Frank Cottrell-Boyce's previous contribution "In the Forest of the Night" was a very hard story to evaluate - a fresh, imaginative science-fantasy that somehow completely failed to work as a Doctor Who story. However, Cottrell-Boyce is simply too good a writer for his work to be dismissed and I am very glad that he was given a second go. Although it deals with such contemporary scientific thinking such as swarm robotics (a leading proponent gives his name to the Vardy, the nanobots of the story) "Smile" is a very old-fashioned Doctor Who story - more than half of the story consists of the regulars walking around the colony making discoveries, very similar to the first episode of The Ark in Space. This means we have the odd situation where two name guest stars (Mina Anwar and Ralf Little) are there to basically only set up and resolve the plot respectively. But Cottrell-Boyce have never been one for taking the obvious route, even in a story as archetypal as this one and using the regulars as the only point of view characters is a very effective way of changing the Vardy from an inexplicable threat to a life form with rights. It must be said that the ending is a bit rushed and the conclusion has all the mechanics of a rabbit-from-a-hat ending, but is handled very well and works better when the story is viewed as a whole. We therefore have the very interesting situation of having a very human story with no real supporting characters; seemingly a defect, but actually working in the story’s favour.
As a consequence (again) we have a rather small supporting cast, but as said before, that is deliberate and is an inevitable consequence of, perhaps, the greatest triumph of the story; one of the best interactions between Doctor and companion that the programme has ever had. It is a real joy having the Doctor just show his friend the wonders of the Universe and the performances by the regulars have a sense of warmth and fun which indicates that the combination of the Doctor and Bill will be a truly winning one. Bill’s genuine sense of wonder is infectious and never descends into annoying naivety, such is the power of Pearl Mackie’s performance.
Lawrence Gough makes everything look marvellous, helped in no small way by the stunning location filming at the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, with Gough using wide shots to beautiful effect. The nature of the Vardy is excellently handled - their initial break off from the structure of the city is easily overlooked, so that the second time is hugely surprising. The emoji bots are an instantly memorable creation, both very much a 2017 concept and timeless, both cute and terrifying. The effects work complements the amazing locations and cinematographer Ashley Rowe effectively contrasts the city location with the ship location.
"Smile" shows just what a good writer can do with basic concepts and what an excellent one can do when playing with what lesser writers would regard are core foundations in scriptwriting. It seems that we are in for a lot of fun in the future.
NEXT: "Thin Ice"
Saturday, 29 April 2017
Saturday, 22 April 2017
"The Pilot"
The clanking of the robotic body of Nardole notwithstanding, it is a very sedate shot which opens Doctor Who for 2017. In fact the very first scene is based around comfort and stability. This episode is called "The Pilot", which drives home the fact that there will be a whole new group of new fans, some of whom were not born when David Tennant was the Doctor, who will be looking for a point to jump on.
Like in "An Unearthly Child" and "Rose", we get to discover the Doctor as a man of mystery. The nature of our favourite Time Lord and his time machine is revealed piecemeal as it is to the new companion and we are treated to a trip to the future, to the past (albeit a Dalek past with bonus Movellans) and even Down Under. Perhaps, in the service of this, the plot isn’t as well-developed as we are used to, but it is comprehensible and full of cool moments.
Which brings us to our new leading lady. Bill is the first companion of the Moffat era to have a perfectly normal life and not an impossible girl. She is bright, far brighter than her education level would indicate and is looking for answers to life and love in equal measure. I have loved all of the companions who have joined the Doctor this century, but I have to say that Pearl Mackie gives the most accomplished debut performance of any of them, taking Moffat’s trademark zesty dialogue and making it her own. Her reaction to the Doctor’s gift to her is brilliantly nuanced acting, where a lesser actor would have settled with tears and a hand over the mouth. Steven Moffat has never been as good at writing the commonplace as Russell T Davies, but he does it excellently here. The Doctor has been channelling his old friend Professor Chronotis in his new(ish) job and Peter Capaldi manages to make the Twelfth Doctor noticeably different from his previous appearances, yet still the same person. Matt Lucas is a bit more in the background, but he never fades into it. The supporting cast is tiny, but Stephanie Hyam still stands out as Heather, the girl with the star in her eye, with her delicate features becoming downright terrifying as she is possessed. The direction by Lawrence Gough is very accomplished and his restraint in marshalling effects is very welcome – note the giant CGI water head that chases the regulars into the TARDIS.
In the end, the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors to yet another friend with promise of greater adventures to come. The last stage of the Twelfth Doctor's tenure looks to be an enjoyable one.
NEXT: "Smile"
Like in "An Unearthly Child" and "Rose", we get to discover the Doctor as a man of mystery. The nature of our favourite Time Lord and his time machine is revealed piecemeal as it is to the new companion and we are treated to a trip to the future, to the past (albeit a Dalek past with bonus Movellans) and even Down Under. Perhaps, in the service of this, the plot isn’t as well-developed as we are used to, but it is comprehensible and full of cool moments.
