Hi I'm Sparkymarky from a small village in Norfolk who loves reading,playing ps2 games and cooking.I...
Hi I'm Sparkymarky from a small village in Norfolk who loves reading,playing ps2 games and cooking.I'm 32,married and work as a chef and love writing reviews so others can enjoy what I enjoy-sharing the pleasure around.....
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Volume Two of Doctor Who's first re-imagined season opens up with The Doctor and Rose returning to earth after a supposed 12 hours have passed only for Rose to then discover that in actual fact 12 months have passed. Her mum thought something bad must have happened to her and Rose's boyfriend, Mickey, was allegedly taken into custody on suspicion of bumping her off!!! So begins the first two-parter of the series, entitled ALIENS OF LONDON, with Rose frantically trying to explain away her absence without sounding like a total loony.....
Its okay though because before you know it, an alien spaceship has nose-dived into the Thames after crashing into Big Ben and suddenly everyone's attentions are focused elsewhere... the British goverment appears to resort to a shambles and only the presence of The Doctor's old allies, UNIT, are able to restore any medium of calm. But it soon becomes clear that all is not as it seems and that the upper echelons of parliament have been infiltrated by a race of beings who call themselves Slitheen. As is standard fare for this show, only The Doctor can save the day but this time around, he may need a little help from an unexpected source......
This episode
and it's follow-up, WORLD WAR THREE, although not weak, are far from the strongest of stories this season. The Slitheen too are hardly scary and, with their comedic fart noises that they make when disguised as human, seem almost to be played just for laughs. They wouldn't look out of place in a kids show and indeed featured later on in their own story in the childrens spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures, which aired on CBBC. People may have criticised Russell.T.Davies for his Adipose aliens in the first episode of the most recent fourth season but, for me, the Slitheen are a far sillier villan. Only the subtle satire of the recent war on Iraq that is evident here redeems this story from farce and it is a testament to RTD that even the silliest of episodes is still able to convey a message, however highly veiled it might be.
The real highlight and stand-out story of this disc is the final episode, DALEK, in which The Doctor finds himself, Rose and the Tardis being pulled towards Utah, 2012 by a mysterious beacon. Upon arriving, the pair find themselves in an alien museum owned by eccentric billionaire, Henry van Statten (whose code-name is BAD WOLF ONE), who has spent his life collecting alien artifacts including the head of an original-style Cyberman in a sly homage to the original series. His real prize however, and the gem of his collection, is the last ever surviving Dalek which fell to earth after The Time War which decimated Gallifrey, The Doctor's homeworld.
Only The Doctor knows just how dangerous the "Metal-Tron" actually is but of course no-one will believe him. Determined to make it talk, Van Statten has resorted to torturing his prize possession and when he realizes that The Doctor too is an alien and that he and The Dalek are acquainted, he does not hesitate to turn his attentions instead to The Timelord..... Meanwhile, Rose makes the mistake of touching The Dalek, which absorbs her DNA, and before you know it, The Dalek breaks loose and that really sets the cat amongst the pigeons....
Showing a very different and more vulnerable side to The Daleks, Russell.T.Davies has cleverly re-invented one of Doctor Who's oldest villans and given them a make-over for a new generation. The story is one of the most moving of the series and is enough reason to buy this disc on it's own!! Whilst the Slitheen stories almost show why it's probably best to buy the complete series in a box-set rather than in individual volumes, this episode is so groundbreaking that it almost cries out for you to buy this disc!! Not only does RTD set the scene for future Dalek episodes but he also succeeds in making the viewer actually feel sympathy for what is basically a race of unhuman killing machines. It is also a prime example of just how cold Eccelston's Doctor has become following the destruction of his planet and again demonstrates Rose's purpose as his companion and indeed why he chose her to come along; she is there to ground him and to restore to him some of the humanity he has lost. Never more than here has it become more evident that the humour he so readily displays in other episodes is a mere defence mechanism. Basically we learn much more about this mysterious Timelord and more about The Timewar we have evidently missed between regenerations.
Again theres no extras but then thats no great loss; after an episode like DALEK, you don't really need to see anymore and the lack of extras gives you time to breathe, to clear your thoughts and consider what you have just watched in silence. Shortly before making yourself a cup of tea and then sitting down for the next volume.....
Summary: The first sight of future prime-minister, Hilary Jones.....and more BAD WOLF also on dooyoo
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Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
It was always going to be a risk for the BBC to revampDoctor Who--few television ... more
programmes inspire as much rabid and cultish adoration. With the 2005 series, however, the BBC have really outdone themselves. Their updatedDoctor Whois a revelation: a cu...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
It was always going to be a risk for the BBC to revampDoctor Who--few television ... more
programmes inspire as much rabid and cultish adoration. With the 2005 series, however, the BBC have really outdone themselves. Their updatedDoctor Whois a revelation: a cu...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
ALIENS OF LONDONThe Doctor takes Rose home. But when a spaceship crash lands in the ... more
Thames, London is closed off and the whole world is on Red Alert. While the Doctor investigates the alien survivor, Rose discovers that her home is no longer a safe hav...
The new series of Doctor Who features Christopher Eccleston as the re-incarnated Doctor ... more
and Billie Piper as his trusty sidekick Rose. Episodes comprise: 4. Aliens Of London (I): The Doctor takes Rose home. But when a spaceship crash-lands in the Tha...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Doctor Who: Series 1 - Volume 2 [DVD] [2005]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78507244.jpg "Doctor Who: Series 1 - Volume 2 [DVD] [2005]")
Aug 20th, 2008
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