 8 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
Arc of Infinity is irredemable but Time-flight, despite production standards at a Carnival of Monsters level, is a bit of a gem. For my money, it survives all the woeful production moments (and even a gruesome re-appearance by the lamentable Adrip). It has some nice gags in the first episode; it has another in Anthony Ainley's delightful series of 'alternate' performances - Tremas, the Portreeve and Khalid here, dainty-gestured, crooning and possibly sometimes channeling Brando's Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now, the right mix of disjunctive elements and some engaging ideas (albeit not always too-well worked). It's terrible, bonkers fun.
Arc of Infinity, alas, is a humourless embarassment with a succession of famous faces of the time declaiming cobblers ... with just a hint of shame.
| What: | Series 3 Volume 3: (BBC new series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
|
| By: | The Visitor, Wolverhampton, England |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 1 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 10 |
The episodes contained on this DVD, in my view, are the three best episodes since the series was revived.
Human Nature/The Family of Blood:
Without doubt this is the best two parter of this series. Much better than the cringeworthy finale. The story displays the Doctor's intiative and justice by hiding from the Family by changing to human; merely out of mercy. The Doctor's human identity John Smith, falls in love with Joan Redfern and it is heart breaking when Smith discovers he is a Time Lord and must part with his lover to become the hero we all know and love to defeat the Family.
Blink:
If you thought anything could get better than the previous, you'd be wrong with this perfect piece of drama. Sally Sparrow, in 2007, has to seek help from the Doctor, who (excuse the pun) is trapped in 1969, to defeat the Weeping Angels. The way the Doctor finds the information is one of the cleverest conclusions from the entire series.
Overall, this DVD is the ultimate volume from Series Three (ironically the shortest), and runs rings around Volume Four (Utopia is the best episode from that DVD whereas, Last of the Time Lords leaves the casual Who Fan's head in his hands).
| What: | Robot (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
|
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 1 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 8 |
To think that this was Tom Baker's first outing as the Doctor. He is already "there". There are some dodgy efffects, but hey, its over thirty years old. A good documentary about how they chose Tom. He was'nt the 1st choice, Michael Bentin was ! Recommended
| What: | Galaxy Four (Target novelisations) |
|
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 1 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 6 |
A straight forward telling of a story, mostly, lost for ever. At least we have this.
| What: | The Evil of the Daleks (Target novelisations) |
|
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 1 August 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 9 |
A great telling of a story sadly lost (apart from one episode).
Well written & fun. Sadly lost for ever.
| | |
| Engaging Story, Profound Philosophizing |
|
| | |
| What: | The Algebra of Ice (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | Doug, Pocono Summit, PA, USA |
|
| Date: | Tuesday 31 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 9 |
"'Eventually it will happen anyway: heat death of the universe and so on.' He smiled again. 'Like the centre of Hell, the centre of life, is ice. I'm only speeding things up.'
"'Because you hate life?'
"'Because life is unforgiveable.' Brett crushed his cigarette in the pin dish. 'The complexities and, indeed, wonders of human existence are possible only because they are supported by gobbling selfishness. Mozart should not have written music; he should have been working to alleviate suffering. Da Vinci should never have painted, Shakespeare should never have written, Einstein should never have worked out his incomprehensible theories of reality. Everything we call culture is based on a dereliction of moral duty. No journalist should write, no architect should build, no teacher should instruct, no vintners should make wine. No miner should take home his pay and enjoy his family, no garbage collector should buy himself a beer, no nurse should take a hot bath at the end of her shift, no child should have a pet, no reader lose himself in a book. They all stand in blood. And there's no "salvation" from some postulated good society. Every civilization, from the villages of Africa to the hideously complicated structures of western Europe, rests on cruelty, and is corrupt.'"
Wow! What a book. I really didn't expect as much from The Algebra of Ice as it ended up delivering - what a great read!
It was like I was back in the height of the NAs, reading a new release from that range that would come to stand out in my memory as one of a number of classic stories.
I agree completely with Phil Ince's review below. The Algebra of Ice has numerous kisses to the past of the NAs and the classic t.v. series woven throughout the story, done in a non-gratuitous and immensely satisfying way, in my opinion. The overall experience is one of very comfortable familiarity, while at the same time offering new insight into the characters and a very interesting, and in some ways groundbreaking, new story.
At several points throughout The Algebra of Ice, we are presented with some very deep issues. At those moments, some very profound statements are made that have an impact normally found only in more serious literature.
Rather than say much more about the plot, I'll end this review with another favorite bit of dialogue from the book:
"Molecross cleared his throat. 'You don't understand. You're a miracle.'
