Doctor Who (TV Series) The Age of Steel (2006) User Reviews

It attempts to be a big show stopper

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 14 August 2015]

We pick up from the cliffhanger and instantly get into the action, somehow the Doctor destroys a grouping of Cybermen and he and co make their escape. Lumic initiates a plan to 'upgrade' London. We understand that the Cybermen want to upgrade humans for their own good, to remove pain and suffering. The Doctor and co must get inside the Cybus conversion plant and stop them.

There are lots of positives, The Cybermen are particularly effective, the re-design was brilliantly done, the marching scenes look incredibly effective. The Cyber factory from a distance looks so effective, it's a great CGI, the interiors and close ups look really good. There is a true sense of tension and horror when The Doctor and Mrs Moore are travelling in the tunnel past an endless line of inactive Cybermen.

I didn't particularly love the Cyber Controller, it was a little too bling, I felt like it should have had diamond studded gloves. The ending lets it down badly, the solution is not a satisfying one, although it's nice to have a heroic Micky for a change, that Cyber controller must have been nifty on his feet, the rope burning sonic was very annoying.

Overall it's a very good episode, with some high points, it just feels like there's something missing, maybe it's the parallel world scenario that doesn't help. As of 2015 I still feel like I'm waiting for the ultimate Cber story, Army of Ghosts came close.

7/10

Delete & Upgrade...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 4 December 2021]

The Empire of the Cybermen is getting up and running, with a Trigger happy despot name of Lumic full of cunning. There are factories converting and upgrading and disposing, with our heroes infiltrating, sabotaging and subverting. The race is on, to the beacon, that turns off cyber might - inhibiting, curtailing the nightmare in full flight. But the architect is mobile, freed from his wheelchair (though he still has one), he's the leader, the controller, of all that cybernetic fayre, but he's not a metal Superman and as such, he just can't fly, which can be quite a problem, if you need to climb up high.

A great new Doctor, but a sub-par episode

[hatchjaw_j · 7/10 · 1 June 2006]

Age of Steel follows up the previous episode, Rise of the Cybermen, which was excellent in some respects, lacking in others. RotC had some positive elements, the most important being Tennant's excellent portrayal of the Doctor. Indeed, his sort of daft giddiness bears, to this writer, the shadow of Tom Baker's Doctor, with his sort of subconscious asides (as when ticking off time periods when Mickey is holding down the button in the Tardis), yet brings his own aloof superiority a la McCoy's Doctor as he lets events coalesce around him. Some reviewers and fans whose pieces I've read seem a bit dismayed at having such a young actor portray someone who must by now be over a 1000 old, but I disagree. Tennant's Doctor does indeed "bear the weight of the world on his shoulders" as he points out in this episode, and one can see this in his almost smug characterization, as when he finally confronts Lumic/The Cybercontroller in the climax. His world-weary, eyes-rolling "anothermaniacherewegoagain" sort of attitude is refreshing, especially after Eccleston's excellent pseudo-working class, bada** interpretation of the character, more the man of action than Tennant's fresh-faced pseudo-doofus. Tennant's best moment is perhaps after the end when he is restoring the Tardis with his big goofy Baker-esquire grin as the Tardis re-starts. Here we begin to get a feeling for this new Doctor, a character who is little more than the average person's different personality facets split up into 13 different people; some contradictory, some more likable than others, yet all forming part of a whole. This aside, these two episodes were passable, but weak. The concept of reviving the Cybermen is much welcomed, and they look fantastic, but the plot involving a parallel Earth where this action takes place doesn't seem to work right. True, the allegory here of humans' reliance on technology and their need to serve it, as the Doctor points out, is outstanding, but this could easily have been placed on contemporary Earth or thereabouts. Some other weak spots are, as others have pointed out, the ease with which the Doctor and Co. get out of the tight spots, viz. the death ray from the Tardis component, the seemingly endless array of uses of the Sonic Screwdriver (my wife laughed when they were using it to burn through the rope ladder at the end; she has barely watched Who, so I had to explain that it was used traditionally as a plot device to extricate the characters from situations from which there is no other escape! Used here sadly). Some of the acting was wanting, especially Mickey, who really needs his due, and some of the supporting cast. Lumic was creepy, as he needed to be, his voice even sounded Cyberman-esquire. The score was horrific, though, with the music's volume often swamping out the scene. Overall, I found Rise of the Cyberman more entertaining, though the second half was passable. The build-up to what we knew was inevitable plays out well, however the resolution was disappointing. Too many unlikely escapes, no development of the supporting cast, and not enough Tennant in my opinion. This new show is outstanding, and Davies is taking it in a good direction, but the dialogue (beyond the Doctor's) needs to be tightened up, as Mickey's farewells illustrate, which were pure ham.

