Overall, this is a very well-done movie detailing the early days of the Doctor Who series. It is well written, well acted - especially by a touching David Bradley and a sharp, funny Brian Cox - and moves well.
In fact, I would argue that, even though it sometimes relies on a little Whovian knowledge on the part of the viewer, this is a solid portrayal of an adventure in broadcasting that is fun even if you aren't a Doctor Who fan.
And that's why the last part of the movie bugs me. First off, near the end there's a cameo that makes no sense in terms of the movie itself. That is, if you haven't been watching Doctor Who the last few years you'll be perplexed. It's out of place, because there's no setup for it and it is there as very much a fan thing instead of a movie thing. It undercuts the emotional power of the scene and, even if you know who the actor is, just seems weird and pointless.
After the movie ends, there is an immediate mini-documentary on William Hartnell. I don't know if this is officially part of the movie or just something the BBC stuck in to fill in the time, but if the former, it's a problem yet again. It's not that it's uninteresting, but that it once again says, "this wasn't a real movie, it was just this thing to appeal to Doctor Who fans."
This movie is good enough that it didn't need to pander to its likely audience. And it doesn't, until the last 15 minutes.
In fact, I would argue that, even though it sometimes relies on a little Whovian knowledge on the part of the viewer, this is a solid portrayal of an adventure in broadcasting that is fun even if you aren't a Doctor Who fan.
And that's why the last part of the movie bugs me. First off, near the end there's a cameo that makes no sense in terms of the movie itself. That is, if you haven't been watching Doctor Who the last few years you'll be perplexed. It's out of place, because there's no setup for it and it is there as very much a fan thing instead of a movie thing. It undercuts the emotional power of the scene and, even if you know who the actor is, just seems weird and pointless.
After the movie ends, there is an immediate mini-documentary on William Hartnell. I don't know if this is officially part of the movie or just something the BBC stuck in to fill in the time, but if the former, it's a problem yet again. It's not that it's uninteresting, but that it once again says, "this wasn't a real movie, it was just this thing to appeal to Doctor Who fans."
This movie is good enough that it didn't need to pander to its likely audience. And it doesn't, until the last 15 minutes.