An Adventure in Space and Time

Warning : Spoilers Ahead!

The creation of Doctor Who back in the 1960's is explored in a docudrama written by Mark Gatiss entitled An Adventure in Space and Time.

 

Main Cast-

William Hartnell/The Doctor - David Bradley

William Russell/Ian Chesterton - Jamie Glover

Jacqueline Hill/Barbara Wright - Jemma Powell

Carole Ann Ford/Susan Foreman -  Claudia Grant

Sydney Newman - Brian Cox

Verity Lambert - Jessica Raine

Waris Hussein - Sacha Dhawan

Patrick Troughton/The Second Doctor - Reece Shearsmith

Synopsis-

Sydney Newman, recently hired away from ITV by the BBC has created a new science fiction series entitled Doctor Who, which was designed to fill a gap in the BBC schedule.  Sydney assigns production duties to Verity Lambert, an up and coming television producer who has found it challenging cracking the glass ceiling because she is a woman.

Verity and her first director, Waris Hussein, are able to convince William Hartnell to take on the role of the Doctor, and the introduction of the Daleks in the second story proves to be a huge success.   William Hartnell and the cast bask in the glow of celebrity, but the early cast members leave and William Hartnell's health issues eventually force the BBC to replace him with Partrick Trougton.

Review-

An Adventure in Space and Time covers territory that's well known to long time fans of Doctor Who.  Since the story of the creation of the series is well known, it is thus up to the actors to keep the viewers interest.  

David Bradley (Harry Potter and the Doctor Who episode Dinosaurs on a Spaceship) is dead-on as William Hartnell/The First Doctor.   His performance is, to put it simply, brilliant.  One almost wishes that Bradley had been allowed to play the First Doctor for real in Day of the Doctor.  It would have been awesome. 

Jessica Raine (from the Doctor Who episode "Hide" and Call the Midwife), Sacha Dhawan and Brian Cox also have large roles as Verity Lambert, Waris Hussein and Sydney Lambert, respectively.  Jessica and Sacha are trying to make a name for themselves in British television in an era that was dominated by white men.  As a female producer and an Indian-born director, Doctor Who offers Verity and Waris a chance to break the glass ceiling and allow themselves a chance to make it in British television.

Hartnell, in contrast, is presented as an actor in a rut.  Dissatisfied with the roles he has been offered, he takes some convincing to take on the iconic role of the Doctor.   

As Waris and Verity leave the program to take on other projects, the movie begins to explore Hartnell's illness and the eventual, but brilliant, idea to replace Hartnell with Troughton.  

The movie also doesn't really delve too much into the various companions, particularly the later companions like Steven, Vicki, Ben and Polly.  While a bit disappointing, it's difficult to fit everything into a ninety minute film.

 

One can feel Hartnell's pain about losing the role of a lifetime, because while he was at first hesitant about taking on the role he had grown to love playing the Doctor.  There's also a quite touching scene at the end where Bradley (as Hartnell) views his what his legacy has wrought, which includes a cameo appearance by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor standing alongside Bradley's Hartnell Doctor.

The original Ian Chesterton, William Russell also appears early on as a parking lot attendant named Harry who demands to see Sydney Newman's parking pass.   Carole Ann Ford (Susan) also puts in an appearance as well. 

Overall, this is a brilliant piece of work, and it's a wonderful way to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary.  The Day of the Doctor has its work cut out for it, as Adventure in Space and Time (along with Night of the Doctor) have set some high standards for excellence.  If you haven't yet had a chance to see this, I suggest making the time to do so.

The Last Day

Spoilers Ahead!

We visit Arcadia, located on Gallifrey through the eyes of a new recruit, in the second of two mini episode previews to the Day of the Doctor

Synopsis-

The Last Day takes place on Arcadia, the so-called "safest place on Gallifrey".  A new recruit to the Arcadia defense force has just had a headcam implanted.  A fellow soldier is helping the new recruit adjust the new headcam's settings.  The fellow soldier also warns the new recruit about possible side effects, particularly hallucinations that some consider to be premonitions.

These hallucinations show Arcadia being attacked and destroyed by the Daleks.  Eventually, the mini episode ends with the Daleks arriving and commencing their attack upon Arcadia.

Review-

I loved the Night of the Doctor, because while it was also rather short it was able to make us care about the pilot Cass and helped us to understand the Doctor's dilemma with the Time War.  For whatever reason, I simply didn't get much from the Last Day and I think it opens up way too many questions.  Who are these soldiers, and why should we care about them?  Why do the soldiers receive headcam implants and why do the implants cause hallucinogenic premonitions?   Most importantly, does this mean that the fall of Arcadia will be a major plot point of the Day of the Doctor?  Will we be seeing these soldiers again later today?  

I think, in the end, as a stand alone mini episode, the Last Day simply doesn't work.  The Night of the Doctor worked as a stand alone story, and the Last Day's reputation will rise or fall depending on how well it fits in with the Day of the Doctor.  In hindsight, I may very well find the Last Day to be a brilliant prequel for the Day of the Doctor.  But for now, I'll admit that I simply didn't get much out of the Last Day.

Night of the Doctor

Spoilers ahead!

With the anniversary weekend upon us, I'm going to take a look at the two prequel mini episodes that have been recently released by the BBC, as a build up to the anniversary episode Day of the Doctor.  I'll also be offering my review of An Adventure in Space and Time, the First Doctor docudrama featuring David Bradley as William Hartnell.

Up first, The Eighth Doctor returns to television, in the Night of the Doctor.

Main Cast-
The Doctor - Paul McGann
Cass - Emma Campbell-Jones
Ohila - Clare Higgins
The War Doctor - John Hurt

Synopsis-
Set during the Time War, the Night of the Doctor begins with Cass, a young pilot who's spaceship has been damaged and is about to crash into the planet Karn.  The Eighth Doctor (in his first television appearance since the TV Movie) arrives with the full intention of rescuing Cass.