The battle of London

[djarmhp · 10/10 · 21 May 2006]

The slightly overlong set up episode of the previous week paid off in no uncertain terms with an episode that hit the heights. There was a certain deus ex machina flavour to the resolution of the cliffhanger, but it was a good start for all that. As is now common with this Doctor the moral, ethical and emotional considerations of his actions were centre stage. They were always there in the classic series, but they were a side issue, to be glossed over when the Doctor was in the heat of battle. This regeneration even says sorry to a cyberman during the battle! This episode finally shows Mickey embracing the heroic side that had been hinted at in previous episodes. His journey from zero to hero is complete, and it has been an utterly convincing one. With scares, humour and scenes that brought a lump to your throat this episode had everything. After much consideration I can finally say that the new series betters the classic series in every single respect. Coming from a die hard Whovian you can get no better recommendation than that.

Emotional roller-coaster

[Beercat · 10/10 · 21 May 2006]

Once again, Doctor Who delivers the goods by the bucket load. It has humour ("You're just making it up as you go along!" "Yup, but I do it brilliantly"), action, monsters (in this case still more kick-ass cybermen), tragedy and scare tactics. In short, just what the doctor ordered (pun intended). The way that the emotions move from one to the other is done so well that there is no feeling of "get on with it". So, chalk up 3 out of the last 4 episodes that have made you laugh, then made you cry, and made you go "eek".

In terms of character development, this is clearly the clincher for Noel Clarke's Mickey (and Ricky). Being one of the Doctor's companions, you know that he will do the right thing, and may even suspect the manner that he does it. However, it is still an emotional wrench when he confirms his future path.

While "The rise of the Cybermen" had more of the sinister build up to terror, "The Age of Steel" is an all out blast. Like "Alien" compared to "Aliens" - both true classics, but in different ways. Can the series keep it up at this level? Let's hope so.

Taking the Mickey

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 1 December 2018]

The Age of Steel is the second part of a two part story where the TARDIS takes the Doctor, Rose and Mickey to an alternative Earth where Rose's father Pete is still alive and successful but is working for an evil businessman Lumic who has created a parallel universe version of the Cybermen.

Apparently a section of fans dislike this modern take on the Cybermen but I belong to the section of fans who feel that this redesign is absolutely fine. There were many disappointing Cybermen stories in the classic series and many disappointingly represented versions of Cybermen with dodgy voices, unimpressive design changes and illogical plans. I loved the original Mondasian Cybermen and loved their return at the end of the 12th doctor's era. However, despite the occasional great story which kept Cybermen as one of my favourite monsters there were plenty of Cybermen stories over the 60s, 70s and 80s that could have been a lot better.

These 21st Century alternative reality Cybermen are far better than some of the earlier versions with a design that looks good, works well for a modern audience, good voices and a good level of menace. Some of the scenes make them properly scary and threatening again. Lumic is also a suitably unpleasant villain.

The trip to a parallel Earth adds a great extra element into the plot which makes this a fun and interesting 2 parter. There is great humour, some nice pathos and good excitement.

My rating for both episodes: 9.5/10.

Superb, in spite of the flaws

[Baxter254 · 9/10 · 22 May 2006]

Okay so there were the odd hole in the plot you could drive a zeppelin through, but how well was the emotional stuff handled? It would have been so easy to descend into cheesiness but the writer pulled it off. The image of the ex female cyberman making crying noises as she/it saw her reflection after regaining her emotions is one that will stay with me forever. That's twice now the monsters have shown a soft side and been presented fleetingly sympathetically, the previous being the last Dalek from series one, but by Jove it's worked. Add to that the other ex-female who had been "upgraded" on the eve of her wedding, and Jackie Tyler recognising her husband after she had become "cyber" and you have a permanent throat lump. Keep it up!