Which brings us to our new leading lady. Bill is the first companion of the Moffat era to have a perfectly normal life and not an impossible girl. She is bright, far brighter than her education level would indicate and is looking for answers to life and love in equal measure. I have loved all of the companions who have joined the Doctor this century, but I have to say that Pearl Mackie gives the most accomplished debut performance of any of them, taking Moffat’s trademark zesty dialogue and making it her own. Her reaction to the Doctor’s gift to her is brilliantly nuanced acting, where a lesser actor would have settled with tears and a hand over the mouth. Steven Moffat has never been as good at writing the commonplace as Russell T Davies, but he does it excellently here. The Doctor has been channelling his old friend Professor Chronotis in his new(ish) job and Peter Capaldi manages to make the Twelfth Doctor noticeably different from his previous appearances, yet still the same person. Matt Lucas is a bit more in the background, but he never fades into it. The supporting cast is tiny, but Stephanie Hyam still stands out as Heather, the girl with the star in her eye, with her delicate features becoming downright terrifying as she is possessed. The direction by Lawrence Gough is very accomplished and his restraint in marshalling effects is very welcome – note the giant CGI water head that chases the regulars into the TARDIS.
In the end, the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors to yet another friend with promise of greater adventures to come. The last stage of the Twelfth Doctor's tenure looks to be an enjoyable one.
NEXT: "Smile"
Sunday, 16 April 2017
"The Return of Doctor Mysterio"
2016 was a very grim year on very many fronts, a grimness that was not alleviated by a new series of Doctor Who being broadcast, with the gap of exactly one year being the longest since the return of the programme. I said, when I reviewed "The Husbands of River Song" that it was a 'carefree romp'. However, although it can hardly be described as a romp, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" is, if anything, even less concerned with anything other than being thoroughly entertaining.
Initially, the fusion of the world of Doctor Who with superheroes may seem odd – the Doctor's modus operandi is defiantly different from any of the costumed crazies that Marvel, DC and the like throw at us. However, the threats they face are very similar; and this is the stage on which Steven Moffat works his magic. The main influence is, of course, Richard Donner's Superman, a film that, despite its faults, has influenced every single superhero film that followed it. There are scenes which are practically restagings of sequences from Superman, most notably the rooftop dinner scene. And, of course, we have our surrogates – a Superman, a Clark Kent and a Lois Lane. However, this is a Doctor Who story, so as well as the plucky reporter sneaking in and eavesdropping on the villains' plotting, we have the Doctor snacking on sushi, standing next to her. When the villain threatens our heroes with a gun, the Doctor suggests they be shot in the back. Of course, there is a certain metatextuality, as Superman is a known fictional character in the confines of the story, but it is unobtrusive – one can ponder about the super hero as wish-fulfillment and the ins and out of super-puberty at one's own pace.
Capaldi is as bonkers, as dashing, as funny, as powerful as he always is – it is still remarkable how much sadness he can convey through his face alone. Making a surprise return is Matt Lucas as Nardole who fills the companion's shoes very well and shows (as if we didn't know) that he can carry the drama, as well as the laughs. The Ghost himself is excellently played by Justin Chatwin who skilfully keeps the character just on the right side of parody. The very English Charity Wakefield is an unusual choice for our intrepid all-American heroine, but she brings real vibrancy to her character. As the face of Harmony Shoals, Aleksandar Jovanovic is suitably chilling as Dr Sim.
The biggest fear I had, was with the return of Ed Bazalgette. I was very unimpressed with his work in the last season, and his lacklustre work in Class didn't change that opinion. The best that I can say about him is that he doesn't mess any of the scenes up – although if you are going to use the comic panel effect, it's best not to confine in to the one scene that could fit into pretty much any drama or comedy.
This story is hugely enjoyable and, with Harmony Shoals seemingly being set up as a Big Bad (and with the similarity to the name of a character we all want to return). I am very much looking forward for the long awaited return of our favourite programme.
NEXT: "The Pilot"
Initially, the fusion of the world of Doctor Who with superheroes may seem odd – the Doctor's modus operandi is defiantly different from any of the costumed crazies that Marvel, DC and the like throw at us. However, the threats they face are very similar; and this is the stage on which Steven Moffat works his magic. The main influence is, of course, Richard Donner's Superman, a film that, despite its faults, has influenced every single superhero film that followed it. There are scenes which are practically restagings of sequences from Superman, most notably the rooftop dinner scene. And, of course, we have our surrogates – a Superman, a Clark Kent and a Lois Lane. However, this is a Doctor Who story, so as well as the plucky reporter sneaking in and eavesdropping on the villains' plotting, we have the Doctor snacking on sushi, standing next to her. When the villain threatens our heroes with a gun, the Doctor suggests they be shot in the back. Of course, there is a certain metatextuality, as Superman is a known fictional character in the confines of the story, but it is unobtrusive – one can ponder about the super hero as wish-fulfillment and the ins and out of super-puberty at one's own pace.
Capaldi is as bonkers, as dashing, as funny, as powerful as he always is – it is still remarkable how much sadness he can convey through his face alone. Making a surprise return is Matt Lucas as Nardole who fills the companion's shoes very well and shows (as if we didn't know) that he can carry the drama, as well as the laughs. The Ghost himself is excellently played by Justin Chatwin who skilfully keeps the character just on the right side of parody. The very English Charity Wakefield is an unusual choice for our intrepid all-American heroine, but she brings real vibrancy to her character. As the face of Harmony Shoals, Aleksandar Jovanovic is suitably chilling as Dr Sim.
The biggest fear I had, was with the return of Ed Bazalgette. I was very unimpressed with his work in the last season, and his lacklustre work in Class didn't change that opinion. The best that I can say about him is that he doesn't mess any of the scenes up – although if you are going to use the comic panel effect, it's best not to confine in to the one scene that could fit into pretty much any drama or comedy.
This story is hugely enjoyable and, with Harmony Shoals seemingly being set up as a Big Bad (and with the similarity to the name of a character we all want to return). I am very much looking forward for the long awaited return of our favourite programme.
NEXT: "The Pilot"
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