Doctor Who (TV Series) The Brain of Morbius: Part Three (1976) User Reviews

Mary Shelley, eat your heart out.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 10 October 2019]

Philip Madoc plays his part to perfection, as Solon single mindedly gets to work on Morbius, his very own Frankenstein's monster. It's been a terrific story, packed with rich content and dark, in this part, it gets darker, and violent, Mary Whitehouse must have done her nut with one or two scenes here.

So well made, so well acted, I'm not sure if the classic series was ever as good as the Hinchcliffe era, not just the writing or tone, but the tightness of it, the fact that everyone takes it so seriously, nobody is sending it up, it's all serious, and on point.

It ends with one of the most iconic scenes from Doctor Who, the fact that Sarah is impaired, and the unknown surrounding Morbius, he's on his feet, but what sort of state is he in after the trauma?

It has done its job, and set up the concluding episode very well. 9/10

"I, Morbius, who once led the High Council of the Time Lords, reduced to this - to the condition where I envy a vegetable." Great story.

[poolandrews · 8/10 · 23 July 2007]

Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius: Part 3 starts as the disembodied brain of Morbius is sure the Doctor (Tom Baker) has been sent by the Timelords to find out where he his so he can be destroyed, the brain of Morbius forces Solon (Philip Madoc) to go ahead with the operation & put his brain in an artificial brain case which will then be attached to the stitched together body created by Solon from various alien body parts. Solon forces Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) to assist him in the delicate operation after he had to shoot Condo (Colin Fay), Solon is called away as Sarah regains her sight but behind her the monster created by Solon gets up & approaches her...

Episode 19 from season 13 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during January 1976, directed by Christopher Barry this is a great story during my personal favourite era of the show. The script by Terrence Dicks & Robert Holmes under the Robin Bland pseudonym has borrowed heavily from Frankenstein & none more so than in this episode, brains in jars, mad scientists performing operations, stitched together creatures & a dim assistant are all used with a sci-fi slant to great effect here. Solon is a good villain while the Morbius creature is one of the better & scarier monsters from the show, the character's are good as is the dialogue for a change although I'm still not sure about the mystic Sisterhood & I'd be willing to bet the scenes featuring them were the ones most heavily edited in the early 80's video & laser-disc releases because they aren't really necessary & the elixir of life sub plot isn't really needed although having said that it's fine as it is.

I'm not sure about Sarah's blindness here, I was impressed that the makers were brave enough to blind a companion but just stretching your arms out in front of yourself isn't an accurate representation of what it's like to be blind! I would have liked her to be placed in real peril & considering she's on an alien planet she gets used to be blind very quickly! I just wish this angle had been used more effectively. The costumes & make-up for the mystic Sisterhood are actually rather good & don't look as silly as a lot of Doctor Who alien costumes while the Morbius creature makes for a great monster. This episode also sees Solon shoot Condo with a huge bloody bullet hole appearing in his stomach, this is the only occasion I can remember in the entire series of someone graphically getting shot complete with gory bullet wound.

The Brain of Morbius: Part 3 is another great episode from a great story from a great series, it's as simple & straight forward as that.

Death is the Price We Pay for Progress...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 30 June 2022]

The brain of Morbius finds a new home, it's not quite the desired or ideal grey matter dome, but be careful what you wish for, things could end up on a mucky floor, and you find your partnered with a beast, you dislike and abhor.

Brains and brilliance!

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 28 November 2014]

Review of all 4 episodes:

Correctly this is acclaimed as one of the true classics, it really is exceptional and fully deserving of classic status.

Famously the story is heavily influenced by Frankenstein. It has the Gothic horror feel that was common in this era of the series, being one of the most Gothic horror based stories of all in fact. As well as the style it also shares the idea from Frankenstein of a 'mad' scientist putting a being together from parts of other bodies.

The Doctor and Sarah are forced to land on Karn where scientist Solon is carrying out his experiments to try to create a body to house the mind of evil Time Lord criminal Morbius. The Sisters of Karn (who reappeared in the 2013 mini-episode The Night of the Doctor) are also on the planet and think The Doctor has come to steal the elixir of life that they worship and protect.

The story and all the dialogue is absolutely first class. Intelligent, entertaining, literate, exciting - everything you could want. Also the production as a whole is very well made and extremely atmospheric in its presentation. The incredibly good performances from Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen are taken for granted in this era. Unsurprisingly Philip Madoc who had already played characters in Doctor Who (such as in The War Games) to immensely impressive effect gives another awesome performance as Solon. There is very little to fault. The final episode goes into full Frankenstein's monster on a rampage mode which is perhaps less intelligent than the rest of the story but extremely entertaining.

One of the top 40 stories of all time easily and another great classic in the Hinchcliffe & Holmes era which is the peak of the show's history. Holmes takes a lot of credit for the quality here as does another of the greats of Doctor Who, writer Terrance Dicks.

All 4 parts 10/10.