Cybermen part Duex

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 30 May 2006]

Beginning where it left off, Doctor Who, Rose, her alternative dad, Mickey, his alternative counterpart Ricky, and Mickey's small gang of rebels find themselves at the mercy of this realities version of the Cybermen, this second part of the 2 episode Cybermen arc feels more like a Doctor Who episode, as opposed to the previous part which honestly felt like more of an episode of the defunct show "Sliders", which granted was a great show in it's own right. The arc as a whole was enjoyable enough as I'm one to subscribe to the maxim that ANY Who is good Who, but at the same time it's inevitable that this will be compared to the Dalek episode of the previous series. And said comparisons would only make this seem like a lesser work, as it is. I just feel that this story could've been done in one episode. Remember in the first part of the review I said that these type of stories dealing with alternative realities usually have no lasting repercussions, well that's not the case here, but what changes overall feels tagged on and not really in keeping with the character.

My Grade: C+

The Cyber-army arrives!

[MaxBorg89 · 10/10 · 15 January 2011]

With the exception of a rather bland new catchphrase ("Delete!" being an obvious poor imitation of the Daleks' "Exterminate!"), the return of the Cybermen at the close of the previous episode made for a terrific cliffhanger, paving the way for an even better follow-up.

After narrowly escaping death, the Doctor and his gang need to figure out how to neutralize the Cybermen before it's too late (they are already transforming most of the city) and, on a side note, get back to their own universe so that the various parallel worlds don't start collapsing on each other. Mickey is going through some changes of his own thanks to the encounter with his local counterpart Ricky, which might change the dynamic of the time-traveling trio for good. As for the delusional John Lumic, he is about to discover the downside of an alliance with the Cybermen...

Fast-paced, grittier and more dramatic than the previous part, The Age of Steel is a neat conclusion that also leaves the door open for further story lines, with the parallel universe thread having a certain Star Trek vibe. The Cybermen are treated with the respect such iconic villains deserve (well, minus the aforementioned catchphrase), and, biggest surprise of all, Noel Clarke manages to make Mickey truly interesting for the first time, courtesy of the smart material given to the character. Based on this (and similarities with Season 1), the remaining episodes are a very exciting prospect.

A lackluster introduction to the Cybermen that feels like a second rate version of Father's Day

[pjgs200 · 6/10 · 17 July 2016]

Review for both episodes:

Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel was by no means bad, but the concept of meeting your parents when they were alive or in a different universe was explored in Father's Day, and to a much better effect. I know that this story serves mainly as an introduction to the Cybermen, but Rose meeting Pete and Jackie Tyler in an alternate universe was a huge part of the episode as well.

In my opinion, bringing back Pete Tyler was a mistake. He was brought back in Father's Day already, and seeing Jackie Tyler be an unpleasant person was again done in Father's Day, and with a much better result. Most of the guest characters were undeveloped and forgettable, and Lumic was a weak, hammy, and frankly uninteresting villain. I did like how this was set in an alternate universe, so maybe there will be a much better Cybermen origin story in the future that will compensate for this one, but as an introduction to the Cybermen this two parter is disappointing. There were some tense moments and jump scares here and there- especially in the scene where the Doctor and Mrs. Moore travel through the tunnel with inactive Cybermen- but as a whole Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steen is a huge disappointment, and the production values don't even remotely compare to the previous stories this series, especially the Girl in the Fireplace.

The Cybermen have potential to be incredible villains, but a very cheap looking design and a weak catchphrase ("Delete") which seems like a rip-off of the Daleks' "EXTERMINATE," the Cybermen are very disappointing villains. After last series' phenomenal "Dalek," this two-parter leaves a lot to be desired, and basically cements the Cybermen as second to the Daleks. Overall, Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel is a weak 6/10.

Nearly perfect once again.

[MrFilmAndTelevisionShow · 9/10 · 21 March 2021]

A perfect continuation of the previous episode, Roger Lloyd Pack being his splendid self once again. This was a great origin story arc for the Cybermen and I look forward to inevitably seeing more of them in the future.

Metal Mickey

[southdavid · 7/10 · 24 September 2020]

Whilst this two part episode from season two doesn't quite match up with the Moffatt written one in the first series, this second episode is an improvement over the first and allows for all of team Tardis to show what they can do.