However, once Cass realized that the Doctor is a Time Lord, she refuses his help and the ship crashes onto Karn with both Cass and the Doctor aboard.  It seems the Time Lords have become a hated race due to the ongoing Time War with the Daleks.  The Doctor, unlike the rest of his race has chosen to remain uninvolved with the Time War.

The Sisterhood of Karn and their leader Ohila retrieve the Doctor and Cass from the wreckage of the ship.  The Sisterhood cannot save Cass, but are able to temporarily revive the Doctor.  The Doctor will die a second time, but if he drinks one of the Sisterhood's potions, it will trigger the regeneration process.  The potion will guide the regeneration, giving the Doctor whatever he needs.  After seeing Cass' body, he asks for the potion that will make him a warrior.   After drinking the potion, the Eighth Doctor regenerates into John Hurt's War Doctor.

Review-

Doctor Who fandom, of course, went crazy when this was released last week.  Seeing Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor return to television screens was going to do that.  It's also quite impressive that McGann, producer Steven Moffat and the rest of the cast and crew were able to keep this thing secret for so long in the age of the internet.

This is, by far, the better of the two mini episode prequels.  McGann is, of course, excellent as The Doctor.   The mini episode does have a lot of exposition, since it clears up a great many details.  John Hurt's War Doctor, for example, slots in between Eight and Nine.  The Time War clearly was/is a major cataclysmic event that affects every known corner of the universe.  Finally, it's clear that the Doctor only participates reluctantly.

Of course, much has been made of the fact that the Eighth Doctor, prior to regenerating, mentions his Big Finish audio companions by name.  It's a nice touch, especially for a Doctor who really became known to fans via the Big Finish audio plays and legitimizes the Big Finish audios by making them canon.  Personally, I already considered the Big Finish audios to be canon, but I realize that other fan's mileage may vary.

In the end, Night of the Doctor was a wonderful salute to the Eighth Doctor and, by extension, the Classic era of Doctor Who.  The biggest problem with Night of the Doctor is it simply leaves one wanting to see even more of Paul McGann's Eight Doctor.



    

Southeastern US Doctor Who convention guide

A guide to the various Doctor Who conventions dotting the landscape of the Southeastern United States...

Hurricane Who - Category Four Closing Ceremonies

This past year, I've been able to attend four different Doctor Who events, all located in the Southeastern United States.  Prior to 2005, none of the events even existed!  That's quite a wealth of riches but it also leaves people with a dilemma.  Which convention should I attend?   

Oddly enough, each convention has its own vibe, and while one can simply pick a convention based on the guest list, there are also good reasons for picking a convention based on their programming mix as well.  There's also Megacon (Orlando) and Dragon Con (Atlanta) to consider as well, since both will bring in Doctor Who guests and feature Doctor Who related programming.  This guide, however, will focus on the Doctor Who-centric conventions, where Doctor Who is the major (or only) focus...

Time Lord Fest - Tampa, Florida (January 26th, 2013)

Time Lord Fest is a one-day convention that, basically, is one big party.  Actual guests from the show are non-existent, so if that's something you're looking for then Time Lord Fest is not the convention for you.
  

However, the convention does feature a wide variety of dealers selling Doctor Who merchandise, panel discussions with knowledgeable fans and a concert by the Ken Spivey band (who, coincidentally, puts on the convention).  Costuming and cosplay are encouraged at Time Lord Fest.  Indeed, the more involved you get in the activities (rather than simply watching), the more one will get our of Time Lord Fest.

The next Time Lord Fest is this weekend (November 9th, 2013).  I won't be making this one, since it comes one weekend after Hurricane Who.  However, if you're in the Central Florida area and you missed Hurricane Who, or you want another chance to party and hang out with your fellow Whovians, Time Lord Fest can fit this bill very nicely.

Timegate - Atlanta, Georgia (May 24th-26th, 2013)

Caveat: I'm a staff member at Timegate, where I run one of the programming tracks.

Timegate is a more traditional convention, unlike Time Lord Fest.  This year, the headliner guest was Colin Baker (the Sixth Doctor).  Other highlighted guests included Colin Spaull (guest star on both the Classic and the New Series) and Andrew Cartmel (script editor during the Sylvester McCoy years).

Timegate is also notable that while it does feature a full weekend of Doctor Who programming, it also features a full weekend of Stargate programming (the 'Gate portion  of the con) along with a full programming track covering other fandoms, a costuming track and a literary track.

As such, Timegate has a major advantage over the other conventions listed for those who might be attending with wives/husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends/etc. who might not necessarily be into Doctor Who (sacrilege!).  It also allows oneself a break as well, without actually having to leave a convention.  Star Trek - Into Darkness had just come out a week prior to this year's Timegate, and Timegate had a panel on Saturday to talk about the film.

The disadvantage of Timegate is apparent, however.  Since it must serve two different fandoms (Doctor Who and Stargate), sometimes the guest list will lean heavily towards Stargate.  This year, the guest list was Doctor Who heavy due to the 50th anniversary of the show.  Next year, the big name on Timegate's guest list is Paul McGillion from Stargate Atlantis, in order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Stargate franchise.

Still, the convention does try to have guests from both shows at each convention.  This coming year, Paul Kasey and David Banks have already been announced as Doctor Who guests (among others).  Banks played the Cyberleader in the Classic Series, while Kasey has performed as various monsters throughout the New Series and its spin-offs.

The hotel layout also gives Timegate, despite its size, a buzz that can be lacking sometimes at these smaller conventions.   The Timegate Charity Cabaret is also something unique to the convention scene, as various guests perform skits, routines and songs with all proceeds going to various charities over the years.

