25 Years On – Reacting to Doctor Who The Movie

Wow, it’s hard to believe that Doctor Who The Movie has reached its silver anniversary this month. On 27 May 1996, the movie debuted on UK television screens. At the time in 1996, I vaguely remember watching it but not liking it that much. In all honesty, at that point in my life, I was feeling I had outgrown Doctor Who. I was too busy trying to discover who I was outside of being a Who geek.

The classic series had finished on such an ignoble note in 1989 after being cancelled by BBC1 controller Jonathan Powell and Head of Series Peter Cregeen. Any crumb of hope Doctor Who was going to come back as a series had vanished despite fan appeals to the BBC. The film was just so… American! I’m laughing a little at myself as unlike the later series of the classic era series diligently recorded onto blank VHS tapes the movie wasn’t relevant until I acquired the DVD as a completist for my collection.

Now after so many years and having met Paul McGann in person and being totally bowled over how utterly charming he is it feels like the right time to bring the distant cousin of the family home for a “celebratory” 25th anniversary rewatch. Cue an alcoholic beverage (only if you are over 18) some salty popcorn and dimming lights.

Movie Notes

Pre-title sequence: Red planet of Skaro and a voiceover, it’s the 8th Doctor Paul McGann speaking about the recent past, the Masters trial,

 “It was on the planet Skaro that my old enemy, the Master, was finally put on trial. They say he listened calmly as his list of evil crimes was read, and sentence passed. Then he made his last, and I thought, somewhat, curious request. He demanded that I, the Doctor, a rival Time Lord, should take his remains back to our home planet – Gallifrey.”

Paul McGann’s voice is so soft here, compared to the Night of the Doctor, reflecting his age at that point (he was 37). At the same time but he’s showing the Doctor is clever, astute. Loving the transition from the planets to staring eyes. I honestly don’t remember any of this beginning part but they aren’t wasting time introducing the audience to our two Timelords.

The Master, his face obscured, is standing on a podium with his hands bound together. Suddenly, electricity surges into him, followed by an explosion. It’s all against a black background.

Question: By what right are the Daleks giving the Master a trial? Why do the Daleks sound like Daffy Duck? I know they tried to explain it in the Big Finish Masterful audio that there was some dodgy collaboration between the Daleks and Master. 

Okay, The Doctor just accepts the request to take his remains back to Gallifrey.

The opening credits start and the theme tune is reminiscent of classic Who…

Ohhh this is an interesting interpretation of the theme tune starting in the middle. Stylistically looks very nice the coloured vortex looks beautiful. Lovely bit of piano in the theme is there to be fair.

Cutting to an old record player, the 7th Doctor is relaxing in a chair in the Tardis to a jazzy theme as things gradually go wrong. A viscous black liquid escapes from the secure box holding the Masters remains.

 Oh, oh oh Sylvester is back with longer hair the 7th Doctor is keeping true to his roots relaxing to music. It’s lovely to see Sylvester McCoy again, looking older. Everything he feels is shown in his face.

San Francisco’s Chinatown on 30 December 1999 as a gang is chasing down a young Chinese-American man. Chang Lee. The Tardis appears and the 7TH Doctor is shot as he opens the Tardis doors.

I do question why the 7th Doctor wouldn’t check the Tardis scanner as he exits in quite a jaunty way to be fair from the ship. This is so US TV with all the shoot out and Yee Jee Tso seems a bit cocky as Chang Lee. 

Later Dr Grace is running into the hospital complete with a full-length taffeta gown to the sound of Puccini and she then attempts surgery to stabilise his unusual heartbeat. “Yeah, Brian. I’m sorry! I am on call. Do you expect me to ignore it? No, Brian, don’t say that. Just wait until I get home. Brian? “

 I love the imagery of Grace running in slow motion this reminds me a bit of the title of ER. Now there was a great series of the 1990s. But seriously Grace looks like a Disney princess in that dress. Doesn’t the hospital have any scrubs she can change into? Haven’t they heard of infection control it’s meant to be a sterile environment!

Grace is confused by his strange double-heart anatomy…

Enough already of Puccini. I get it Grace is driven, smart emotional, cultured, but this music is jangling my nerves now.

She accidentally lodges a cardiac probe in the Doctor’s body “We’re dropping off fast!” (GRACE) I can’t get it out! (ANAESTHETIST) He’s flatlining! (GRACE) The probe snapped. It’s still in!

See this is what happens Doctor when you aren’t listening to the Doctor!

The 8th Doctor : No! I am not human. I am not like you!

Later the morgue assistant is watching an old black and white film version of Frankenstein’s monster brought to life as through lightning strikes “It’s alive! It’s alive! 

It’s not an accurate parallel to regeneration but I’m enjoying the horror imagery used to explain to a general audience the concept of new life and the process the Doctor goes through.

