Dr. Who and the Daleks

A fun adventure film that, while it may be too dated for today's youngsters, still has a certain sparkle that is perfect fare for a rainy Saturday.

While fans of the BBC series "Doctor Who" (1963), upon which the film is based, may be distracted by the film's use of creative licence (the characterizations are very different from those of their television counterparts,) if not taken too seriously, this is a quite enjoyable trek across an alien landscape and a classic battle of good vs. evil.

The character of Ian is played comically by Roy Castle though he is heroic where the situation demands. Jennie Linden's Barbara is a bit different from other females of the genre as she holds her own when things get tough, rarely dissolving into screams. Roberta Tovey is delightful as Susan, and kids will love her. Peter Cushing really shines, wisely not trying too hard to emulate his television counterpart William Hartnell, and makes the character his own.

All-in-all, an exciting romp.

The eccentric doctor Who (the always watchable Peter Cushing) takes his familiars , a little girl (Tovey) and a young woman (Jennie Linden , Women in love) along with her fiancé (Roy Castle) on a trip throughout space and time . They're transported to another world and end up on a planet inhabited by strange and peace-loving people fighting the mutants named Daleks . These are robot-like and belong to kind of war-mongering mutant creatures who have hidden their brittle bodies in armour shells . The planet has been devastated by an atomic war and they must help the humans facing the Daleks , living various adventures with creepy landscapes , spooky monsters and deep cliffs . Finally , they're wrongfully transported to Roman empire .

This is an enjoyable cinematic adaptation about the interminable British television series . The ever popular Peter Cushing is magnificent reviving his classic interpretation as Dr. Who , furthermore a beautiful Jennie Linden and a sympathetic Roy Castle . The film displays a a rare electronic music and colorful and glimmer cinematography by John Wilcox , Hammer's usual . It's followed by ¨Daleks , invasion Earth 2150 AD¨ about title mutants who are trying to take over Earth . Others Dr. Who for television in the long-running serial are Tom Baker , Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston . The motion picture is professionally directed by Gordon Fleming . He's a fine director such as ¨The split¨ about a blaxploitation heist and ¨Philby , Burgues and McLean , spy scandal of the century¨ , a chilling tale about tree of Britain's most notorious spies and ¨Daleks 2150¨ . The flick will appeal to Sci-Fi fans and juvenile public.

When visiting his girlfriend Barbara, Ian is given a tour of the TARDIS by Dr Who. However he accidentally activates it and sends them to an unknown planet. Keen to explore they find themselves prisoners in a city controlled by the Daleks. The Daleks seek to rule the whole planet and get rid of the peace loving natives. When Dr Who et al accidentally help the Daleks to achieve this, they have no choice but to work with the natives to stop the Daleks.

Made to cash in on the huge popularity mid-sixties of both Dr Who and the Daleks, this film version has much higher values than the TV show, but doesn't mean it's better. The story is weak – like an introduction to the Doctor. It's very basic and provides little opportunity for thrills – right up until the final battle. It's not that bad, but for a film you'd expect more.

The Daleks themselves are good but the film uses them badly – we see them as things trapped in a city with little power outside of their own walls. To make matters worse them seem very vulnerable and easy to beat – all you have to do is push them very hard! They also don't `do' dialogue very well – they are used several times for long scenes where they talk to each other and explain the plot to the audience, these scenes are poor as their delivery mixed with the dialogue is terrible!

Cushing makes a good doctor and is better than many of the TV incarnations. Record breaking Roy Castle is quite good as Ian, but his comedy clowning doesn't really fit in with the tone of the film. The female lead is vapid but Susan (played by Tovey) is actually pretty good.

Overall this is TV standard – fans will enjoy it but anyone looking for thrills or good plotting will be disappointed. Check out Dalek Invasion Earth – that is a much better use of these tin-can bad guys.

The first time I saw Dr Who and the Daleks, I used to cower behind the sofa every time the Daleks appeared, and the music I remembered was incredibly haunting. Seeing it again, it isn't quite as good as I remembered, but it is an entertaining and passable enough piece of nostalgia. The script lacks bite at times, the plot isn't as inventive as any of the ones used in the landmark TV series, Roy Castle and the comedy relief felt out of place and on occasions because of the overuse of pink plastic sheeting the art direction was a little on the cheap side. However, the music is very haunting, the Daleks are still as intimidating as I remembered, the pacing is fast and fun, the length is amiable and Peter Cushing is terrific as the Doctor, more serious than any of the other doctors but it suits him. The female characters are admittedly on the vapid side, but the alluring personalities of Roberta Tovey and Jennie Linden made up for it. Overall, fun and nostalgic, even with its many faults. 6/10 Bethany Cox

One night in 1968 in Los Angeles as I remember, I went to a theater in East Los Angeles because I wanted to watch a movie called "Night of the Living Dead." In those days, two movies were shown. The second feature was some film about an old man that traveled to another planet and battled against some metal creatures. It was low budget, much like the first feature but did have someone that I recognized, Peter Cushing. I had no idea that there was a TV Serial in England by the name of "Doctor Who." It was slow at times but an interesting concept of travel in time and space, a telephone box call the TARDIS. The metal beings were rather primitive because they had what look like a plunger on them and always wanted to kill and exterminate living beings. There was a sequel the next year but little did I know that this film would be my first experience into the world of Doctor Who. In Los Angeles, California 1977 on a local TV station, I would be able to watch that TV Serial and would remain a Dr. Who fan even after the series ended in 1989. It was this movie that started it all, just a quiet night, after watching zombies eating people. Who would know what the future would bring!