The costuming track is also unique amongst the various conventions, and can be a great place to get ideas for your next Doctor Who costuming project. 

The next Timegate will be held on Memorial Day weekend, 2014 (May 23rd-25th)

Con Kasterborous (June 8-9, 2013)

Con Kasterborous is held in Huntsville, Alabama.  Unlike Timegate, Con K focuses squarely on Doctor Who.  This year, their main guest was Caitlin Blackwood, who played young Amelia Pond opposite Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor.

I attended the convention on Sunday, and there's a review of my visit on this blog.   Con K felt very similar to Timegate, with the exception that the Stargate and other programming wasn't there.

Sadly, the fact that only two weeks separated Con K and Timegate I think precluded most people from attending both conventions.  Most of the people that I saw at Timegate chose not to attend Con K, and vice versa.   I can only surmise that the close proximity of both conventions had a great deal to do with this.

Fortunately, next year an entire month separates Con K and Timegate, which might allow more people to attend both conventions.   Con K's headliner guest next year will be Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor himself.



Next year's Con Kasterbourous takes place on June 28th-29th, 2014.

Hurricane Who (November 1st-3rd, 2013)

You can read my review of Hurricane Who right here on this blog.

Hurricane Who is a very different beast than Time Lord Fest.  Time Lord Fest, as I mentioned, is one big party.  Hurricane Who is a fan-run convention that takes its fandom very seriously.  Unlike Time Lord Fest, it does bring in big name Doctor Who guests to the Central Florida area.  Also, unlike Timegate in Atlanta, it can focus on bringing in Doctor Who guests, since it's a Doctor Who-only convention.

It does feature some alternate programming, including some costuming panels for the costumers.  While perhaps not to the extent of Timegate, Hurricane Who also features panels on subjects beyond Doctor Who.  Hurricane Who has invited Jim Korkis, a noted Disney historian the past two years to talk about various aspects of Disney fandom.  In addition, this year they had two guests from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to celebrate that show's 20th anniversary.  These are great additions to the programming mix, and I hope that this continues at future Hurricane Who conventions.

Conclusion

So, which convention should you attend.  Well, if your plans are to attend Time Lord Fest, that's this weekend so you better plan quickly!

If you're planning to party, Time Lord Fest is probably your best bet.  Since it doesn't feature guests, it allows one to hang out and party without the fear that you might be missing out on your autograph and photo opportunities.

If meeting guests, collecting autographs and photos from the actors is your big thing, any of the conventions with the exception of Time Lord Fest will fill the bill. 

If having additional programming beyond Doctor Who is something that appeals to you, Timegate is your best bet, followed distantly by Hurricane Who.

The biggest issue I suspect anyone will find is the close proximity of some of the conventions.  The two Florida conventions are one week apart, which isn't a very good idea as that forces people to choose between the two.  I'm hoping this is simply a one-off for Time Lord Fest for the anniversary, as I think it was much better being held in January and away from Hurricane Who.

Con Kasterborous and Timegate also had the same problem this year in that they were too close to each other.  With one month's separation between the two, it should make it much easier for people to attend both rather than forcing people to choose between the two.

In the end, it's up to you to decide which convention you'd like to attend.  With Time Lord Fest and Hurricane Who being one week apart, I had to choose which convention I would travel to attend.  Since I do like meeting guests, the decision was easy and I attended Hurricane Who.

However, if meeting guests was not that high on my agenda, I might have chosen to attend this weekend's Time Lord Fest.  That's something that each person will have to decide, but I really wish the conventions would try to space themselves out a little better so that it's easier for fans to attend as many as they possibly can.  But that's just my two cents.

Hurricane Who - A Review

Having fun hanging out with fellow Whovians at Hurricane Who, a review...

Tony Lee, Frazer Hines and Terrance Dicks from the 1960's panel 

Hurricane Who was started several years ago, and started off by holding a series of one-day events in and around the Central Florida area.  In 2009, Hurricane Who held its first convention which I attended.  That first year, the headliner guests were Gareth David Lloyd (Ianto from Torchwood) and Louise Jameson (Leela).  Since that time, the convention has held three more events, this year's version being labeled Category Four.

This year's guest list was much larger than that first year, and it was a rather nice touch that each decade of Doctor Who had a representative, along with every entertainment form (the television show, the audios, books and comics).

The 1960's were represented by Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Terrance Dicks (writer of The War Games, amongst many other things). Terrance Dicks, of course, was script editor during the Pertwee Era of the 1970's, and Pamela Salem guest starred opposite Tom Baker (and later, Sylvester McCoy in the 1980's).  Bob Baker was also present, the creator of K-9 and writer of the Three Doctors (amongst many other episodes).

Colin Baker (the Sixth Doctor) and Colin Spaull (guest star in the Colin Era, and again in the David Tennant Era) represented the 1980's.  The 1990's were represented by Daphne Ashbrook, Grace Holloway from the TV Movie.

The 2000's featured Spaull and Gareth David Lloyd (Ianto from Torchwood), which the 2010's were represented by Ian McNeice (Winston Churchill in Victory of the Daleks opposite Matt Smith).

Representing the comic book end of things was Tony Lee, writer for many of the IDW Doctor Who comics, David Howe and Terrance Dicks both writers who've worked on various Doctor Who projects (reference, novelizations and original works) and Chase Masterson representing the audio-only contingent.

The convention didn't actually begin until Friday, but a Convention kick-off party opened things on Thursday.  Basically a chance to socialize, dance, eat and drink, this was a fun event even though it was rather lightly attended, probably due to the somewhat high extra charge (on top of the cost to enter the convention).