The 7th Doctor regenerates into the 8th Doctor. IT’S ALIVE! In the name of…He forces the morgue door open and wanders into an abandoned part of the hospital wondering “Who am I? “

I wonder if Sylvester had any input into the scene as he gurning all through the change and the regeneration is finished quite quickly. Paul McGann works hard to portray a forlorn and lost figure and I’m buying that. I do understand his bewilderment and confusion however I find the Jesus look and falling to his knees a tad overdramatic and self-indulgent.

The Master as a slithery creature takes over Bruce’s body over “I must find the Doctor. This body won’t last long. I need the Doctor’s body “He stares moodily out of the window.

Bruce’s wife: You don’t need a doctor. Come back to bed, honey The Master: My name is not honey.

Bruce’s wife is a bit dazed by his muscles or just dim at noticing there is something different in her husband. Eric Roberts is channelling the Terminator! She’s bonkers looking for hanky panky! Foolish woman. Just run NOW! “honey” before you can’t. OH, too late.

The Master is now at the hospital looking for the Doctor. He peels off a nail from his pinkie finger.

Cool jacket and shades Arnie, sorry Eric but ewww that’s gross!

The 8th Doctor: But it was a childish dream that made you a doctor. You dreamt you could hold back death. Isn’t that true? Don’t be sad, Grace. You’ll do great things.

Two Doctors collide as Grace meets the Doctor and his two hearts. He pulls out the cardiac probe Grace takes him to her house and convinces her he is the same man.

I love the forcefulness Paul McGann brings to the 8th Doctor. I’ve never appreciated the fierce intelligence he brings. He reveals knowledge of her future as he does later that Gareth will head the Seismology Task Force invention to design a system to predict earthquakes. I’m amazed by the honest he’s able to connect and read Grace’s character so quickly. 

Chang Lee uses the Doctor’s key to enter the TARDIS and meets the Master.

The Tardis sounds like a big warehouse and it’s a shame there’s no lingering on the wonder of Chang seeing the inside of the Tardis.

Not sure how I feel about the Master and his green eyes. He’s such a typical cartoon villain. Eric Roberts doesn’t bring any subtlety to his Master, it’s a one-dimensional performance so far and the incidental music isn’t helping.

The Doctor kisses Grace in the park.

The irony that in another ten years the Doctor will in a romance with Rose.

The Master convinces Lee to open the TARDIS and then to open the Eye of Harmony within it, which requires a human retinal scan. 

The Doctor is half-human nonsense I didn’t know the Eye of Harmony was held there. So, the Master can’t open it and needs a human eye. Hmmm, that’s convenient.

The Doctor, Grace and the Master are all in the ambulance. Grace “Doctor. He likes me to call him Doctor.” -The Master: “Freudian…- Transference.” The Doctor “At least Freud would have taken me seriously “Grace “Not if he’d met you! “

Why would the ambulance in normal circumstances take them to ITAR (San Francisco Institute of Technological Advancement and Research.)?I’m loving the dry humour in the ambulance between them. Pre-cursor to the pithy one-liner style of the new series.

The Doctor and Grace are on the motorbike together in a chase.

Grace is obviously enjoying this all really. They make an adventurous team, attractive together.

Chang Lee and the Master chasing in the ambulance. The Master – “You want me to kill you?” Chang “No! I mean, you make me laugh. You’re a funny guy.”

The Master and Chang banter is slightly flat and a bit forced.

At ITAR. “Welcome to the Institute of Technological Advancement. Professor Wagg invites you to join in celebrating the starting of the world’s most accurate timepiece – Beryllium Atomic Clock “The Doctor is revealing a secret to Professor Wagg “I’m half-human on my mother’s side” Next minute he’s at the clock face.

What a wag this Doctor is Hahahaha. Can’t take any of that, seriously can you? How did he just get to the clock without anyone noticing? Is there a tradesman’s entrance?

The Doctor and Grace discover the guards covered with the ooze-like substance.

This effect is quite good. How is the Master able to be oozy so quickly over all of them? 

The Doctor and Grace are at the Tardis and a policeman on a bike goes in the entrance and back out again.

I like this visual gag a lot. The movie forecasts some of the sillier humour that follows in the new series in David Tennant’s era. I’m thinking of the scene in Love and Monsters where Rose’s is chasing the scary monster up and down with a bucket.

“Oh, that would explain the spatial displacement we experienced as we came in.”

Really Grace! What school did you go to?

As the Doctor connects the proper TARDIS circuits to revert time before the Eye was opened and the Master remotely takes control of Holloway’s body, causing her eyes to become inhuman, and she strikes the Doctor unconscious.

I like this effect. Grace’s eyes look awesome. 

