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Doctor Who - Battlefield [DVD]
 
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Doctor Who - Battlefield [DVD]

DVD ~ Doctor Who
3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
RRP: £19.99
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Product details

  • Format: PAL
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 2
  • Classification: PG
  • Studio: 2 Entertain
  • DVD Release Date: 26 Dec 2008
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B001FJ5D5M
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,466 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

    Popular in this category:

    #33 in  DVD > Television > Science Fiction & Fantasy

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Sylvester McCoy era of Doctor Who tends to get a rough ride from some, but Battlefield is proof that even in some of the darker days for the show, and with the budget seemingly vanishing into thin air, it could deliver a very good story.

Penned by Ben Aaronovitch, who also scribed the underrated adventure Remembrance of the Daleks from the same era, Battlefield instantly wins favour by bringing back Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, played with his usual dignity and class by Nicholas Courtney. Along with companion Ace, they then find themselves caught up in an Arthurian adventure, with nods to Merlin, Excalibur, and the Lady in the Lake. It’s a good yarn, with an impressive monster waiting near the end. And while it does stretch the story a little thin, it’s one of the better adventures of the McCoy era.

As usual, the DVD release is really very impressive. Battlefield benefits from a packed commentary track, and a host of behind the scenes extras (that recall, among other things, the moment when a water tank shattered with Sophie Aldred still inside it). Spread across two discs, it’s a genuinely packed DVD set with many hours of extras to sort through.

But it’s the underrated main feature that remains the star attraction, and while Battlefield isn’t vintage Doctor Who, it is a whole lot better than the assorted naysayers would have you believe. Well worth picking up. --Simon Brew

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Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
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 (6)
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 (5)
2 star:
 (4)
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 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars "...I'm getting a little tired of hearing about your mother.", 24 Dec 2008
By Hector Lerbioz (London) - See all my reviews
  
Watching BATTLEFIELD is a frustrating experience, even if like me, you're a die-hard fan of the Sylvester McCoy stories. Despite the excellent idea of having a sci-fi spin on the Arthurian legend; despite great performances from Angela Bruce, Nicholas Courtney and especially Jean Marsh; despite some good lines, the occasional good joke and some impressive visuals (considering the show's budgetary restrictions), the story has to be considered an interesting failure.

From the disc's extras one can see that there was a far better, (possibly extraordinarily good) story buried under what was actually transmitted. The original ending which involved the Brigadier's death would have ensured that viewers would not have forgotten BATTLEFIELD for a long time. Writer Ben Aaronovitch claims he was forced to introduce an extra episode to his original 3-part story and perhaps this is why the final episode seems not to have a satisfying climax - it's always seemed to me to be a very poorly thought out denouement to have UNIT "lock up" Morgaine and Mordred. Is a conventional prison really going to pose any problem at all to an extra-dimensional sorceress who can blast down helicopters and drain people's memories? Examine the plot in detail and it falls apart.

For this viewer though, BATTLEFIELD's biggest flaw is one of tone. The script can't quite decide whether it wants to be comic, heroic or tragic. What are we to make of the relationship between Ancelyn and Bambera for instance? It's difficult to be either touched or amused by a relationship that seems to be based on them beating the living daylights out of one another(and other people). The script also seems to have difficulty deciding whether to pitch itself at an adult or a child audience. In light of the fact that there are some good lines here, I wince at some of the things some of the characters are given. For instance, would Bambera, a tough, professional soldier, really say something as absurdly camp as "I'm putting you under arrest - you and your freaky friends!"?

The problem of tone also rears its head in the performances. Sylvester McCoy occasionally veers towards overacting. We learn from the extras that the idea worked out between McCoy and director Michael Kerrigan in this story was that during this story the Doctor is internally battling with human violence which is "infecting" him somehow. While it's an interesting notion it simply doesn't work on screen because there's not enough in the script to support it. What we see is McCoy gurning rather absurdly for what seems like no particularly good reason. On the occasions when McCoy is quiet and subdued, the Doctor is far more the powerful, enigmatic figure he should be. Christopher Bowen could also have benefitted from underplaying his role...

Keff McCulloch's not terribly attractive incidental score also reinforces the idea that we're watching a children's programme and that adults shouldn't bother. And this is a real shame because there are a few scattered moments where BATTLEFIELD is genuinely magical. These are mainly the quieter, more understated scenes such as the Doctor's examining the scabbard for the first time in episode 1, but Jean Marsh is nothing short of magnificent (she's helped by having strikingly piercing eyes) and holds the viewers' attention by allowing the character to be multi-layered and not just a generic villain. She's the star of the story by light years.

The SPECIAL EDITION of BATTLEFIELD on the 2nd disc with extra scenes and added CGI effects is slicker and edited a little better than the transmitted version, but the differences are cosmetic and does little to dispel my misgivings.

The extras are of the usual high standard with the Aaronovitch/Cartmel interview especially interesting and illuminating a lot of the aspects of the tale that might have remained obscure to the casual viewer. The Jean Marsh interview is also worth a look and gives an extra insight into why her performance in BATTLEFIELD is so good.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Remember Badon and my mighty arts, 16 April 2009
By S. Bentley "stuarthoratiobentley" (North Yorkshire) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
In the commentary for the televised version of Battlefield, Sophie Aldred points out that young people are often the ones who enjoy Battlefield most. Based on Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch's contributions, writers of Doctor Who like it least - though their ire is aimed mostly at poor direction of action and the design falling short of the writer's imagination. Several elements are fixed in the second disc's special edition of the story but it does not cut down Christopher Bowen's insane laughter as Mordred.