Friday featured one of my favorite panels of the weekend, the 1960's panel with Frazer Hines and Terrance Dicks.  Frazer talked quite a bit about the recently found Enemy of the World and Web of Fear.  Frazer even had a limited edition print made for the Web of Fear available at the convention.

Bob Baker and Ian McNeice also headlined two separate panels that were also quite entertaining.  Bob talked about his years on the show, including the creation of K-9, and also talked about the creation of the more recent K-9 series as well.

Saturday, of course, was the big day for the convention.  Lots of costumers in attendance all three days, but Saturday had by far the most variety.  All Eleven Doctors were represented, along with many various companions, adversaries and monsters.   The Masquerade, held Saturday evening, allowed those interested in participating a chance to show off their costumes.  Frazer Hines even made a surprise appearance as the Second Doctor, appearing opposite a Jamie costumer.  

Sunday was also quite excellent, and features my favorite panel of the weekend, the Companions panel.  Ian McNeice, Chase Masterson, Daphne Ashbrook and Frazer Hines had a very good rapport with each other, and it was quite entertaining.  

While I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I'm making plans already to attend next year's Hurricane Who, there are a few things that I think would make some great additions to the con.   The long dinner break is a nice idea if one is planning a sit-down dinner.  However, I was on a budget and I didn't really need a two hour dinner break.  Thankfully, Downtown Disney wasn't all that far away and provided the filler needed for that two hours.  Still, if Hurricane Who had a video room or some gaming in that lull period, I might have partaken of that rather than driving over to Downtown Disney.

Overall, if you're a fan of Doctor Who and you live anywhere near Central Florida, Hurricane Who is a convention you simply don't want to miss.  Jarrod and the other convention organizers are already working on next year's convention and have already announced a few guests for the 2014 version, including Terry Molloy (Davros).  

A Return from the dead...so to speak!

When I started this blog earlier this year, the intention was to watch all of Doctor Who by the time of the 50th anniversary.  Obviously, those plans fell apart once July rolled around, and I found I simply didn't have any time to devote to the blog (I work a great deal of overtime at my job during the summer).  I've never completely forgotten about this blog, and I've been wanting to restart and reboot this blog at some point. 

As such, the original plan for this blog has to be thrown out the window.  There's no way I could watch the rest of the Classic Series, along with all of the New Series by the 23rd of November, even if I had the entire time off from work.

Therefore, the new plan is simply to pick up where I left off, and soldier on.  No artificial deadlines this time, just simply enjoying the episodes in order of transmission along with other British shows and movies that happen to catch my interest.   Perhaps I'll be finished with my marathon watch of Doctor Who by next August, when the Twelveth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, has his first full adventure.  No promises, though.

I don't think I'll be trying for daily postings, but will endeavor to try to update on a somewhat regular basis.   I'll be starting off today and the rest of this weekend by posting some archived reviews that I had written prior to the hiatus and which I've now edited and polished off for your enjoyment.

In addition, I'm also including my review of Hurricane Who, a Doctor Who convention that was held this past weekend in Orlando, Florida along with a Southeastern US Doctor Who convention guide.

It's good to be back!

Story #68 - Planet of the Daleks (Dalek War, Part Two)

The Doctor and Jo team up with the Thals to thwart the plans of the Daleks as they attempt to harness the power of invisibility to conquer the universe.

Main Cast-
The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
Jo - Katy Manning

Main Guest Cast-
Vaber - Prentis Hancock
Taron - Bernard Horsfall
Rebec - Jane How
Codal - Tim Preece
Marat - Hilary Minster
Latep - Alan Tucker

Synopsis-
Continuing on from the ending of Frontier in Space, The Doctor has been gravely injured by The Master.  The Doctor goes into hibernation to heal his wounds.

Jo, concerned for The Doctor, ventures forth onto the jungle planet that the Tardis has landed upon looking for help.  Jo runs into a group of Thals, who have ventured to this planet to battle the Daleks, with whom they share their homeworld of Skaro.

It turns out the Daleks have created an army of Daleks armed with the power of invisibilty taken from the native inhabitants known as Spiridons.  The Daleks intend to unleash this army upon the universe.

The Doctor, Jo and the Thals team up to thwart the Daleks plans.  They do so by sealing the Dalek army in ice from one of the planet's ice volcanoes.

Review-
An improvement over Frontier in Space, but that isn't saying much.  One has to wonder why the BBC (or Barry Letts) felt that it would be a good idea to try to take two rather mismatched stories like Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks and try to make them into an epic.

Classic Doctor Who has had a mixed record with epic length storylines.  Some have been great, like the War Games and the Key to Time.  Others have been decent or average like the Dalek's Master Plan.  Dalek War, sadly, falls into the latter category of major mistake, just like the much later Trial of a Time Lord. 

Still, it was interesting seeing the return of the Thals, absent from the program since the first Dalek story.  The Thals are no longer pacifists, like they were in the original story and The Doctor is know mentioned in their history. 

The Thals' reappearance, along with a much more interesting storyline make for a much improved viewing experience.  It still isn't anywhere near as good as The Three Doctor or Carnival of Monsters, but at least it closes the Dalek War storyline on a higher note.

Story #67 - Frontier in Space (Dalek War, Part One)

The Doctor and Jo Grant accidently find themselves accused of being spies by both the Earth and Draconian Empires and attempting to start a galactic war.

Written by Malcolm Hulke
Directed by Paul Bernard

Main Cast-
The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
Jo - Katy Manning
The Master - Roger Delgado

Main Guest Cast-
Earth President - Vera Fusek
General Williams - Michael Hawkins
Draconian Emperor - John Woodnutt
Draconian Prince - Peter Birrel

Synopsis-
The Doctor and Jo nearly collide with an Earth cargo ship.  Landing inside the ship, The Doctor and Jo witness an attack on the ship by the Ogrons.  However, thanks to a hynoptic device, the cargo ship's crew believes that they were attacked by their rivals the Draconians.