"'Oh for heaven's sake.'
"'No, listen to me.' His seriousness made the Doctor look up. 'You don't understand. Time and space are yours. The mysterious is as ordinary for you as eggs for breakfast. But my life is small. I never... I'm not good with people. At school...' He swallowed hard. 'But I always knew, you know, that this wasn't it. I mean, why would we be made to feel wonder if there wasn't any to feel? It had to be somewhere.'
"'Somewhere else,' said the Doctor gently.
"'Not here, that's for bloody certain. But on the edges of everything there's... strangeness. Second sight. Hauntings. UFOs. Astrology. I mean, Newton studied alchemy.'
"'Newton is paranoid schizophrenic.'
"'You've met him, then?'
"'He's a difficult man.'
"'But he knew. There were truths out there, truths no one had ever seen, and he saw them. If he hadn't had the sort of mind that could accept something as weird as alchemy, would he have recognised anything as weird as the laws of motion? Where does the crank end and the genius begin? Where does the ridiculous end and the transcendent begin?' Molecross rubbed the side of his face, suddenly embarrassed. 'I always knew there was something more,' he finished. 'And it's you. Everything you are, everything you represent.'"
And one more quote:
"Ethan thought about his beautiful numbers. Clean as bone. No messy leaking, aging, hurting, dying flesh. Yes, he thought matter-of-factly, it's true. He'd sensed it all that time ago, when he heard Unwin rant against life, and now he saw it whole. He'd always been afraid. In his own way, he'd hated life. Just like the poor Molecross chasing after the wondrous. Just like Unwin with his numbers, and Brett with his annihilating savagery. And like the Doctor as well. None of them could face the world. The only one of them truly alive was Ace.
"'Yes,' said the Doctor. 'Without her, what would I be? What would I become?'"
| What: | Timelash (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
|
| By: | Stephen Carlin, Huddersfield, UK |
|
| Date: | Saturday 28 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 1 |
No matter how often I watch this story it NEVER gets better. It has nothing to do with the effects (if that was the case I wouldn't be interested in the majority of DW stories), nor the acting (although quite a few lacklustre performances do leave a lot to be desired) - no, quite simply its not a very good story, it is not very well told and there is far too much padding to make it worth any viewing. The first few minutes are quite good but once it starts to go downhill that's it, it just slides further and further into an unbelievably deep it. This ranks as on the series' worst stories. I didn't like it in 1985 and have never found anything about it to make it worth reconsideration. It does not improve with viewing or over time.
| What: | Amorality Tale (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
|
| Date: | Thursday 26 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 7 |
But then gets better. The East end gangsters are clichied as hell but the monsters are great. Very gory in places.
| | |
| could have been a lot better |
|
| | |
| What: | Phantasmagoria (Big Finish: The Monthly Adventures) |
|
| By: | C G Harwood, Dunedin, NZ, New Zealand |
|
| Date: | Monday 23 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 4 |
Yes I agree with David. This story was very safe. I know that the production team didn't want to take any risk with this being only the 2nd BF production - but surely they could have done better. Its the kind of like the story
It was an indiffrent proformance by Peter Davidson but he can be forgiven (its been a while since the last time he played the part, and he is better in a few of the later BF's.) Mark Strickson was very good, i look forward to him doing more. As for the rest of the cast they were not good.
It wasn't all bad thoe, i throught the cliff hangers were very good. the one where its reveled that the servent and the highway man were the same person was a shock.
I realy wanted to like this story, but was very dissapointed at the end. The plot was very thin and the explanations were very simple. But I realy hate villans that just sit there and laugh a lot.
This is without a doubt the best volume of Series 3.
It features the three best episodes:
Human Nature
The Family of Blood
Blink
Human Nature and The Family of Blood are both very emotional and Blink is one of the most Scary episodes out of the whole of the new Series. An awesome little package!
Features: The remastered and extended scenes are a big improvement over the original. But a lack of other extras is a disappointment.
Story: Another disappointment is that there are only 3 real Doctors. Could also do with less monsters and more story.
7/10
The story is good and gets unfairly put down. I enjoy the story and think that the Coming Soon Trail
was great as a new feature! Interesting commentary as well!
| | |
| Not Nearly As Interesting As It Thinks |
|
| | |
| What: | Transit (New Adventures novels) |
|
| By: | Martin Smith, England |
|
| Date: | Wednesday 18 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 3 |
As often happens with Dr Who novels, Transit has a piece of technology as it's set-piece, around which all the characters, events and action occurs. In this case it's an interplanetary train system that bears many allusions to the London Underground.
