Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Purists of the BBC cult programme will doubtless sniff at this cheerfully undemanding little spin-off by Amicus producers Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg. But, aimed squarely at Saturday morning children's cinema audiences, its not without its charm. Not least the paint-box colours (the petrified surface of planet Skaro is lit by a lurid green light) and lava-lamp decor. And some of the planetary landscape mattes are rather magnificent in their comic-strip way.Alas the weakest link, amazingly, is Peter Cushing as Dr Who. Though the film mainly sticks to writer Terry Nation's original story, the producers understandably had to jettison the television serial's back-story (such as it was in 1965) if it was to appeal to the crucial American market. But here Cushing's Doctor is little more than a doddery old grandfather, with none of the crotchety antagonism of William Hartnell, the role's originator. And the Tardis interior is just a mess of overhanging wires and junkyard cast-offs rather than the wonderfully sterile, futuristic control room of the small-screen.The Daleks, though larger, are more ungainly and don't have the streamlined menace of the TV ones (perhaps the only monsters on film to actually swivel with sheer pent-up malice). Worst of all, their exterminators just scoosh out rather pathetic white smoke. Was the original x-ray laser effect, turning the TV screen image negative, deemed too scary, even though most of its audience would have thrilled to it at home? There's not a great deal more to commend it. Roy Castle clowns around rather embarrassingly as the young male lead, while Jenny Linden barely gets a line of script as the heroine. All in all, eleven year-old Roberta Tovey walks away with the acting honours.

I'm sure that on release DR WHO THE DALEKS was a perfectly serviceable children's adventure, colourful, light-hearted and action-packed. Seen today, though, it's an embarrassing cash-in on the popularity of TV's DOCTOR WHO, and it can't hope to hold a candle to that production.Where to start with what's wrong with this outing? Not least Peter Cushing, whose Who is a doddering ninny, a version of the same irritating character he wheeled out in AT THE EARTH'S CORE (although he's even more irritating here). An obvious spin on William Hartnell's portrayal, Cushing is awful - and it's not often I get the chance to say that! I'd much rather see him playing the dogged Van Helsing or ruthless Frankenstein, I have to say.We're also treated to Roy Castle indulging in some sub-standard comedy routines and a couple of irritating kids thrown into the mix. The story is paper-thin and it's pretty silly the way that the characters find themselves randomly catapulted to the alien world within the first couple of minutes.The supposed good guys, the Thals, are a fairly annoying riff on the Eloi from THE TIME MACHINE, and the Daleks are grating in the extreme; they have a way of speaking in very slow, stilted voices here and it makes listening to them a real chore. Throw in schlocky effects and a general pandering to the lowest common denominator and you have an annoyingly twee movie.

Dr Who and his family/companions encounter the metal monsters , the Daleks on the lost planet of Skaro. A real treat , it is just so much fun to watch , Peter Cushing is really excellent as the doctor and is a great strong intellectual foe for the Daleks. However the stars of the show are the metal monsters themselves , they are towering and look excellent with that 60s alien , slick look that adds to their menace and their guns emit co2 that almost makes them more like Nazis ( since they gas their enemies ). The film is based on the first television serial of BBC's Doctor Who and follows the story fairly closely but with that epic feel of a motion picture from Britain's Amicus productions. Check out the sequel as well it's just as much fun.

In order for a Dr. Who fan to enjoy this, they must first come to terms with the fact that the Doctor is made a human with the surname of Who. He also invented the TARDIS himself. It's not that hard to ignore, as once they leave Earth, the plot is pretty much exactly what one should expect from Who. He travels into space with a number of companions and must help a peaceful race stop those damn pesky Daleks. Cushing gives a rather decent performance, being absent minded but clever at the same time. Roy Castle is overused as a mumbling fool. He falls over when doors open, sits on things, runs into walls etc. But at least he has a slight arc as he overcomes his fears and becomes heroic. Linden is more of an excuse to have Castle come along, as she doesn't do much. Perhaps two guys and a little girl travelling in space together would have seemed too weird to some. Some of the writing is a bit rough, as it basically just wants to hurry along. When meeting his granddaughter's new boyfriend the first thing Who does is show him the time machine. Good score, decent enough effects, result in a movie that doesn't betray its television roots. With some clever writing this could easily be placed into The Doctor's timeline, but as it stands it is some cheesy sci-fi fun.