The Ogrons are attacking both Earth and Draconian ships, hoping to start a galactic war.  The Master is helping the Ogrons with their deceptions.  But who exactly is The Master working for?

The Doctor tries to explain the situation to the Earth President, and later to the Draconian Emperor, mostly to no avail.  Eventually, the real leaders of the Ogrons show up and it's none other than the Daleks! 

Review-
The less said about Frontier in Space, the better I'll like it.  Frontier in Space eventually devolves into a prison escape story, except the problem is the prisoners escape only to be recaptured and thrown into prison once again.

Sadly, Frontier in Space would be Roger Delgado's last performance as the Master, and it's by far the worst story to feature Delgado's version of the Master.  I believe a final story was planned to send off Delgado's character, but his tragic death in a car accident prevented this final story from being filmed.

Having the Daleks show up at the end of this story added nothing to the tale, and the rather clumsy ending (if one can call it that) doesn't help.  The ending is supposed to lead into the next story, the Planet of the Daleks, with the idea of making the two stories seems like one larger epic (something that the BBC is encouraging, since they've packaged the two stories together in a DVD set entitled Dalek War).

However, the following story never resolves the Earth-Draconian conflict.  Do the Earthmen and Draconians work together to fight off the Ogrons and the Daleks?  We never find out, we just have to assume that they do.

However, by that time I was almost beyond caring.  By far one of the worst Doctor Who serials, one I won't be revisiting anytime soon.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Having tackled the Lord of the Rings series, now I'll be tackling the Harry Potter film series, which not coincidentally started around the same time as the Lord of the Rings film series back in the late autumn/early winter of 2001.

Synopsis-
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), having been raised by his aunt and uncle learns that his parents were wizards and that he's been invited to become a student at Hogwarts', the school for witches and wizards in the United Kingdom.

Harry Potter also learns that he's quite famous in the wizarding world, as he's the only known person to have survived an attack by the evil wizard Voldemort (voiced by Ian Hart in this film).  This attack has left a lightning shaped scar on Harry Potter's forehead.

Harry Potter makes several friends while attending Hogwarts', particularly Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).

Harry eventually discovers that Voldemort isn't as dead as everyone thinks he is, and that Voldemort is after the Philosopher's Stone (Sorceror's Stone in the American version), which Voldemort hopes will help to restore his body.  Harry eventually faces off against Voldemort, who is sharing the body of Professor Quirrell (also Ian Hart) in order to survive.  Quirrell doesn't survive this encounter, but Voldemort's spirit is able to escape.

Review-
My synopsis doesn't really do justice to the story, but then again one can either watch the film or read the book again if one wants the full story. 

The first film was directed by Chris Columbus, who best known work prior to Harry Potter was the Home Alone films.  This film sticks very closely to the book, which in this case isn't necessarily a good thing.

Of all the Harry Potter films, the Chris Columbus films are the least interesting.  Columbus was very meticulous about being true to the books that it allowed for very little variation.  Not everything from the books is needed for the films.

However, Columbus did have experience in directing younger kids in films, not just in the Home Alone films but other films like Adventures in Babysitting and Mrs. Doubtfire.   While perhaps less creative than later Potter directors, having someone at the helm like Columbus who knew how to handle younger kids on a film production must have been a boon to the producers of the film series.

As the three main leads, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson handle their parts well.  The other standout among the younger actors in this particular film is Tom Felton, who plays Harry's nemesis Draco Malfoy.  Felton provides just enough menace to the role that one can understand Harry and Draco's mutual dislike for each other.

The older actors generally handle their parts well.  It's interesting journeying back to the early Harry Potter films to see Richard Harris playing Dumbledore.   Richard Harris' Dumbledore seems less accessible or more remote than Michael Gambon's portrayal.  Gambon is also much more active in his portrayal, which is somewhat to be expected.  Sadly, after being cast as Dumbledore, Richard Harris would only live to play the character in the first two Harry Potter films.  Harris would pass away just prior to the film's release in movie theaters.

Casting Alan Rickman as Severus Snape was pure genius, however.  Sometimes certain actors are simply meant to play certain parts.  If ever there was a part that was meant for Alan Rickman, Severus Snape was that part.  Maggie Smith was also an inspired choice for the stern, but caring Minerva McGonagall.

Of the various Harry Potter adaptations, Philosopher's Stone sits somewhere in the middle.  It isn't terrible, but it doesn't exactly soar either.  However, the film's popularity guaranteed that the sequel films would be made, many of which are far superior to this first film. 

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Extended Edition

Synopsis-
Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) finally make it to Mordor, despite the treachery of Gollum (Andy Serkis) and the attack by the giant spider Shelob.  The two make their way to Mount Doom, where Frodo claims the Ring for his own.

Frodo is attacked by Gollum, who chews off the finger with the Ring.  Gollum steps out too far and falls into the lava, thus destroying the Ring.

Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), King Theoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill) and Gondor's Steward Denethor (John Noble) attempt to protect the realms of Rohan and Gondor from the invasion of the Dark Lord's armies.

A great battle is fought at Minas Tirith, which the combined armies of Rohan and Gondor barely survive.  The armies then march upon the Black Gate, serving as a diversion to allow Frodo to approach Mount Doom.  The destruction of the Ring, and Sauron, also destroys much of Sauron's army in the tumult, while those that survive run away.

Back in Minas Tirith, Aragorn is crowned King of Gondor, having decended from the Kings of old.  Frodo and the other hobbits return to the Shire, but Frodo still is in pain from his adventures.  Frodo eventually decided to travel with the Elves to the Undying Lands to be healed.  Those going with Frodo include Bilbo (Ian Holm), Gandalf, Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett).

