Dooooo-de-dooooo...
Mar. 26th, 2005 07:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athersgeoOK. I swear I promised once upon a time to never again sing in my live journal but I couldn't resist. Tonight, Dr Who is back. (All usual spoiler disclaimers apply; read on at your own risk)
All right. I was a fan of the original version of the show (at least, for original, read: Sylvester McCoy's incarnation because I am, essentially, too young to remember anything very much from before him). I really didn't take to the last attempt at reviving this particular British institution - it was too flashy and slick and Hollywood - and I was more than a little bit leery of sitting down and watching this attempt because I didn't want to feel disappointed again. But, with it being a quiet weekend and me having really got nothing much better to do, I decided what the hey.
At five minutes in, I wasn't impressed. Didn't go much on the opening montage - that just didn't fit with the idea of Dr Who - and didn't entirely go much on the randomly blonde Billie Piper (she looked like she'd had a nasty accident with a bottle of peroxide and no-one had bothered to even out the damage). And then the creepiness began in the shape of shop maniquins suddenly coming to life. And that WAS creepy. It was almost Wheedonesque in its creepiness - which is exactly what I remember from the old Dr Who.
And from that point on, it just got better.
Although the effects were computerised, they still contrived to look remarkably unflashy. Christopher Ecclestone (despite me half waiting for him to turn into Will Mellor [my father very much likes Two Pints of Lager (And a Packet of Crisps)]) was enjoyably insane as The Doctor and yes, Billie Piper grew on me (though I do hope she fixes her hair). Did also very much like the fact that Rose was the one to save The Doctor - and I loved his "Now we're in trouble!" line, particularly given the very cheeky grin he was wearing as he said it.
I think, maybe the only let down was the entirely stupid plot - though the use of the London Eye as the evil living plastic's transmitter got the biggest laugh out of me of the whole show! The maniquins were suitably creepy, but the autonomous hand just had me giggling, while the belching wheeliebin was just predictable. OK, the plot twist that the boyfriend was still alive was a surprise, but I think the last exchange between him and Rose ("Thanks"/"For what?"/"Exactly") rather sums it up: What a wuss!
Overall, it was utterly enjoyable. I guess the only downer is that they seem to be doing complete episodic stories - whereas what I *loved* above all else about the old Dr Who was the serial nature where a story would unfold over three, four, five and six episodes.
Maybe there'll be some of that later, when they introduce the Daleks...
All right. I was a fan of the original version of the show (at least, for original, read: Sylvester McCoy's incarnation because I am, essentially, too young to remember anything very much from before him). I really didn't take to the last attempt at reviving this particular British institution - it was too flashy and slick and Hollywood - and I was more than a little bit leery of sitting down and watching this attempt because I didn't want to feel disappointed again. But, with it being a quiet weekend and me having really got nothing much better to do, I decided what the hey.
At five minutes in, I wasn't impressed. Didn't go much on the opening montage - that just didn't fit with the idea of Dr Who - and didn't entirely go much on the randomly blonde Billie Piper (she looked like she'd had a nasty accident with a bottle of peroxide and no-one had bothered to even out the damage). And then the creepiness began in the shape of shop maniquins suddenly coming to life. And that WAS creepy. It was almost Wheedonesque in its creepiness - which is exactly what I remember from the old Dr Who.
And from that point on, it just got better.
Although the effects were computerised, they still contrived to look remarkably unflashy. Christopher Ecclestone (despite me half waiting for him to turn into Will Mellor [my father very much likes Two Pints of Lager (And a Packet of Crisps)]) was enjoyably insane as The Doctor and yes, Billie Piper grew on me (though I do hope she fixes her hair). Did also very much like the fact that Rose was the one to save The Doctor - and I loved his "Now we're in trouble!" line, particularly given the very cheeky grin he was wearing as he said it.
I think, maybe the only let down was the entirely stupid plot - though the use of the London Eye as the evil living plastic's transmitter got the biggest laugh out of me of the whole show! The maniquins were suitably creepy, but the autonomous hand just had me giggling, while the belching wheeliebin was just predictable. OK, the plot twist that the boyfriend was still alive was a surprise, but I think the last exchange between him and Rose ("Thanks"/"For what?"/"Exactly") rather sums it up: What a wuss!
Overall, it was utterly enjoyable. I guess the only downer is that they seem to be doing complete episodic stories - whereas what I *loved* above all else about the old Dr Who was the serial nature where a story would unfold over three, four, five and six episodes.
Maybe there'll be some of that later, when they introduce the Daleks...
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 09:19 pm (UTC)Woo-woo-wooooooo--woooh!
Big fan of Christopher Ecclestone, and Billie Piper shows she's more than a pretty face.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 09:22 pm (UTC)(plus, why did it take her so long to decide to go with the Doctor? Has the woman got NO hormones?!)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 10:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 11:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 09:37 pm (UTC)LOL the hair doesn't suit when you can see the roots (and the cover of RT, ugh! Doesn't look like it's due to change, unfortunately...)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 10:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-26 11:36 pm (UTC)*is now hoping she will continue her sub-rock existance*
Pouts
Date: 2005-03-27 05:32 am (UTC){Stares at collection of Doctor Who books} Cat, please don't be about to play, "Let's toss Mommy's books to the floor!" again!
Re: Pouts
Date: 2005-03-27 08:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-27 03:56 pm (UTC)I liked it, overall. Played a bit too much for comendy at some points, and the effects seemed to be deliberately noticeable. And the whole 'will they, won't they' between The Doctor and Rose was very predictable (and a bit creepy) but yeah.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-27 04:00 pm (UTC)I liked the mix of humour - and I have to admit, I LIKED the noticibility of the effects because that was one of the charms to the original Dr Who.
What will worry me greatly is if they playup the romance factor between the doctor and Rose - that'd be just wrong.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-27 04:03 pm (UTC)(Oh, and also liked Billie;s hair).
(no subject)
Date: 2005-03-27 04:11 pm (UTC)I think the thing with the effects is we've got so used to the effects being undetectable, thanks to the likes of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, that anything where the effects DO stick out does seem a little odd. But, like I say, Dr Who without visible effects is just wrong - as the previous attempt to revive the show proved! Maybe, the real problem is that last night's story WAS so paper thin. The old series almost always had meaty plots which helped you to focus away from the effects.