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Post by Cornelia_Africana on Dec 26, 2007 13:17:20 GMT
This was a typical piece of RTD fodder, really. A lot of spectacle and very little plot. It was full of old-fashioned action movie cliches, and was an obvious rip-off of the Poseidon Adventure - and of Enlightenment, the Robots of Death, The Claws of Axos, The Five Doctors...... need I go on? As usual, the silliness, such as the cameo with Bernard Cribbins, and the Queen thanking the Doctor as the ship flies over Buckingham Palace, was grating and didn't really fit in. The level of sentiment was overdone too, as is again usual with Russell. The ending was obviously a nod to "feelgood" Christmas movies like It's a Wonderful Life, which have their place of course, but maybe it's not so appropriate for Doctor Who. Max Capricorn was not an impressive villain, with little character or personality, and little that was frightening about him.
Basically, I just found all the action movie running around and cliches, once again combined with the absence of an interesting plot, tedious, and had lost interest by the end.
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Post by Oldmankrondas on Dec 26, 2007 15:18:48 GMT
The most worrying thing is that this story (for me at any rate) marked a second stage in the downturn that started off with the disappointing wasted opportunity that was Last of the Timelords but got 12.2 million viewers...surely this will further fuel RTD's arrogance. ("Oh some fan forums may not like it, but it got the biggest ratings we've ever got")
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Post by Cornelia_Africana on Dec 26, 2007 15:30:53 GMT
The most worrying thing is that this story got 12.2 million viewers...surely this will further fuel RTD's arrogance. ("Oh some fan forums may not like it, but it got the biggest ratings we've ever got") Well, it was bound to get high ratings as it was on at ten to seven on Christmas day, when most people are in, and just want to slump on the settee and watch telly by that time. Anything gets high ratings at that time. The reviews in the papers haven't been particularly complimentary, though. Mark my words, there'll be a fall in ratings next season, as viewers get fed up with the same old themes regurgitated over and over and over again..... |
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Post by John Darnacan on Dec 27, 2007 13:39:18 GMT
I thought it was fine, but not particularly compelling.
I think the talents of Geoffrey Palmer were wasted. Why cast such a great actor, if you're not going to put him to better use?
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Post by Claire Voyant on Dec 29, 2007 23:55:32 GMT
Geoffrey is getting up in years. Maybe they need to use him sparingly, like Hartnell in later years.
Overall, I liked the story, but not a great one. I guess light Christmas fair. A shame about Astrid, she would have made a great companion. I think RTD is afraid of having a companion who isn't from the present. Why does every companion have to be from 2005-2008? He is a Time Lord for goodness sake.
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