Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Well I have to say, I was overall disappointed, because there was a thicker plot and more tension and emotion in Night of the Doctor than this movie. The regeneration scene was unnecessarily long, it took even longer than that for the main plot to begin advancing, and there was little to develop characters other than the 8th Doctor himself. That said, I did find Grace Holloway compelling, I just think that more could've been done to establish who she was. Too much of the plot did seem to simple, we never got to see the Doctor play the detective or outsmart his enemies, what he had to do was obvious. I guess I'm being a bit harsh, there wasn't anything particularly bad about this movie, it just seemed empty. Part of the problem was that I'd actually seen Night of the Doctor (a 7min episode featuring Paul McGann made in 2013) which is among Steven Moffat's best work, if not one of the best Dr. Who stories. Because of that I was expecting more from McGann.That said I don't blame him, he was easily the best think about this movie, it just seemed the empty plot didn't really provide him with much of a chance to be Doctory. He still conveyed what you'd expect of any Doctor in his situation, just that he didn't get to show of his intellect because there was no cause to out-think his opponent. I found some of the concepts irritating, like the Doctor being half human (I know it's a cliché to say that) which didn't really add things to the plot. I didn't really like the concept behind the eye of harmony either. I didn't mind too many of the other Americanisms and if the plot was less bloated I think it would've been interesting to see a different style of Doctor Who, as the show does need to change to remain interesting. That said the chase scenes were boring and there wasn't much tension until the last 10 minuets of the show.Interestingly, it was actually shorter than the standard cumulative runtime of a classic who story (4 25min episodes = 1:40 while the movie was 1:24)

When it was announced in the mid nineties that Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989 after twenty six years, was making a return, this time as a co- production between the BBC and the American Network Fox, it can be understandable that some fans were a little hesitant over what would happen to the show if it was being developed by an American network. Would the TV film retain the shows British quality, but at the same time introduce the show to an American audience in an appropriate manner? the answer is- yes... and no. the film ultimately failed in America due to poor ratings and as a result no series followed. however the film was a success in the UK. despite there being some flaws to this film and reception amongst fans being divided, this film works as a decent continuation of where the series left and in my opinion, one of Doctor Who's finest moments.Many fans will notice the large shift of quality between this film and the original series. the film has big budget special effects which looked pretty good for the time, the new design of the Tardis interior is very well made and its influence on the later interior designs in the revived series can be seen. the soundtrack is composed by Hollywood composer, John Debney, who later goes on to score the soundtrack for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Debney does a great job in creating the intensity of the film, and his new arrangement of the shows iconic theme (originally composed by Ron Grainer) is also very well done. I also like the inclusion of the seventh doctor, Sylvester McCoy, (despite the fact that he is only in it for the regeneration scene fifteen minutes in). Paul McGann, who plays the eighth incarnation of the Doctor, does a fantastic job and it is kind of a shame that he only got to play the Doctor once. as a result, McGann's time as the eccentric time traveller was very brief, but very good.now lets look at the flaws of this film. the first thing is the story and more importantly the continuity. there is far too much of it, about a minute in, were already hearing about the Daleks, Skaro, the Time Lords, Gallifrey and also the Tardis. this will be fine for fans of the series, but this film was also an attempt to introduce the show to a more mainstream American audience, who would not understand any of these concepts, and as a result, it would lead to a large amount of confusion. there are also a lot of unnecessary concepts that have been added to the film, such as the idea of the Doctor being half human, which doesn't work for the character at all and is an example of the Americans trying to be a little bit too clever. the story itself is actually pretty mediocre and there isn't anything scene stealing from any of the actors. if you compare this story to any of the doctors previous adventures, there is an awful lot to be desired. another problem is the regeneration from the seventh doctor, into the eighth. in the past, the doctor has died and been resurrected in another form, in a more heroic fashion. the doctor getting shot by a triad is a real let down and Sylvester McCoy did deserve to go out more heroically. the inclusion of the regeneration scene is another example of poor continuity. another problem I have is Eric Roberts as the Master. in the original series, the Master is portrayed as being a sort of evil magician and hypnotist. in this, Roberts plays him more like an over the top action villain, and on top of that, his appearance makes him look like a rip of the terminator. this idea and the appearance is simply all wrong for the character and Roberts is clearly miscast.Doctor Who the Movie might have failed to revive the series, but it is still an enjoyable, if not flawed return of a truly iconic series. it represents what an American version would have been like and it serves as a good continuation of where the series left of. I am glad it wasn't picked up for a series because if it was, we probably wouldn't have the 2005 revived series that is still continuing to this day. anyone that is a fan of Doctor Who, should definitely see this film, it might not be what you would expect from Doctor Who, but it is still decent nonetheless.