The Master appears in a long elaborate silk coat “I always DRESS for the occasion”

This is very extremely silly. I’m getting Ming the Merciless vibes (Flash Gordon) from the Master. Bruce is enjoying this too much. 

Cut to the party and the ohm mm moment from Professor 11:57.

What is going on? This movie isn’t taking itself too seriously.

The Doctor wakes to find himself chained above the Eye, the Master poised to take his remaining regenerations while Lee and Holloway watch The Doctor is able to break the Master’s control on Lee, and Lee refuses to open the Eye for the Master. 

The Master “I always DRESS for the occasion”

The battle of words for control of Lee is a bit wordy.

The Doctor “He’s wasted ALL of his lives! “The Master “- OPEN THE EYE! “ Chang Lee “- NO! You LIED to me! “

The Master Lee… Lee… I would never lie to you. I would only protect you. He kills him.

Wow. Is he really dead? I honestly don’t remember how this film ends.

A blinded Grace goes to the control room as the Master is stealing the Doctors regeneration.

The lightning effect here is working for me.

Grace is free of the Master’s control able to complete the final circuits to put the TARDIS into a time-holding pattern, preventing Earth’s destruction. Later the Doctor frees himself and attacks the Master pushing him into the Eye of Harmony. The Master pleads “You are my life “.

Ohh that’s a little stalkerish Master…. obsessive or what.

Both Chang Lee and Grace are alive again and the 8th Doctor is keen to share the wonder of space travel.

I really love how the ceiling of the Tardis becomes a scanner where they can see all of the galaxy.

Later the 8th Doctor leaves on his own. He is settling down in a chair like his predecessor.

A rather downbeat ending having the Doctor on his own but opens up for future adventures.

Conclusion:

To be completely honest though the film still falls between two stools for me. Doctor Who the Movie is a product of its time and full of atypical 1990’s American tv influences. It has a difficult job to do to grab casual viewers as it has to be interesting enough for people to want more. Although the gang shootout doesn’t feel really Doctor Who the scene with the highway patrolmen and the gun is skilfully done and I did enjoy seeing the Doctor and Grace zipping along on a motorcycle.

The pace of the story moves along but doesn’t give the side characters any real depth due to a mediocre script. Daphne Ashbrook gives a spirited performance as Dr. Grace Holloway but I don’t find her sticking in my memory long term for some reason. The romance between her and the Doctor is brief thankfully and irrelevant at the end of the day. Yee Jee Tso as Chang Lee is okay, his wise-cracking banter with the Master is entertaining enough with the suggestion I thought of some kind of superficial father/ son vibe but he’s a one-dimensional character.

The real problem is creating a credible foe in the Master. Eric Roberts is given various stock villain identities throughout and plays them adequately but really the script doesn’t grasp the Master’s persona. There are some dodgy lines from the Master. The funniest moment ever which should a GIF if it isn’t already is Eric Roberts hamming things up appearing in that long coat in the Tardis.

Watching the special features of the DVD seeing the torturous journey that as a Doctor Who fan Philip David Segal went through I do though really admire his passion to get the movie made. Paul McGann charms everyone with a thoughtful solid performance. He looks amazing. The dark jacket really works Seeing the not-so-subtle hints with the 7th Doctor reading HG Wells to the opportunities that time travels make it appropriate to have the 8th Doctor find a wild west Bill Hickock outfit for the wilderness years.

I appreciate all the money they have thrown at the production. The Tardis steampunk design set looks classically beautiful and so huge which is what it should be for a ship that is a product of trans dimensional engineering. The exterior scenes in Vancouver as Grace and the Doctor walk around look really pretty. There are loads of familiar references which we as original fans can enjoy, the Daleks are mentioned but they really have no relevance to the story, they’re jelly babies, referencing the Eye of Harmony, the sonic screwdriver linking the film to the classic era.

Looking at this story with fresh eyes, more mature eyes, it’s better than I thought. It’s positive that the movie is not a reboot and a continuation of the original series and allows Sylvester McCoy the opportunity to regenerate and end his era properly. The regeneration scene uses some interesting imagery of Frankenstein’s monster and Paul McGann takes his character seriously, plays it straight and it’s one of the real strengths of the film. He takes the movie by the scruff of the neck and makes it half decent because it is pretty formulaic otherwise as a Doctor Who story.

You can see the love though that Philip Segal wanted to give the show through a big-screen opportunity. Maybe it is a pity that Paul McGann didn’t get a series but if the tv movie had led to a US series it could have been a very different show. Maybe the Russell T Davies reboot wouldn’t have existed later. It serves its purpose bridging the classic and new series in its own strange way and maybe that’s enough.

7/10 Paul McGann polishes an average script with the conviction of his performance.