DVD Corner

Doctor Who- The Complete Specials DVD Review

“Doctor Who” fans will generally be pleased by David Tennant’s final five episodes.

Grades:

Content: B

Picture: A-

Audio: A-

Extras: A-

For those that have yet to see these 5 specials, I’m going to avoid spoilers. Instead, I’ll give you a basic rundown of each of the five episodes:

* The Next Doctor

The plot: In 1851, London, the Doctor gets mixed up with the Cybermen and a mysterious man called the Doctor.

One would think the Cybermen would be the draw here, but instead, David Tennant and David Morrissey who also plays “The Doctor” steal the show. The two have great chemistry and their scenes together are absolutely riveting to watch. As for the Cybermen, their plot to resurrect the Cyber King is certainly visually exciting, but the whole story regarding the villainess Miss Hartigan left me cold. She really didn’t even need to be in this story.

* Planet Of The Dead-

The plot: The Doctor and a handful of passengers on board a bus accidentally wind up on a sandy planet containing a swarm of vicious alien beings. Naturally, the Doctor has to try and get everyone back home.

‘Planet’ is certainly the most fun of the five episodes. It is a heart-pounding “Pitch Black” esque Sci-Fi adventure story through and through. Like with “The Next Doctor,” this episode contains another great new character and guest star in Michelle Ryan who plays a thief named Lady Christina. Not only does she spice up the episode, but her chemistry with Tennant proved to be interesting to say the least. It’s a shame she was never a companion on the series as her adventures with the Doctor would have been something I would have personally like to have seen.

* The Waters Of Mars

The Plot: The Doctor arrives on Mars where he encounters the first human colony whose fate is already sealed. Can the Doctor walk away from them or try and change events?

‘Waters’ is without a doubt the best episode on this set. It’s a well-written, dark, creepy, provoking tale that really explores a different side of the Doctor. Without giving away any critical spoilers, I will just say that the Doctor acts a bit out of character here. This is very much a character piece and it’s an absolutely fascinating portrayal of the Doctor. The plot about the Mars alien beings is really nothing more than a subplot/side story (albeit a chilling one).

* The End Of Time Parts 1 and 2

The Plot: The Doctor once again faces off against his fellow Timelord- The Master. The Master, however, has a new scheme that could threaten the entire universe.

I’m sure I wasn’t alone in having high expectations for Tennant’s final two-parter episode. Sadly, however, I don’t think this was a stellar send-off for the popular Tenth Doctor. The whole episode is really quite a mess. Sure, it’s great to see some familiar faces and there is undoubtedly some great acting between Tennant, Bernard Cribbins (who plays Wilf), and Timothy Dalton (won’t say who he plays), but the writing is mostly lazy. Do we really need to see a silly super powered/super hungry Master, Wilf’s senior citizen brigade or the utterly useless plot device/characters the Vinvocci?  

Summary: While the five specials vary in quality, they are all still well worth watching. Bring on the next season with Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor!

Aside from “The Next Doctor,” the episodes were all shot in hi-def and they look wonderful. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every episode of the new series looks and feels like a movie. Everything is so crisp and clear looking and the production values are outstanding considering the limited budgets.

As usual, the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is sharp on the new “Doctor Who” series DVDs. The series is filled with lively sounds from everything from the sound f/x to the great music score.

Extras:

* “Doctor Who At The Proms 2008”- A fantastic concert featuring music from the series as well as props, guests, costumed characters and clips from the show.
* “Doctor Who Confidential: The Next Doctor Planet Of The Dead, The Waters Of Mars, The End Of Time Parts 1 and 2”- If you’ve seen Confidential before, you know what to expect. There’s the usual interviews, set footage, and information about the shoots. Fun stuff.
* Christmas Idents- Goofy station identification segments involving the Doctor and Reindeer.
* David Tennant Video Diaries- The Final Days-An emotional extra focusing on fans, experiences on set, a radio hosting gig, and his experience in shooting his final scene.
* A booklet with a touching foreword by David Tennant.
* Commentary on “The End Of Time Part 1” by Euros Lyn, Catherine Tate and David Tennant and commentary on “The End Of Time Part 2” with Euros Lyn, David Tennant and John Simm. Both tracks are worth listening to.
* Deleted scenes from “The Next Doctor,” “Planet Of The Dead,” “The Waters Of Mars” “The End Of Time Part 1” with intros by Russell T. Davies. 
* “Doctor Who At Comic-Con” This is far and away the most enjoyable extra on this disc. Included are the full panels from the legendary convention. Guests include RTD, David Tennant, Euros Lyn, John Barrowman, and Julie Gardner Also included is footage of RTD and Tennant’s appearance on a local news program.

February 9, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 1 | 10th Doctor, 11th Doctor, David Tennant, Doctor Who- The Complete Specials DVD Review, Matt Smith