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Doctor Who: Resurrection Of The Daleks- Special Edition DVD Review

“Resurrection of the Daleks” is an overly busy “Doctor Who” tale.

In this Fifth Doctor era episode, The Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough encounter a time corridor, Daleks, a Dalek virus, a vicious Dalek plan, and Davros. To say anything more would be spoiling the story.

If there’s one thing you can say about “Resurrection of the Daleks,” it’s that it’s ambitious. Not only does the story contain numerous subplots and characters, but it’s crammed with Dalek mythology and action. ‘Resurrection’ is also notable for it’s decidedly darker depiction of the 5th Doctor as well as the departure of a major companion (Tegan). While this might sound promising on paper, the story structure is incredibly sloppy and convoluted. There’s simply too much going on here. Granted, there’s never a dull moment, but writer Eric Saward could have saved some concepts for another story.

Going back to the subject of the darker Fifth Doctor, it’s easily the best thing about this story. To me, the Doctor is always compelling when he’s showing a darker side. Considering the Fifth Doctor tended to be the most friendly and approachable, it was fascinating to see him, for instance, use a gun. While that may turn off some fans, I thought it added more depth to his incarnation of the Doctor.

Video/Audio:

Audio Track: Fullscreen. How does it look? This SE disc contains a noticeably sharper print. The clarity of the image is particularly impressive.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital Mono. How does it sound? From the Dalek laser blasts to Davros shouting, this track does the job.

Extras:
* 7 minutes of extended and deleted scenes.
* Trailers for “Doctor Who” series 6, “Resurrection of the Daleks,” and “Death To The Daleks,” Radio Times Listings, a photo gallery, and info text.
* “TARDIS Cam No. 4”- A visual effects scene.
* “Breakfast Time” episode with guests John-Nathan Turner and Janet Fielding.
* “Casting Far And Wide”- Toby Hadoke hosts this featurette in which he interviews 5 of the cast members of “Resurrection of the Daleks.”
* “On Location”- An extra about the Shad Thames locations featured in ‘Resurrection.”
* “The Last Dalek”- Narrated set footage of “The Evil of the Daleks.”
* Commentary by Nicholas Pegg, Eric Saward, Terry Malloy and Peter Wragg. Some interesting behind-the-scenes stories here, but it’s a rather dull commentary overall.
* Commentary by Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Matthew Robinson. Davison is his usual entertaining self and he makes this track worth listening to.
* “Walrus”- I have no idea what this is. Some sort of sketch involving a Dalek, perhaps?
* “Tomorrow’s Times- The Fifth Doctor”- A featurette about the press coverage for the Fifth Doctor era.
* “Come In Number Five”- David Tennant hosts a 56 minute special about Peter Davison’s Fifth Doctor era. Interviews with Davison and the cast and crew of that era are included. A great extra that will no doubt appeal to fans.

August 15, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | 5th Doctor, Daleks, Davros, Doctor Who: Resurrection Of The Daleks- Special Edition DVD Review, Peter Davison