Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Doctor Finds Love And Human Sacrifice, 28 Jun 2005
Thoroughly enjoyable romp into one-take early Sixties British television and a valuable, immaculately presented document of all the elements that made Dr Who one of most popular programmes of the period. Hartnell's Dr Who is severe, pompous, self-involved, distracted, an old genius on the verge of dementia. It's a brilliant characterisation, partly originating in Hartnell's own declining health as well as the scripts and his performance. Hartnell's constant fluffing of lines and cues, rarely reshot within a budget conscious BBC, adds to the realism of his character. Yet he is able to be subtle as well. Consider the way he romances the old Aztec woman to get the blueprint for the pyramid where the TARDIS is trapped. She falls in love with him, and the old bugger is flattered. More than anything else(getting the plans, his feelings for her, for example), he's still got that ability to attract women. For an episode and a half he struts like a peacock, and it's priceless.Apart from Hartnell the acting is variable to say the least, especially from his erstwhile companions. However, John Ringham as Tlotoxl is a highlight. Basically, he does Oliver's Richard III. He's hilarious while, at the same time, curiously appropiate. He develops the intrigue of the complex and morally ambiguous plot which explores the fallacy of an outsider(in this case, Barbara) interfering with an established culture. The intelligence of Dr Who's scripts obviously contributed to its broad audience. The DVD has some excellent features, notably the documentary 'Remembering the Aztecs', and the digital remastering of the original material is superb. Not just history or nostalgia, but genuinely engaging television for a 21st century audience.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Aztecs- A Sacrifice Worth Making!, 22 Jan 2006
This episode is truly amazing! I'm sure that you are aware that most Doctor Who fans will tell you that the Black & White episodes of Doctor Who are absolute classics. Well they'd be right! This is not ONLY a black & white episode; it stands out. Everything except the effects proclaims this as an amazing feast, and I can proudly say that this is THE best b&w episode ever!This episode is unique in that one of the companions, Barbara, gets the main plot. However, every other companion gets their own sub-plot which doesn't support the main plot, it is a fascinating experience in itself. The acting is the best acting ever seen on Doctor Who. The effects do not impress much, but don't forget that you can't expect too much in that department from B&W episodes. At least the BBC didn't try out too much, so the effects aren't bad, they're just not impressive. What is interesting is that, although this story is based purely on history (i.e. no futuristic or alien elements) it is still fantastic! You don't need to be a fan of Doctor Who to enjoy this. If you are a first-time buyer, this should be a strong contender, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, as I'm sure most fans will agree that this is AMAZING! BUY IT!!!
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27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From the Golden Age of Civilisation (and Television Too), 31 Jul 2002
The Aztecs is an interesting footnote in terms of television's longest continuously running television series in that it reflects the original ethos of series' producer Verity Lambert to produce a show that entertained and educated (truly in the spirit of the BBC). Indeed these stories (which also included 'The Romans' and 'The Reign of Terror' are a world apart from the Doctor Who we tend to recognise with bizarre other-worldly creatures or clanking killer dustbins.
The plot of this story centres around the TARDIS landing in pre-conquistador Aztec territory and becoming embroiled in an internecine conflict of interest amongst the elders of the Aztec settlement. The TARDIS crew are also torn by their superior knowledge that could easily help the feudal Aztecs to better themselves, but do they do so and risk changing the future?
This story is a delightfully intriguing and entertaining step away from Who territory and poses more thoughtful questions for the viewer. Though after forty odd years the stock BBC sets do look a little creaky, it doesn't detract too much from a tour de force of recalcitrant grandfather that was the hallmark of William Hartnell's Doctor. A shame that barely two years later the choice would be made squarely to move away from historical drama's to purely Cybermen and Dalek based antics...
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