Review-
The Return of the King is a major improvement over the Two Towers.  It still has its faults, but they are far fewer than the Two Towers.

Frodo dismissing Sam, and Sam leaving Frodo simply didn't ring true to me.  Sam would never have left Frodo.  Peter Jackson, I believe, is quoted as saying that this was added to create tension and conflict.  As if facing a deadly giant spider and trying to sneak into the Dark Lord's own realm wasn't enough tension and conflict.  Of all the changes that Peter Jackson made in his films, this is by far the one that I found the most upsetting.

The Faramir and Eowyn (Miranda Otto) subplot is missing from the theatrical, and only warrants a few longing glances in the Extended Edition.  It's a shame, as it's one of my favorite subplots from the book as I find Faramir and Eowyn to simply be more realistic and interesting characters than Aragorn and especially Arwen.

Arwen (Liv Tyler) is given very little to do in both the Two Towers and Return of the King.  While that's mostly true to the book, one has to wonder after building the character up in Fellowship (by giving the Elf Glorfindel's scenes to Arwen) why Peter Jackson didn't use the character more in Two Towers and Return of the King.

The Extended Edition, once again, adds needed material to the story.  Saruman's (Christopher Lee) death only appears in the Extended Edition, and that simply makes the Extended Edition the one to watch simply for that scene alone.

Overall, Return of the King is a major improvement and is a solid adaptation of the novel, sitting right in the middle between Fellowship and the Two Towers.

Summary-
It's important to remember that these films are Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Lord of the Rings books.  Simply put, if another director had taken on the challenge of making the Lord of the Rings, they might have made different choices.

Of course, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema were taking a big chance in making these films.  While it seems like a no brainer in hindsight to make a live action version of the popular J.R.R. Tolkien book series, prior to their release there was no guarantee that the films would do well.

Indeed, all one has to do it take a look at the Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings film.  At the time, an animated version of LOTR looked like a no-brainer.  The recent Rankin-Bass version of the Hobbit had been popular, and it was to be assumed that an animated LOTR would also be popular.  However, the project flopped hard and the intended second LOTR film intended to complete the story simply never happened.

This is why, despite my own nitpicks about the films, I'm very grateful to Peter Jackson for having the courage to making the Lord of the Rings films.   Filmmakers who intend to adapt beloved works of fiction would do well to study these films, as its clear that Peter Jackson had a great deal of love for the project.  I'll admit I'm looking forward to the next two films in the Hobbit trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Extended Edition

Synopsis:  Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) are making their way towards Mordor.  The creature known as Gollum (Andy Serkis), who formerly owned the Ring and has been following Frodo is now their guide.

After approaching the Black Gate of Mordor, Gollum convinces Frodo to try a different way into Mordor that he knows about.  Frodo takes Gollum's advice, and the proceed south.  Along the way, the group is captured by Boromir's brother Faramir (David Wenham).  Faramir intends to take Frodo to Gondor's capital Minas Tirith.

At the ruined city of Osgiliath, Faramir and his men are attacked by Nazgul.  The attack opens Faramir's eyes to the evil that the Ring can inflict upon Gondor.  Thus, Faramir, and he allows Frodo, Sam and Gollum to continue their journey towards Mordor.

Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys Davies) continue their pursuit of the Orcs who kidnapped Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd).

Merry and Pippin eventually escape and make their way to Fangorn Forest.  There, Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard, the leader of the Ents (voiced by John Rhys Davies).  The Ents are tree shepherds, and Merry and Pippin eventually convince Treebeard and the Ents to attack the evil wizard Saruman's (Christopher Lee) dwelling Isengard.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli eventually meet up with Gandalf the Wizard (Ian McKellen), returned from the dead to finish his work.  The four ride to the aid of Rohan, which is about to be attacked by Saruman's forces.  Rohan's King Theoden (Bernard Hill) is spellbound by Saruman and his assistant Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif).  Gandalf breaks the spell, and Theoden leads his meager forces to Helm's Deep to await the onslaught of Saruman's army.

Gandalf rides to find Eomer (Karl Urban), who had been banished by Theoden while he was under Saruman's spell.  Gandalf and Eomer arrive in time to relieve Theoden, and Saruman's army is defeated and later destroyed in the Huorn wood sent by the Ents to Helm's Deep.

Review-
The Two Towers is, by far, a less satisfactory adaptation than Fellowship simply because Peter Jackson decides to make far too many changes that simply didn't sit very well with me.

Faramir taking Frodo captive and leading them to Osgiliath was one of these changes.   This changes Faramir's character.  In the books, Boromir falls to the power of the Ring, while Faramir is able to resist its power.   It also adds the battle scenes at Osgiliath, which were entirely unneccesary, and forces the Shelob part of the story to be told in Return of the King.

Worse than sullying Faramir's character is turning Gimli into a comic relief joke.  While true to the book that Legolas and Gilmi have a competition at Helm's Deep to see which of the two would kill more Orcs, I don't think either Legolas or Gimli would keep constantly keep count like they do in the film.

Probably the worst of all is the addition of the Elves at Helm's Deep.  This was totally unnecessary, but was made necessary thanks to Peter Jackson cutting Rohan's numbers while simultaneously increasing the size of Saruman's army.  Rohan needed the Elves help in the film, whereas in the book version there were no Elves that could help, and Rohan was on its own.

The Extended Edition does add much needed exposition to the story.  I originally saw the Two Towers with my sister, who has never read the books.  Watching the theatrical version, she asked me afterwards why Aragorn, Gandalf, etc. abandoned the search for the hobbits Merry and Pippin.  In the book, this is easily explained but the theatrical film doesn't explain it very well.  The extended edition corrects this error.

