:
William Hartnell,
William Hartnell,
Peter Davison,
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:
Peter Moffatt,
Peter Moffatt
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: BBC Warner
: Foreign, Science Fiction , Television, British TV, Time Travel, UK, Sci-Fi TV, Sci-Fi TV
: 102 min.
: English
: English
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Doctor Who celebrated its 20th anniversary with the 90-minute special "The Five Doctors." The life of the present Doctor (Peter Davison) is jeopardized when his four previous incarnations -- played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker -- are taken out of time by an illegal Time Scoop. Even worse, the five doctors are confronted by a seemingly endless series of past enemies, included Daleks, Cybermen, and Yetis. The climax takes place in the Forbidden Zone on Gallifrey, where the instigator of the aforementioned time-scooping forces the five doctors to engage in the potentially deadly Game of Rassilon. Can any of the doctors save themselves -- and if not, will robot dog K-9 come galloping to the rescue? The late William Hartnell appeared only in clips from the second-season episode "Invasion of Earth: Flashpoint"; he was replaced in the body of the 20th anniversary special by Richard Hurndall. Written by Terrance Dicks, "The Five Doctors" was first presented in America on November 23, 1983, two days before its British TV debut. Since that time, it has been reedited into a four-part cliffhanger for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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| A Great Reunion, a Reasonably Good DVD
by Saroz
February 16, 2004 - 10:38 PM PST
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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This 20th anniversary special is corny, essentially plotless and designed to cram in as many Doctors, companions and monsters as possible within 90 minutes. Still, you've got to hand it to them - they did a bang-up job for a show with a forever-fluctuating cast list (most notably our old buddy Tom Baker, who turned the project down before filming and got replaced by some old footage). "The Five Doctors" is a fun romp down memory lane, and as such happens to be one of the very best ways to bring new fans into the show (hey, it worked for me).
So why did we exactly need a "special edition"? No, the visual effects aren't especially great, but they never were on Who. The additional scenes, while interesting, are mostly pointless additions that add nothing to the plot. Probably the best changes in the Special Edition are a slight rearrangement of events (which makes the story flow a little better) and some improved lightning effects. Not enough to justify a "Special Edition," for sure.
It's worth recognizing, though, that the original version of "The Five Doctors" will probably be released one day, and in the meantime, this really isn't a bad disc (certainly not the worst of the Region 1 line, by a long shot). Possibly where it disappoints the most is in the video department. The picture suffers from a lot of grain (especially in the outdoor sequences); while a significant step above the video, it pales in comparison to other '80s-era Who stories on DVD. The 5.1 soundtrack, on the other hand, is quite nice indeed.
Admittedly the "Who's Who" biographies are a bit sparing, but the half-hour of isolated musical score is a great inclusion. Without a doubt, though, the best extra on the disc is the commentary with Peter Davison and Terrance Dicks, which was recorded especially for the Region 1 release. It remains one of the two or three best commentaries for the Who DVDs yet. Davison and Dicks make a great team, both taking a jovial attitude towards proceedings. Since this disc's release, Peter Davison has proven himself an invaluable commentator on other stories; I would very much like to hear from Terrance Dicks again.
The story is a great way to get new fans into your favorite series, and the commentary alone makes the disc worth a seasoned fan's rental. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.73)
33 Votes
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