We follow the Doctor, Benny, Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart and a variety of the maintenance workers for the system (the latter of whom have more than a passing resemblence to the sort of working class, left-wing characters often written as miners in the 70s) as they stop a parasite from abusing and destroying the system as it prepares to expand to other star systems.
Did I say we follow Benny? Well, that's stretching the truth somewhat. You see, Benny is barely in the book, which wouldn't be so bad if this wasn't her first book as a travelling companion. Instead the Doctor spends most of his time with (and thus the focus of the book is placed onto) Kadiatu Lethbridge-Stewart, a sort of (perhaps illegitimate) descendant of the Brigadier. She's not a terribly interesting character and all the time she's focused on is time spent not expanding upon the somewhat scant character of Benny, which is quite annoying as she's meant to be a main character. The "origin" of Kadiatu's lineage sullies the character of the Brig somewhat as well. It certainly doesn't fit with the character used in the Pertwee era and smacks of trying to retroactively make him controversial and more "interesting" to fit with the tone of the Virgin novels just because they can.
The "Stunnel" system itself is also amazingly uninteresting, lightened only by some mildly entertaining characters amongst the "floozies" (maintenance workers) such as Old Sam, and allusions to a war with the Ice Warriors a few years previous (which the Doctor actually fights in in Fear Itself).
Ultimately though, the nice touches here and there aren't enough to make Transit particularly interesting.
| | |
| Ultimately Pointless Soap Opera |
|
| | |
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Rather than review each of the Dalek Empire III stories individually, it seems more sensible to write a combined review that covers them all, as there's not too much that really distinguishes one episode from another. After having listened to each of the six episodes, I'm left with the feeling that there isn't much of any real in-depth story that has gone on here - at least not what would be expected over the course of six discs.
It is far in the future after the events of Dalek Empire II, and no one in the galaxy really knows who the Daleks are. Plague has broken out, and the Daleks have come along offering a cure. The Galactic Union, incomprehensibly, decides to trust the Daleks, accepting their "help," and agreeing to work with them. Siy Tarkov, who has been in suspended animation for twenty years on a drifting spacecraft since contracting the plague when it was first arising, has been found, resuscitated, and treated. He knows the truth about the Daleks. He must convince the authorities of their evil intent, and to do so, must retrieve proof from a distant planet.
The first three episodes focus on the Graxis Wardens, a sort of scientific military group that has been studying indigenous life on a planet that is now being taken over by the Daleks. What remains of their group after a mostly unsuccessful rebellion against the Daleks end up rescuing Siy, along with the enigmatic Galanar and Elaria, who are both very long-lived augmented humans who have some very unusual abilities.
What we come to find out, at the very end, is that this entire run-around comes down to this: the Daleks created the plague so that they could gain the trust of the humans by "curing" it. And the cure is a means of creating more Daleks - it involves a delayed second stage that causes a mutation, and the mutation produces a Dalek.
Hmmm... using humans to make more Daleks... does that sound familiar?
I don't know. To me it just all comes off as being very dry, and being much to do about nothing (or at least, nothing really new). The Daleks are still irritating, though not as irritating as in the previous two series. I feel they are best in small doses, and are better when we have the visual along with the grating voice.
However, technically, these productions are very nicely done - very well-realized soundscapes. And what really kept me listening was probably David Tennant as Galanar, with some assistance from William Gaunt as Selestru and Ishia Bennison as Frey Saxton. Steven Elder's Siy Tarkov takes away from this part of the equation, as Tarkov was fairly irritating through the entire range of episodes, partly due to him being a plague victim, and thus manifesting a serious speech problem that quickly becomes difficult to listen to.
Overall, there's enough here to keep the listener interested, but at the end, when we are left with the situation completely unresolved as concerns whether or not the Galactic Union will find the will to take any action to remove the Daleks from the galaxy, it all just feels like we've been taken for a joyride that went nowhere, while Nicholas Briggs just had a fun time being the Daleks.
| What: | Genesis of the Daleks (BBC classic series DVDs/Blu-rays) |
|
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
|
| Date: | Thursday 5 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 10 |
....Doctor Who story ever.Period.
| | |
| A fun story *Review includes Spoiler* |
|
| | |
| What: | Last of the Gaderene (BBC Past Doctor novels) |
|
| By: | Trevor Smith, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
|
| Date: | Monday 2 July 2007 |
|
| Rating: | 8 |
Mark Gatiss is a long time Doctor Who fan & it really shows in this fun, excting homage to the Jon Pertwee/3rd Doctor. The gang are all here. The Doctor, Sarah Jane, Lethbridge-Stewart & unit and then half way through The Master arrives. Enjoy.