Overall, my least favorite of the three Lord of the Rings films.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Extended Edition

I realize that my attempt to offer an summary of Fellowship of the Ring (or indeed, any of the Lord of the Rings films) will be lacking in details.  Be that as it may, I'll try to summarize the main points of each film, followed by my review.

Synopsis:  Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) discovers that the ring given to him by his uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) is none other than the One Ring, the most powerful of the Rings of Power.  The One Ring was made by Sauron, the Dark Lord but was lost for many centuries.  Frodo is instructed by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to flee his homeland The Shire.

Frodo and his companions Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin), Pippin Took (Billy Boyd) and Merry Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan) make their way to Rivendell with the help of Aragorn the Ranger (Viggo Mortensen), who helps them evade the Nazgul, or Black Riders of Sauron who are close on their heels.

At Rivendell, the home of the Elven Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving), it is decided to destroy the One Ring.  This quest will not be easy, since only place the One Ring can be destroyed is at the volcano known as Mount Doom, which sits in the heart of Sauron's own realm of Mordor.

Frodo volunteers to take the Ring to Mordor and Mount Doom and several companions join his company, forming the Fellowship of the Ring.  Joining Frodo on the quest are Sam, Pippin, Merry, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas the Elf (Orlando Bloom), Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies) and Boromir (Sean Bean), a Man from the realm of Gondor.

The Fellowship is forced to travel through Moria, where Gandalf is lost in a battle with an undead spirit known as the Balrog.  After this encounter, the Fellowship makes it way to Lorien, where they meet the Elf Galadriel (Cate Blanchett).  The Elves of Lorien give the Fellowship shelter, and help them on their way.

The Fellowship then makes its way down the Great River Anduin.  They are eventually attacked by Orcs sent by the turncoat wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee).  The Orcs kill Boromir and take Merry and Pippin prisoner.  Frodo and Sam make their way towards Mordor, while Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli follow the Orcs in an attempt to rescue Merry and Pippin.

Review:
Of the three Lord of the Rings films, Fellowship of the Ring holds closest to the book version, and thus is by far the best.

Much of the early part of the story, particularly the time between Bilbo's party and Frodo's departure from the Shire, takes place over many years.  The film's frenetic pace doesn't really give one a sense of a lot of time passing.

Sadly, Peter Jackson simply uses Merry and Pippin for comic relief.  To be fair, Tolkien used these two hobbits for comic relief as well but certainly not in the broad sense that Jackson uses.

I didn't have a problem with the cutting of the Old Forest/Barrow-Downs/Tom Bombadil.  Indeed, if I had been making the adaptation, that's something I certainly would have excised from the film.  The stories are a side adventure that are quite entertaining to read, but with a film you simply don't have the time for side adventures.

I'll admit I was a bit surprised that Peter Jackson did include the attempt to cross over the Misty Mountains at the Redhorn Pass.  That's something I would have excised as well, and simply had the Fellowship proceed directly to Moria in order to avoid using the Gap of Rohan.

Peter Jackson also made the wise decision to include the story from the first chapter of the Two Towers made sense, as it rounded out the story.   Showing Boromir's funeral boat, and the decision made by Aragorn to follow the Orcs simply belong in the first film, especially since I've always felt the first chapter of the Two Towers should have been included as part of Fellowship anyway.

Like the more recent prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson's own additions to the film do not fundamentally change the main plot line.  While I'm not entirely sure we need to see how Saruman created the Uruk Hai, I can understand the arguments to the contrary.  In any case, it doesn't change the storyline of the main characters, something that Peter Jackson seemed more willing to tinker with in the Two Towers and Return of the King.

The extra scenes from the Extended editions of Fellowship don't add much to this film, unlike the Two Towers and Return of the King.  Basically, you aren't missing too much if you decide to stick with the theatrical version of Fellowship.  That being said, since the release of the Extended editions, I've never gone back to revisit the theatrical versions.






  

Introduction to my Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movie reviews

Curses, foiled again!  My intentions to get back on schedule obviously fell to pieces after publishing my review of Carnival of Monsters.  I think I finally realized that I "needed" to step away from the blog, and my Doctor Who marathon viewing for a bit, as I was simply getting burned out.


This past week, I took an extended break from my Doctor Who rewatch.  I decided to revisit two very popular film series: the Peter Jackson adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings as well as the adaptation of the Harry Potter book series.

 

While neither movie series qualifies as British television, since both are based on books written by British authors I figured that was justification enough.  Besides, I figure given the audience of this particular blog, the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series would be popular subject for revisitation.

One of the problems with adapting books is the fact that a film is, by its nature, going to need to condense and cut things out of the book in order for the film version to fit into a typical runtime.   Three hours is generally considered about the longest one can make a film nowadays, with two to two and a half hours being the most common for action-adventure films.

Obviously, I have my own prejudices regarding the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter film adaptations.  There are things I certainly would have done differently in both film series, but I will endeavor to try and keep my prejudices somewhat at bay while reviewing the film adaptations.

Unlike my regular reviews, I won't include a credit lists simply because full cast credits would take a long time to list.  Instead, as I mention characters during the reviews, I'll list the actor name in parenthesis after the character name.   I hope this doesn't throw everyone off, but there are plenty of places online like IMDB where one can get full cast and crew credits for these films.

For tonight, I'll be including my Lord of the Rings reviews, while I'll be posting my Harry Potter movie reviews on Saturday evening.  Doctor Who reviews will resume next week, as I return to my Doctor Who marathon viewing.  There might also be a few other reviews scattered over this weekend, as I've got a great deal of non-Doctor Who material that I've written up for the blog this past week.

Story #66 - Carnival of Monsters

First, my apologizes for the lack of updates for the last week and a half.  It was unintended, "real life" simply got in the way.  One thing I was able to keep up with, despite my rather hectic schedule, was my viewing of the actual Doctor Who episodes. As of this Saturday morning, I'm in the middle of the Third Doctor-Sarah Jane series/season, getting close to the end of the Third Doctor era.  I'll be endeavoring to "catch up" the blog this weekend.  Thanks to all of my readers for your patience and understanding.