But there is a lot to like about Battlefield. The performances, on the whole, are great, played with gusto and a great sense of fun by all involved. The script has many great moments in it, from Bambera and Ancelyn's fights/romance to the Brig's self-sacrifice to the Doctor using time to his advantage. The design of the Destroyer is pretty fabulous and the basic concept of warriors from another dimension inspiring the Arthurian mythos and the Doctor's involvement in that dimension adds what could have been an interesting new layer to the Who mythos. Yes, as usual for Who, it could have done with twice the budget, but squint a little, you'll be fine.

There is much to enjoy in the extras too as the documentaries reveal how production warps a script.

For an adventure filled with magic, humour and action, it's hard to think of another Who story that quite matches Battlefield. I hope Mr Moffatt seriously thinks about getting Mr Aaronovitch to pen a tale for the Eleventh Doctor.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Last Battle, 27 Mar 2009
By Binro The Heretic "mattieboyz" (Hillsborough, Sheffield) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)      
It's interesting to read the differing opinions here but I have to say that a lot of reviewers seem to be missing the point. As a lifelong Doctor Who fan I can understand other fans becoming frustrated through seeing 'our show' lose its way and gain some of the pantomime aspects that plagued its later years. However, the programme has always (in its classic years anyway) had an extremely limited budget and relied instead upon wit, imagination and great characters. While Battlefield can sometimes seem to be an incoherent mess with gratuitous SFX and hammy performances, it is still good colourful escapism and contains flashes of greatness. Jean Marsh's accomplished turn as the witch queen Morgaine, Nick Courtney reprising his role as the Brigadier with style and panache, and the awesome Destroyer, are the highlights here, whilst McCoy's constant bellowing of 'Aaaaaace!' and the confusing and ill-conceived relationship between Brigadier Bambera and the knight Ancelyn, are the low-points.

All this aside, I enjoyed the DVD as much as I'd enjoyed the original transmission in 1989 as a callow 16 year old; the action rarely lets up, there are some typical Doctor Who moments (the UNIT soldier being turned to dust by Morgaine) and it has a cosy and familiar feel for the nostalgists amongst us. As for 'that' maniacal laughter; since when was Doctor Who not hammy and over the top? Embrace our show for what it is, warts and all.

As Sophie Aldred says in the excellent DVD extra 'Storm over Avallion', "it was the kids who told me they loved this story". In the same feature, Marcus Gilbert who played Ancelyn and Angela Bruce who played Brigadier Bambera, clearly had a great time filming the serial and their anecdotes and gentle digs at one another make for great viewing. There is also a fascinating if over-egged feature entitled 'Watertank', which tells the story of how Sophie Aldred narrowly escaped serious injury when the glass front of the water tank she was in cracked then shattered - pouring water onto a studio floor littered with live cables. An interview with writer Ben Aronovitch offers insight into the creative process, and Ben's candour when talking about his least favourite script is refreshing, if a little harsh.

Jean Marsh, who played Morgaine, and who is still looking fantastic 20 years on appears in the 'Making of' feature, proving once again that despite his flaws, Producer John Nathan-Turner had a real talent for attracting great actors to the show.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars I wish it wasn't but sorry i think this is Rubbish
I remember being mightliy disappointed by this back in 1989 but as a dutiful life-long fan, I bought in on DVD and decided to give it a go with an open mind. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Mr. D. Kidd

4.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best From The McCoy Era!
I remember first seeing this story on TV in 1989, when I was about 8. By this time Doctor Who was really suffering from poor audiences and poor stories, but after watching this... Read more
Published 28 days ago by R. Mier

2.0 out of 5 stars No wonder it got cancelled so soon after
As a huge fan of the Pertwee and Tom Baker eras, I bought this to see dear old Nicholas Courtney in action as the Brigadier one last time. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. J. Irwin

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally on DVD
Battlefield is without question the worst story from season 26 of Doctor Who (the final of it's original run). Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jimmy Lovesey

1.0 out of 5 stars Often naff, always confusing
Battlefield is both cringeworthy and tiresome viewing. It's not without its good points - the idea of incorporating the Merlin/King Arthur legend into Doctor Who is interesting;... Read more
Published 2 months ago by The Goose Loose

5.0 out of 5 stars "Who said i was playing Chess, I'm Playing Poker....and i have an Ace up myself!"
BATTLEFIELD is one of the best Doctor who adventures ever and has a nice little storyline in it.

also it is one of the shows over this season of Doctor Who that shows... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Martin

4.0 out of 5 stars battle between the worlds
battlefield was the first story in the 26th season of doctor who, made in 1989. this was to be the last season of the show before it vanished from our screens for so long. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Paul Tapner

4.0 out of 5 stars Battling for Survival
By this stage, Doctor Who was fighting for its on-screen survival and the perennial budgeting problems were reaching crisis point. Read more
Published 5 months ago by JA Fairhurst

4.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful surprise!
I had completely forgotten this little gem from the McCoy/Aldred era. I really enjoyed their time together on the show and thought I'd remembered all my favourite bits. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Torchy

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
What is with the unenthusiastic reviews? This is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories ever. The standards of production and acting are very high and so the whole thing holds up... Read more
Published 6 months ago by S. Denton

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