With London overrun by Cybermen, Lumic (Roger Lloyd Pack) engages the next phase of his plan, and has the earpods take control of their human hosts, and have them trudge to Battersea Power Station for upgrading. The Doctor (David Tennant), Rose (Billie Piper), Pete (Shaun Dingwall), Jake, (Andrew Hayden-Smith), Mrs. Moore (Helen Griffen) Mickey and Ricky (Noel Clarke) head to the Station themselves, with a desperate plan to save as much of the population as they can, expose Lumic's villainy and destroy the conversion chambers.

The episode is better admittedly because of the legwork that the first half did in establishing who the characters were, which pays off here as several of them are killed and it's a little more effecting than it would have been, as we've gotten to know them. There's even more genuinely melancholy in the death of a converted woman, who was due to get married the following day. But I do like that this is worth something, as it provides the Doctor with the key knowledge to defeat this foe.

There's the odd bit of CGI naffness, generally with explosions but as most of the rest of the effects are practical and the cybermen are at their most visually Iconic here, there's lots of striking imagery. Rose is a little light on stuff to do in this one, given the wider cast of heroes. I can remember enough to know that this is not the last we see of Mickey, so I'm not too sad - but his arc of self-realisation is complete.

Excellent, if not quite top tier.

A Classic.

[W011y4m5 · 9/10 · 29 March 2020]

The "Rise of the Cybermen" / "Age of Steel" two-parter still remains the best Cyberman story since Doctor Who's 2005 revival.

Tom MacRae bravely takes the iconic villains, reinvents them & makes their history more relevant to every-day viewers by linking their inception to pre-existing modern technologies we rely on whilst simultaneously exploring both sides of the moral debate between the individualistic freedoms of humanity versus maintaining long lasting peace, health & stability in the form of indistinguishable uniformity.

It's a genius script which dares to make bold creative choices, questioning the ethical limitations of scientific endeavours - whether if in order to preserve humanity, we must sacrifice the humanity within ourselves & if that's ultimately a price worth actually paying?

Most other writers make the Cybermen nothing more than glorified robots whereas Tom constantly reaffirms the fact that these mechanical beings are indeed HUMAN underneath, grounding the narrative with far more personal stakes & stronger motivations for each character featured. It's a massive shame he's only written 3 Who episodes in total.

Plus, it takes a fiercely intelligent person to find a way of debating the morality of the Cybermen's actions. It's not often you can find a way of having the Doctor make an entertaining & captivating philosophical argument against a piece of emotionless machinery & yet he succeeds in doing so, regardless.

Quite possibly the best Cybermen episode in Doctor Who

[warlordartos · 8/10 · 10 March 2021]

Well up to this point. I have a feeling the introductions to them back in the 60's would be better if some episodes weren't missing. I liked Mickey leaving in the way he did, a very good send off after the recent character development. The Cybermen themselves are less violent but you get a lot of story into them

Decent conclusion to the two parter cyber men reintroduction

[dkiliane · 8/10 · 16 February 2019]

Writing this review feels a little redundant as this episode basically repeats the same strengths and weaknesses as the first part "rise of the cyber men." Except this episode we are treated to a bit more action. Some of it decent but some rather campy, which, again, is the episode's major flaw along with the cardboard cutout villain, Mr. Lomac.

On the positive side, the rest of the acting was quite good. I especially enjoyed Noel Clarke's performance as both Mickey and Rickey. And the other characters were also well acted and rounded out. Again the interaction between Rose and her father (albeit technically not her father - - alternate universe, remember?) was excellent. Many good character moments and of course entertaining and witty lines from the Doctor.

The conclusion, while mildly far-fetched and a bit campy, was still rousing and satisfying to watch. Overall, one of the stronger entries for the season. 8/10

A Cyber-Powered Thrill Ride

[hwiltshire-06889 · 8/10 · 4 April 2024]

The Age of Steel, concludes the two-part Cybermen reintroduction in grand fashion, delivering a solid mix of action, thrills, and some surprisingly effective emotional moments. It's a fun and memorable Cybermen story, earning an 8 out of 10.

This episode picks up right where Rise of the Cybermen left off, with the Doctor and his companions racing against time to stop the Cybermen takeover of parallel Earth. The Cybermen are in full force now, and their relentless conversion campaign is genuinely unsettling. The sleek redesign and cold efficiency of these Cybermen make them truly menacing.

