After 5 years, alot of letters to blue Peter and needing Pertwees 3rd season to start with a bang the Daleks are back but only 3 of them with some very interesting voices.
Daleks aside the story's main focus is its time changing plot and it does it very well and doesn't over complicate things, proving you don't need to be very clever and do tons of techno babble or timey whimmy plots to make a story interesting or work out in the end. The story isn't perfect but it's time plot is very good it's an enjoyable watch/journey.
During a peace conference, sir Reginald Styles is brought in to hopefully stop ww3 from happening. An explosion went off and Styles was blamed leading to uproar of country's and conspiracy, leading to war until all sides was weak and slowly dieing out. Which the Daleks used as an opportunity to invade and enslave the planet. The problem is Styles didn't cause the explosion, the three gorillas who went back to change everything/stop and kill Styles did. But another member cut off from the group Shura went to fulfill his orders and causes it himself.
The ideas Is pretty good and very enjoyable learning how it happened, I love how the Daleks decided to just wait and watch and then invade the humans. Something I strongly believe/prefer in. Why cause so much hassle invading when you can make the enemy wipe themselfs out or wait. The more you think about the plot the more possible loop holes appear such as the doctor and Jos involvement. Technically they caused Shura to go off get injured and then cut off from the group so aren't they also stuck in the time paradox?.
The next problem is who put the time machine deceive in the tunnel? The whole story is the controller and the Daleks trying pin point which timezone the gorillas have gone to. But the ogrons went there in part 1 so why did it take so long? If the gorilla hides it in the tunnel then we needed to see it. I think a problem with the time stuff comes from it not being able to show us, the audience the difference. When we go to the future run by Daleks it looks quite poor and lacking. The dvd did an excellent job at showing a better version of this though.
Another critism the story often gets is its lack of Daleks. I've never understood this personally as both classic and newwho has set up the idea how just one Daleks is needed to wipe out people. Look at power for example. I think if you wanted to show there was more Daleks then the gold Dalek is really the main problem. It should of been the same colour as the others with a slight difference so it could of been easily repainted. Or just film the two Grey's and have the gold stay in the future. Or even have a few additional lines about how these Daleks are the surviving ones from the last story evil. Add another about how because of something to do with the timelines only those Daleks can go back and sort it. However big finish *Planet of the ogrons" has fixed this slightly. The ogrons seen here are actually experiment ogrons with special skills and super abilitys because of the experimental Dalek overseer.
There is alot of things that do/can slightly ruin this story but I can look past those as there is some really good moments here. Especially with its side characters such as the Controller. Aubrey Woods plays him brilliantly, a hint of evil but also some fear and care deep down. I can see him as a master. His arc here is very good, often times in who the villians are just evil or love being evil but here we have someone who has been evil but he isn't a bad person. He was forced into this position because of his past familys tradition and he is just to scared to challenge the Daleks. He's done some nasty things such as threaten a guards family, but he has tried to save people in hard times. In the end he gets a chance to redeem himself once the Dr saves him. He then saves the Dr and in a brilliant last line tells the Daleks "who knows perhaps I have helped to exterminate you.
There are other great side characters too such as the cell guards, one who tries to help the Dr while he acts secretly with the gorillas and in one great scene warns the Dr with a shaken head about Jo/the controllers honesty. The other is also quite enjoyable, he's a typical brut and eventually snitches on the controller to get his role.
The ogrons are great fun though and give me my favourite line in classic who, all thanks to the actor that day. The no complications scene. One actors gives it his all, the other just wants his extra money. The Dalek voices here are also both annoying but comedic, sadly there diologue takes way to long to be said. Thankfully the SE dvd did fix this. There a few funny moments here such as when Jo tries to give Benton some food only to have Mike take it instead.
There's also some great cool action from Pertwee as always, such as him karate chopping someone while still drinking some wine and a slightly comedic motorbuggy chase. Jo sadly doesn't get to much here but Katy as always gives it her all and even if jo was more involved in this story, her unfortunate flashing would still be remembered the most, but Katy Manning has a good sense of humour and just laughs about this now, bless her heart.
Overall this isn't perfect but I do really enjoy this story. It's the only time in this marathon I'll get to talk about my favourite era group. Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Dr, Jo grant, the brigadier, Mike Yates and Benton, and of course Rogers Master. It's my era/doctor who. For me it's still the most constantly good and best era due to the brilliant team such as Terrance dicks, Barry Letts, etc. That era for me was like a warm second family and I love revisiting them.