The TV Movie: the one attempt to relaunch the series between the original series ending in 1989 and the new series beginning in 2005. So long remembered as Paul McGann's one TV appearance as the Doctor or as that time the Americans ruined Doctor Who, the TV Movie was written off for a long time. It also faded into obscurity for many US fans due to the rights issues between the BBC and Universal kept it from receiving first a VHS and then later a DVD release. With the DVD finally out and with the TV Movie's profile rising again, perhaps we can finally see it for being more then the single televised adventure of the eighth Doctor but also the comeback that should have been.Perhaps the biggest highlight of the movie is that contains Paul McGann's debut as the eighth Doctor. Some of the actors who've played the Doctor have found their feet after some time, others almost immediately and it would seem that McGann is one of the latter. From the moment he appears walking out of a morgue in a shroud to the last scene in the TARDIS, McGann embodies everything the Doctor should be: eccentric, intelligent, melancholic at times yet be an all around watchable and likable character. The American setting in fact highlights the eccentric qualities of McGann's performance even more. Perhaps the greatest shame of the TV movie is that this would be McGann's sole Doctor Who TV appearance.There's also a good supporting cast backing him up. Playing the companion is Daphne Ashbrook as Dr. Grace Holloway who goes from a simple operation into an adventure with the fate of the world at stake. It helps that McGann shares some fine chemistry with her and the movie shines whenever they're together. Ashbrook also makes Grace's back and forth swapping about whether or not to believe the Doctor work despite the fact that it makes very little sense. There's also Yee Jee Tso as Chang Lee who does a adequate job due in what seems due in large part to the script rather than his skills as an actor. Not forgetting of course Sylvester McCoy's all too short appearance as the seventh Doctor in the opening minutes either though his appearance seems rather unnecessary and potentially over complicates the film for anyone seeing Doctor Who for the first time (something that this TV Movie was supposed to be for).Which rather brings us to Eric Roberts as the Master. I mus confess that I am in two minds about Roberts' performance. There are times when he is actually quite sinister such as the scene when he initially meets Chang Lee in the TARDIS. Yet for the most part, Roberts is over the top at every possible occasion such as the "I always dress for the occasion!" line for example. The Roberts Master then is sinister yet over the top but whether that helps or hurts the film is left up to the individual viewer to decide.The production values could easily rival anything that the new series has yet produced. Of particular mention is the music of composer John Debney's score, the first time that Doctor Who had gotten the feel of having a full orchestral score including the excellent version of the Doctor Who Theme used in the opening and closing credits. The design of the TARDIS interior with its Gothic/Jules Verne, almost steam punk, feel is also of note. There is also the superb direction of Geoffrey Sax throughout the entire movie which does its best to ride the fine line between the Britishness of the series and the American setting, something in which it sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn't.Which leads to the script. For something that was meant to be the launch of an American co-produced Doctor Who TV series yet is is seemingly continuity heavy. Within the first few minutes for example the viewer has the Master, the Daleks, regeneration, the TARDIS and two different Doctors being thrown at them. The movie itself works well with its mix of humor and a good vs evil storyline as the plot heads towards the Millennium (remember this was shown in 1996) until the ending. While there's plenty of plot holes along the way (such as the aforementioned business with Grace shifting back and forth about believing the Doctor), for the most part though the story holds up despite those faults.Where does all of that leave the TV Movie then? It features a fine debut for the eighth Doctor, good performances and has some fine production values. While it has its faults, the fact that this was more or less a pilot does excuse some of the faults present. Looking back on the TV Movie nearly twenty years after it was made one thing is clear: it was the comeback that should have been.

I'm absolutely bonkers about Dr. Who. When it's at its best there is no finer Sci-Fi. It manages to mix the supernatural, science fiction, horror, comedy, and history seamlessly at times. This was the failed attempt at reviving Dr Who, with a stronger focus on getting him to break America. This was probably the biggest mistake of all. It reminds me of when pop stars/comedians try and crack the ever important (in terms of money and fame) market. It seems like a lot of the Dr's identity is lost along the way.However, being able to view this after 6 seasons of the most recent incarnations, this isn't so bad. In fact, it is a damn sight better than some of the nonsense Russell T. Davies subjected the audience to (I love a lot of his stuff, but he was hit and miss). Paul McGann is fantastic. Maybe I have a soft spot for The Doctors that didn't last long, but I can't wait to read the novels based on his character. McCoy gets a decent send off and unlike the more recent Doctors it's also fairly subtle and underplayed. Eric Roberts is menacing, but also confusing at times. He starts almost off robotic, and is later camp. A mix between the terminator, a lizard alien thing, and a gay pop star. There are some awful performances, mostly because the American cast members don't seem to understand the tone they should be going for. This is most likely down to bad direction. Overall most of the plot holes that boil fans' blood can be ignored. The half human thing kind of makes sense in a way, as a planet hopping time traveller should really spend some more time away from Earth otherwise. Daleks holding a trial is confusing though. Certainly one to check out, and actually a pleasant surprise after all the negativity.