The Five Doctors (1983)
This is going to be tough one to blog/review! But feel for the writers who had to add as many cast as possible for this anniversary classic! Somebody seems to be getting a pleasure out of kidnapping The Doctors former selves throughout Time & Space & The Fifth Doctor seems to feel it. The 2nd Doctor thinks The Brigadiers replacement is also as unpromising as the (3rd Doc), plus, U.N.I.T. has redecorated, "don't like it."
They get kidnapped , as does the 3rd Doctor, as does the 4th, almost. The kidnapper screwed up as did Tom Baker which he admits to, years later, just a tad too late?! Then there's Sarah-Jane Smith & K9. Yes, he tried to warn you even when he mentioned The Doctor, but did you listen? Que kidnap by a flying Tolbarone. Que The 1st Doc's Grand-Daughter & himself being chased in your not-so traditional corridor by an angry Dalek. You've gotta love tradition (?)
Someone's missing!
What we get here is an interestingly groovy mish-mash. The casual viewer will get bored to death with the Timelord politics/beaurocacy. Having said that, we get The latest incarnation of The Master & The Timelords are offering him not just amnesty, but new regenerations. The Masters response (before the Regeneration offer anyway) "What make's you think I want your forgiveness?" The Regeneration offer shuts him up & makes him listen!
They want him to rescue The Doctor, all of them, with a bicycle bell for company. He accepts! I guess the offer was too irresistible to turn down. The Doctors obviously don't trust him & he suffers as a result, as a prisoner of the Cybermen. Suddenly you're their loyal servant, Master?!
We get lots of fab monsters from the past, at each others throats. But the most original is the The Raston Warrior Robot (original to this one!) which seriously whacks a platoon of Cybermen! Practically a NINJA against the Cybermen! One of the poor Cyborgs vomits as it's dying, & the poor surviving Cyberman gets it's head lobbed off by the Robots mere hand!!
The 2nd Doctor & The Brigadier get chased by a (robot) Yeti. & we find out after lots of silly nonsense that a former mentor of The Doctors is responsible for recreating the Death Zone, that's cruel tournament fun for Ancient Timelords, Borusa. He wants Immoratlity over all else & he loses it to Rassillon in the form of a nice statue. Right, now to my blog part.
The Timelord politics will grate on the uninitiated, but it appeals to this blog/geek. What we truly love is seeing our former hero's & tons of monsters! I LOVE the seeing both The 2nd & 3rd Doctor sparing, off yet again.... As mentioned, we're tons of monsters, 'specially the Cybermen. Of course, their 'renaissance', & yet, they keep getting their butts whiped! One surviving Cyber-Leader literally thinks that he can conquer Gallifrey all by himself until The Master 'changes his mind'. Seriously, the Cybermen don't rule here! Silly Borusa has the nerve to order, the Companions to shut up under hypnosis, but it has no effect the "brilliant" Brigadier, The Brigadier also gets to relive nostalgia punching The Master!
Feel for the writers, they had to add so much for the 30th Anniversary! Credit is where credits due. We've got a genius monster-mash of an adventure, here. The late William Hartnel is played by Richard Hurdnal. You want lots of monsters 'specially Cybermen, you've got it! We get a cameo of Sarah-Jane with K9, a beautiful scene! The problem was adding so many Classic characters, yet, they did it!
WORST OF ALL, NO FOURTH DOCTOR!!
Stewart aka Borgduck
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