The pacing is excellent. Director Graeme Harper keeps the action and tension high, delivering set pieces like the Cybermen marching across the bridge that are both visually striking and full of suspense. While the resolution may feel a bit easy, the journey remains exciting.

The heart of this episode lies in the conflict between Rose and her parallel-world dad, Pete Tyler. The emotional scenes between them are surprisingly powerful. They elevate the story beyond a simple battle against the Cybermen, touching on themes of sacrifice and what makes us human.

The Age of Steel isn't without flaws. Mickey's sudden hacking prowess strains believability, and the Cyber-Controller design is perhaps a bit too flashy. However, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise enjoyable and action-packed adventure.

Overall, The Age of Steel is a thrilling conclusion to the Cybermen arc. It delivers on the action, offers some impactful emotional beats, and reinforces these Cybermen as a force to be reckoned with throughout the new Doctor Who era.

A Brilliant Episode!, that's almost Perfect

[rohanumpleby-34057 · 9/10 · 31 March 2023]

When the Cyberman walk slowly, it makes them more intimidating and makes them a real threat. The attacks and the sense of danger is much better in this episode then it is in the first part. The sets and the scenes of this episode is terrific.

Brilliant direction, some cool shots and great character drama for Rose and her mum. Also her Mums seemingly dead Husband. The plot isn't so straight forward this time. The gang investigate the factory. Mickey has great chemistry with his nan, who's dead on the real world. So the Drama here is Flawless.

The Music is amazing as it usually is, the music makes the threat even more scary.

The special effects are ahead of it's time, and are truly a Masterpiece.

The Ending where Mickey chooses to stay was completely left field.

The only Negatives I have with this episode Is the fact that I thought Mickey and his Nan could of had more time to shine, and the episode feels like it rushes through.

My Verdict

Rating stands at: 9,5.

A much more satisfying follow up....

[stevenjlowe82 · 9/10 · 21 October 2023]

This was a much stronger episode in comparison to part 1 in my opinion. The character work was again excellent as was the writing pace and story.

There was just something stronger across the board with this episode. The Cybermen seemed a lot more threatening and were genuinely quite scary. I liked how they focused on the inhumanity and removal of everything that makes us human. I know that sounds like an incredibly obvious statement but there were certain scenes that hit hard with that theme. Rose meeting her Cybermum was tragic as was the scene with the Doctor and CyberSally was also very grim. It really added a whole new level of fear to the Cybermen.

Mickey also got a lot of chance to shine and I am tremendously pleased with how his story went, he will go on to be a real hero and not so useless afterall.

Overall a superb second part and a great introduction for the Cybermen.

Age of Steel!

[wetmars · 10/10 · 6 August 2020]

This was just the beginning of how Mickey became virgin to chad, he's became totally badass in this episode and made a brave choice to stay in the parallel world, great episode!

Brilliant

[zuyuuu · 9/10 · 8 October 2023]

Age of Steel is the second half of season 2's cyberman two-parter. It follows the Preachers, the Doctor and Rose, and Pete Tyler as they fight against the cybermen, led by Cybus Industries and John Lumic. It's full of intense and emotional moments that increase the suspense by the minute.

This episode's best feature is the characters in the alternate world. The Preachers, consisting of Ricky, Jake, and Mrs. Moore are very likeable characters, with Ricky being Mickey's parallel counterpart. I think Ricky and Mickey's dynamic is brilliant, with Ricky serving as a mirror for Mickey, showing him what he could do if he wasn't being held back. After Ricky dies during a mission to defeat Lumic, Mickey is left with Jake, who resents him because he believes him to be a weak replacement for his best friend. Their dynamic is also amazing, as they learn to work together. Mrs. Moore has a tragic ending, just as we learn her story, and I only wish there was more time to explore her character.

Overall, this episode is a brilliant sequel to Rise of the Cybermen, and I don't think it could be any better. Of course, it does end with Mickey leaving the TARDIS to fight cybermen across the world, but I think it's the perfect ending to his character arc. He's finally able to have a purpose and is surrounded by people to appreciate him and care about him, including his grandma. Every aspect of this episode is very well done and it really stands the test of time: 9.3/10.