Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good middling story, 21 Aug 2008
THE FIRST STORY Peter Davison recorded shows the awkwardness of the new regulars as they try to settle in. The younger cast (presumably brought together to invest a fresh, innocent quality back into the series after the more mature Doctor/Romana relationship of the year before), are a mixed bunch. Davison is instantly appealing, even if he lacks some of the otherworldly edge needed for the role and Janet Fielding has real potential. Sadly, Sarah Sutton's Nyssa is too dull and mannerly to set the screen alight, while pudding-bowl-haired boy genius Adric got on everyone's three-penny bits!
Nevertheless, following a stilted first episode, this emerges as an intriguing tale. The mood and narrative style are reminiscent of the show's earliest days but the concepts are very contemporary (for 1982). Stratford Johns is a wonderfully charming villain and his schemes are both engaging and barking mad. There is wit rather than all-out clowning and the design is gorgeous to boot. Not a story to illicit the panning it has received by others here, or great acclaim either - it's a diverting, middling episode with some interesting ideas and perhaps best if - like me - you watched it go out as a kid where the rush of nostalgia is as powerful as for anyone old enough to remember earlier years and equally influential on one's opinion.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Some nice elements but mixed in with a fair bit of filler, 27 Sep 2008
Barcode: 5014503243128
I have always liked Peter Davison's Doctor so to go back and see where it all began for him was certainly an interesting experience. Four To Doomsday is most definitely a mixed bag, but I found much to enjoy in this story, even if it did come in inconsistent bursts.
In terms of the look and feel of the episode, with a new Doctor and a new season, the BBC was obviously keen to impress and as a result we are treated to some very nicely designed sets. Four To Doomsday sees the show at its most Sci-Fi, ideas of technology and intelligence forming a crucial part of the story. But as nice as these elements are, certainly from the first part of this serial you get an overriding feeling that there's just something slightly lacking when compared to other stories of the era.
For starters - and this isn't necessarily a bad thing - but this is a very wordy serial. There is a lot of dialogue, some of it getting pretty deep and at times the story can feel more like a lesson in morality, philosophy and science than an episode of Doctor Who. There are moments when this is done well and it is here that this episode really succeeds, but equally there is a lot of filler too.
The whole thing flows along nicely but nothing much really happens in episode 1 and for much of episode 2. Then we get episode 3 which shows real potential, the tension and drama of the story suddenly being turned right up as all the plot elements slide into place. We get treated to some wonderful bits of dialogue here and for a while it looks like everything is building to an epic finale but then sadly things drop off again in episode 4. So, episode 3 is without a doubt the best of the four, if anything, worth it alone for when Tegan gets angry at Adric and knocks him out.
The companions are interesting in this story, growing into their roles - I've always loved Davison's classic `TARDIS team' as I think it gave a real element of youthful energy to the show. As is standard with the three companions, because of the complexities of giving them all parts to play in the story, all three get sidelined at various moments - Nyssa getting hypnotised, Adric being knocked out and Tegan trying to figure out how to fly the TARDIS. Equally though, all get their chance to shine too, oh, and who knew Tegan could draw so well?
In terms of the villains, the costumes of the Urbankans isn't the best, coming across like a mix between a cabbage and a frog, but Stratford Johns is fantastic with his charming yet egotistical Monarch and his self indulgent banter is a delight to listen to, and along with his creepy assistants Enlightenment and Persuasion, this trio inject much needed gravitas into this story.
Their bizarre fascination with the failings of `flesh' beings is quite unnerving and adds to an overall sinister feel to this story - a sense of sterile conditions populated by `androids' who have settled into a mindless monotony lasting thousands of years. It sent a chill down my spine as the Greek philosopher reveals his true form, holding up the computer chip and declaring `This is me' - great cliffhanger.
Without a doubt the worst element of this story is the ridiculous 'entertainment' room/variety show thing. It's used to pad out a fair bit of the story and ultimately just looks and sounds a bit of a mess and doesn't really mesh fully with the feel of the rest of the serial. In regards to the whole space-walk sequence, again, a nice idea but sadly the effects just don't cut it. Another disappointment was the way the ending comes around far too suddenly, before you know it Monarch is defeated in a flash and everything is resolved.
In terms of extras, as well as the standard commentary you also get some raw studio footage and an interview with Peter Davison but is quite lacking compared to what's on offer on other Doctor Who DVD releases. I'd really like to give this story five stars as there are some really nice elements to it, moments that just remind you why you love Doctor Who so much, but these are scattered in with a lot of filler and ultimately this story's inconsistency lets it down a lot it, and as a whole it just isn't strong enough to warrant a top rating. That said, it's still worth a watch, just maybe see some of Davison's other stories first.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
For the slow of thinking...., 14 Sep 2008
2Entertain are releasing all the Doctor Who stories currently available.The key word there is "all".As in "all".Everyone of.That includes the good,the bad and the occasional ugly.Four To Doomsday may indeed fall into that category but it has to be released at some point.There are a limited number of Hartnell/Troughton episodes available and they need more restoration,so they are obviously going to be released less frequently than the later stories.Buy or don't buy.That is the question....
Four To Doomsday is a decent story,let down by the inadequacy both of FX available,and of the people in charge at the time of production.But the story is better than the criticism usually aimed at it would have you believe.Peter Davison's Doctor is clearly still finding his feet in his predecessor's somewhat sizeable shoes.Which is entirely understandable.The tale seems burdened by the presence of the three companions,which is two too many,at times events seemingly occuring just to provide them with something to do(Tegan attempting to steal the Tardis most obviously)which,as much as anything,distract from the plot.
Speaking of the plot,it's not hugely original,and reminds me in places of The Ark,a early William Hartnell story,which has yet to reach the shelves on DVD(hint hint).Alien invasion of Earth is nothing new,yet Four to Doomsday puts it's own spin on the premise,which while never ingenius,gives enough original moments to stand out on it's own,for better or for worse!.Monarch may not have become an icon such as Daleks or Cybermen,but i'm not going to forget Stratford Johns as a life-size frog!
They tried,and did at times fail.But they tried.And at the end of the day,thats why i love the show.And it's also why i like Four To Doomsday.It's one of those stories that reminds me why i love the show.Because even when it's not great,it's good.What more can you ask for?
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