And, as they say, on with the show...

On the first trip in the Tardis since being allowed his freedom by the Time Lords, The Doctor and Jo materialize on the S.S. Bernice in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  This is rather disconcerting, since The Doctor was aiming Metebelis Three, but all is not what it seems.

Written by Robert Holmes
Directed by Barry Letts

Main Cast-
The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
Jo - Katy Manning

Main Guest Cast-
Vorg - Leslie Dwyer
Shirna - Cheryl Hall
Major Daly - Tenniel Evans
Claire Daly -  Jenny McCracken
Lt. John Andrews - Ian Marter
Kalik - John Wisher
Orum - Terence Lodge
Pletrac - Peter Halliday

Synopsis-
The Tardis lands on the S.S. Bernice in what appears to be the Indian Ocean.  Once they are discovered by the passengers on board, they are taken as stowaways.  Several minutes later, the passengers and crew of the ship can't remember either The Doctor or Jo being taken prisoner.

The Doctor eventually figures out that the Tardis has materialized inside a miniscope, which houses miniaturized living beings which is used as an entertainment device by the carival showman Vorg and his assistant Shirna.

Vorg and Shirna have just arrived at the planet Inter Minor, with the hope of putting on a show for the local population.  The local tribunal is suspicious of Vorg and Shirna, however, and forbid them entry onto the planet. 

Meanwhile, The Doctor and Jo have made their way off the ship and into the inner working of the miniscope.  While trying to find the way out, they discover a second environment inhabited by the Drashigs, a deadly worm-like life form.   The Drashigs follow the Doctor and Jo and eventually wreak havoc on the inner workings of the miniscope.

Eventually, The Doctor escapes the miniscope and linking the Tardis to the miniscope's working is able to save Jo and return everyone back to their correct time and space.  The miniscope is destroyed, however.

Review-
Carnival of Monsters is, to put it quite simply, a fun romp.  Vorg, the carnival showman that owns the miniscope clearly isn't aware that these miniscopes have been made illegal by the Time Lords.  For Vorg and Shirna, the miniscope is simply a way to make a quick buck.

The ship's inhabitants, who keep reliving the same moments over and over again, are appealing and one does feel for their predicament.  Ian Marter (best known for playing Harry Sullivan) makes an early appearance as Lt. Andrews, who clearly has a romantic attachment to Major Daly's daughter, Claire.

The intercutting between The Doctor and Jo story and Vorg and Shirna's story is handled quite well.  The only thing that feels a bit out of place is a plot by two of the tribunal's members to discredit the President of Inter Minor by allowing the Drashigs to escape the miniscope.  Vorg foils this plan by destroying the escaped Drashig.  Fortunately, this unneeded bit of plot doesn't really get in the way of the story.

All in all, one of the most entertaining stories from the Third Doctor era and an excellent follow-up to The Three Doctors.

Story #65 - The Three Doctors

The Time Lords are under attack by an unknown force, and the only people that can help save the Time Lords is the First, Second and Third Doctors.

Written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin
Directed by Lennie Mayne

Main Cast-
The Third Doctor - Jon Pertwee
The Second Doctor - Patrick Troughton
The First Doctor - William Hartnell
Jo - Katy Manning
The Brigadier - Nicolas Courtney
Benton - John Levene

Main Guest Cast-
Omega - Stephen Thorne
Dr. Tyler - Rex Robinson
Ollis - Laurie Webb
Mrs. Ollis - Patricia Prior

Synopsis-
The Time Lords are under attack by an unknown force emanating from a black hole.  Losing power rapidly, the only hope the Time Lords have for survival rests with The Doctor.

The Doctor, however, is under attack by the very same force, which is made of antimatter.  The Time Lords muster enough energy to take the Second Doctor out of his timeline to assist the Third Doctor.  The two Doctors begin squabbling amongst each other, and it's only after the arrival of the First Doctor that straightens things out.

The First Doctor can't fully materialize, being caught in a time eddy.  Deducing that the force attacking The Doctor is some sort of "bridge", the Third Doctor and Jo cross over, and are eventually followed by The Second Doctor, Benton and the Brigadier.

The Doctors and their companions find themselves on a world that exists inside the black hole that's ruled by Omega, the Time Lord that caused the supernova that gave the Time Lords the power and ability to travel in time and space.

Omega desires revenge against the Time Lords, but its revealed that Omega no longer has a corporeal body thanks to the years spent in the black hole in the antimatter world.   The Doctors eventually agree to stay on the antimatter world with Omega and allowing their companions to return home.   The Doctors, however, end up tricking Omega by exposing him to the Second Doctor's recorder, which was not converted to antimatter in the transference to Omega's world.  The resultant explosion destroys Omega and his world.

The Tardis returns to Earth, where the First and Second Doctors say goodbye and return to their own timelines.  The Time Lords lift their sentence of exile, and the Third Doctor is now able to travel freely in time and space.

Review-
Series/season ten opens with the very first multi-Doctor story, and in my humble opinion still the best multi-Doctor story.

Rather than trying to fit in as many companions as possible (like they tried to do with the later Five Doctors story), in the Three Doctors its just the regular cast (minus Yates for some unknown reason) and the First and Second Doctors.

The "time eddy" story device works well, and allows fans of the series to have one last glimpse of William Hartnell in the role he made famous.  The interaction between Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee is quite entertaining as well, along with Nicholas Courtney's doubletakes when he first encounters the Second Doctor.

To put it simply, The Three Doctors is one of the most entertaining Doctor Who stories out there and its well worth revisiting over and over again.