Planet of the Dead opens
with a highly effective sequence that sets the tone for this
action-packed special. Lady Christina’s robbery in the International
Museum is taut and well-choreographed; it’s a cliché, right down to the
visible laser beams (you can’t see them,
that’s kind of
the point), but a classic one that still works after seeing it a dozen
times in as many movies. Pretty much immediately we’re on the bus, again
an effective cliché, a British symbol that marks out how proudly British
this show is. While the Doctor comes initially as the loony on the bus you
pray won’t sit next to you, Lady Christina comes across as cool,
confident and in
charge from the outset. I loved the frustrated DI McMillan, played by Adam
James with some fine uptightness, and the whole chase sequence was highly
enjoyable.
Before long
we’re into the story proper, the bus being whisked to San Helios in a
flurry of effects. The decision to film in Dubai was a brilliant one;
visiting a strange country can feel like landing on another world, and the
use of the Arabian desert is far more effective than a local quarry or a
CGI vista would have been. Some subtle effects work with the three suns
completes the picture of this alien world.
All the
characters on the bus are well-acted, but top marks have to go to Ellen
Thomas as Carmen, who portrays her character with real dread and mystery.
The inclusion of a low-
level psychic (at
first I
almost thought he’d said “O-Level Psychic”) is a plot contrivance, but
it works,
highlighting areas of the plot that would otherwise easily be passed by
and adding to the sense of threat on this new world. There are some other
similarly contrived but equally effective moments - the idea of the bus
acting as a Faraday cage is a great way of
justifying its inclusion, although all it’s really there for is to create
a memorable image. The shot of the poor driver walking through the
wormhole, only to be immolated, is wonderfully gruesome and perfectly
serves to set up the marooned situation. However, I did wonder why, once
the Doctor had UNIT on the phone, he didn’t just ask them to send
through a tank or armoured car? An all-terrain vehicle of some kind,
anyway, that would be better shielded against the effects of the wormhole
and easier to manoeuvre on the sand. Even the TARDIS, sat in UNIT’s
possession, could have been sent through – although I suppose sending a
complex space-time event through a wormhole might be rather dangerous. Of
course, obvious though these ideas are, then there would have been no
story.
Much mention
must be made of Michelle Ryan as Lady Christina. Overall, I was taken by the
character; she hovered between irritating and impressive, especially as
she took charge of the situation in the early moments of the crisis, but
in general worked as a fairly well-written adventure-loving figure. Ryan’s
performance was fine, but nothing special. There wasn’t
anything wrong with
it, but it seemed a tad one-note. Still, she does the
generic-BBC-posh-bird well, and she certainly has the glamour the role
requires. The only truly poor moment for her was that god awful line where
she claims that the aristocracy are “ready for anything.” Overall,
she and the Doctor work very well together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if
she turns up again some day, in the most unexpected of locations.
David Tennant
was, as usual, on fine form here. His best moment has to be on the bus,
reassuring the lost humans that he will get them home. His asking about
their destinations was a cleverly written way of establishing trust, and
reinforces this Doctor’s character as someone who fights for the little
people. Tenant seems so comfortable in the role now it’s easy to imagine
him going on forever, which will make his farewell all the more affecting,
I’m sure.
It’s great to
see UNIT again, and the use of the wormhole to bridge the alien world and
the Earth is, once again, contrived but effective, allowing both a way
home for the characters
that is just
out-of-reach, and a method of bringing the threat closer to home for the
viewer. Noma Dumezweni is excellent as Captain Magambo, imbuing the role
with a quiet authority that is far more effective than any amount of
shouty soldier types. I can only hope this is not her final appearance in
the role.
Equally effective, to my pleasurable surprise, was Lee Evans as
Dr Malcolm Taylor. Oh,
how we groaned to hear gurning comic Evans was to
be a guest star in this episode. In
the event, he’s excellent, being both
an effective character in a practical sense, a funny source of comedy, and
an affectionate look at those fans who idolise this show and it’s
main
character. Making him scientific advisor – the Doctor’s job back in the
day – was
also a nice touch. Altogether, I loved the little references –
number 200, Tom Baker’s
debut serial Robot, Quatermass
– which
never went over the edge to intrusiveness.
Monster-wise
this episode is also a winner. The Tritovores are basic – just men with
fly-hats on – but they work well, especially their twitching mandibles and
clicky insect speech. I also like the name – Tritovore being a contraction
of detritovore, a creature that feeds off dead
or waste matter.
Technically, if they only eat faeces, they’d be coprovores, but that might
be hammering home the point a bit. Still, it makes sense to have the
creatures come to San Helios to buy the poo of a hundred million people -
a wonderfully icky idea! I also like the
fact that they
are not the villains here, although they do end up being rather
unfortunate
cannon fodder.
The Swarm, on the other hand, are truly excellent. A genuinely frightening
threat brilliantly realised. Originally I assumed they were small
creatures, but they turn out
to be huge! The
idea of their having metallic bones is fairly plausible – our bones are
partially metallic, after all – but the idea that they can generate
wormhole by flying round
a planet really,
really quickly is drivel. Still, these creatures could constitute a threat
to the
entire universe
– I somehow doubt the Doctor’s going to spend the rest of his life moving
their wormholes for them.
The final
sequences are excellent, wonderfully fun and tense. You can really believe
that Magambo will sacrifice the lives of the people on the bus for the
sake of the Earth – it’s perfectly logical, exactly the sort of tough
decision such a character would have to make.
You really have to
wonder how well they’d cope at Christmas if the Doctor wasn’t around
though. I also wonder if a new UNIT is being set up, what with Magambo
making another appearance, Malcolm being introduced, and the suggestion
that Barclay and Nathan may have a job waiting for them. All we need now
is the Brigadier to show his face. The flying
bus is utterly
silly but works brilliantly, an image that will be remembered for years
I’m sure. And this time, the Doctor/companion kiss feels entirely
appropriate.
The triumphant
return is tempered somewhat
by Carmen’s
warning of things to come. What
is returning?
Who will knock? Why are psychics so bloody cryptic? The four knocks make
me think of the Master’s drumming, and there have been rumours of his
return… then again, virtually every character to ever have appeared in the
show has been rumoured to return this Christmas.
We get a great
ending, with Christina escaping to adventure another day, but you do have
to wonder about
the morality being shown here – it’s okay to steal priceless artefacts if
it’s for fun, not profit? What a wonderful example for the kids! Really
though, the ending is exactly what this whole episode was – damned good
fun. Rather than the overblown extravaganzas we’ve come to expect for the
Christmas specials, this Easter we’ve had what amounted to a good, solid
slice of Doctor Who, which is just what I wanted.
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