Rating: 3/5 7/10
Special edition rating: 3/5 8/10.
Daleks aside the story's main focus is its time changing plot and it does it very well and doesn't over complicate things, proving you don't need to be very clever and do tons of techno babble or timey whimmy plots to make a story interesting or work out in the end. The story isn't perfect but it's time plot is very good it's an enjoyable watch/journey.
During a peace conference, sir Reginald Styles is brought in to hopefully stop ww3 from happening. An explosion went off and Styles was blamed leading to uproar of country's and conspiracy, leading to war until all sides was weak and slowly dieing out. Which the Daleks used as an opportunity to invade and enslave the planet. The problem is Styles didn't cause the explosion, the three gorillas who went back to change everything/stop and kill Styles did. But another member cut off from the group Shura went to fulfill his orders and causes it himself.
The ideas Is pretty good and very enjoyable learning how it happened, I love how the Daleks decided to just wait and watch and then invade the humans. Something I strongly believe/prefer in. Why cause so much hassle invading when you can make the enemy wipe themselfs out or wait. The more you think about the plot the more possible loop holes appear such as the doctor and Jos involvement. Technically they caused Shura to go off get injured and then cut off from the group so aren't they also stuck in the time paradox?.
The next problem is who put the time machine deceive in the tunnel? The whole story is the controller and the Daleks trying pin point which timezone the gorillas have gone to. But the ogrons went there in part 1 so why did it take so long? If the gorilla hides it in the tunnel then we needed to see it. I think a problem with the time stuff comes from it not being able to show us, the audience the difference. When we go to the future run by Daleks it looks quite poor and lacking. The dvd did an excellent job at showing a better version of this though.
Another critism the story often gets is its lack of Daleks. I've never understood this personally as both classic and newwho has set up the idea how just one Daleks is needed to wipe out people. Look at power for example. I think if you wanted to show there was more Daleks then the gold Dalek is really the main problem. It should of been the same colour as the others with a slight difference so it could of been easily repainted. Or just film the two Grey's and have the gold stay in the future. Or even have a few additional lines about how these Daleks are the surviving ones from the last story evil. Add another about how because of something to do with the timelines only those Daleks can go back and sort it. However big finish *Planet of the ogrons" has fixed this slightly. The ogrons seen here are actually experiment ogrons with special skills and super abilitys because of the experimental Dalek overseer.
There is alot of things that do/can slightly ruin this story but I can look past those as there is some really good moments here. Especially with its side characters such as the Controller. Aubrey Woods plays him brilliantly, a hint of evil but also some fear and care deep down. I can see him as a master. His arc here is very good, often times in who the villians are just evil or love being evil but here we have someone who has been evil but he isn't a bad person. He was forced into this position because of his past familys tradition and he is just to scared to challenge the Daleks. He's done some nasty things such as threaten a guards family, but he has tried to save people in hard times. In the end he gets a chance to redeem himself once the Dr saves him. He then saves the Dr and in a brilliant last line tells the Daleks "who knows perhaps I have helped to exterminate you.
There are other great side characters too such as the cell guards, one who tries to help the Dr while he acts secretly with the gorillas and in one great scene warns the Dr with a shaken head about Jo/the controllers honesty. The other is also quite enjoyable, he's a typical brut and eventually snitches on the controller to get his role.
The ogrons are great fun though and give me my favourite line in classic who, all thanks to the actor that day. The no complications scene. One actors gives it his all, the other just wants his extra money. The Dalek voices here are also both annoying but comedic, sadly there diologue takes way to long to be said. Thankfully the SE dvd did fix this. There a few funny moments here such as when Jo tries to give Benton some food only to have Mike take it instead.
There's also some great cool action from Pertwee as always, such as him karate chopping someone while still drinking some wine and a slightly comedic motorbuggy chase. Jo sadly doesn't get to much here but Katy as always gives it her all and even if jo was more involved in this story, her unfortunate flashing would still be remembered the most, but Katy Manning has a good sense of humour and just laughs about this now, bless her heart.
Overall this isn't perfect but I do really enjoy this story. It's the only time in this marathon I'll get to talk about my favourite era group. Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Dr, Jo grant, the brigadier, Mike Yates and Benton, and of course Rogers Master. It's my era/doctor who. For me it's still the most constantly good and best era due to the brilliant team such as Terrance dicks, Barry Letts, etc. That era for me was like a warm second family and I love revisiting them.
Rating: 3/5 7/10
Special edition rating: 3/5 8/10.