Doctor Who Series 9 Reviews - The Zygon Invasion (E7)

WARNING: Due to the nature of this episode, this review will contain spoilers - I recommend reading it after you watch the episode if you do not wish to be spoiled from any of the major plotlines present in this and the following episode.

Happy Hallowe'en! And what better way to celebrate the hallowed holiday than with an episode of Doctor Who written by the screenwriter behind last year's biggest audience-divider Kill the Moon, a monster returning after an unfinished subplot in 2013's excellent anniversary special Day of the Doctor with a returning guest star in the form of Ingrid Oliver's Osgood – last seen suffering Missy's abysmal puns before being solemnly executed during a terribly-planned scene by the unbearable Time Lady in Death in Heaven. So a potential misfire could be in the hands on this episode – despite the prospect of a Halloween story being a desired one (the only Doctor Who-related media to air on this date are the 1964 serial Planet of Giants and the pilot for the since-forgotten spin-off K9), but a defender of Kill the Moon – despite its absurd conclusion – and a fan of the Zygons, The Zygon Invasion has much to do to appeal... 

Two years after the peace treaty between human and Zygon was established thanks to a trio of Doctors, and it's evident that the peace is beginning to collapse. With one Osgood already dead and another now captured by the Zygon resistance force, Earth is now at risk of full-blown war with the refugee race of shapeshifters, with secret kidnappings and replacements taking place worldwide and any settlements made being considered scum by the aliens – without the majority of the human race even aware of what's going on. And so the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) reunites with Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and her new adviser Jac (Jaye Griffiths) alongside a returning Clara (Jenna Coleman) to try and sort out peace before war can start out – not that the tough Colonel Walsh (Rebecca Front) particularly cares about keeping the peace. 

While heavy with political allegories for the invading aliens, this first half does come on strong with new concepts (albeit unexplained as to how they're gained) and intriguing plot threads. Despite opening with a recap which feels a tad unnecessary – although needed for newer audiences who perhaps didn't watch The Day of the Doctor somehow – and the overbearing Osgood mystery of "which is she?" coming and going at an uneven pace, the pacing and actual storytelling involved is continuously good; only stopping when the more predictable moments for plot twists come to play. As a 70s episode of Doctor Who brought to life in the 21st century era, it's very well written by Harness – two for two in my eyes.

And as a fan of the Zygon race, it's good to report that they continue to thrive. The advancements into being able to mimic bodies from the memories of their prey and the removal of the weird addition of spitting out some form of liquid when they change form introduced in Day means that we have on our hands a brand new breed of the classic creatures; ones which benefit all the more and make even more frightening for younger audiences. Sure, it didn't stop Rebecca Front's colonel from wanting her soldiers to essentially kill their loved ones (that heartless person), but one person out of dozens of others? That makes the prospect a little more terrifying.

With guitar on hand and sonic shades still residing softly on his head (unfortunately), Peter Capaldi remains to be at his best; never diminishing in quality despite some of the more Matt Smith-esque moments such as comments about his undergarments or sitting around in a children's park talking to kids (at least it had some affect on the plot though, unlike the 2013 prequel to The Bells of Saint John), although in actuality his Doctor adds very little to the actual story bar saving an Osgood, having some discussions with the UNIT team and being part of a cliffhanger which does have a lot of anticipation (although let's face it, having that plane be destroyed so quickly after getting a new one post-Death in Heaven is bad on UNIT's behalf). Companion Clara is given a little more to do than usual; likely due to her increased role next week as one of the treacherous Zygons, which should lend to some great acting chops for Coleman after a period of just being there for the sake of her contract. Both Redgrave and Griffiths get something to do this time after the equivalent of a cameo in the season opener The Magician's Apprentice, with the latter still leaving some form of introduction or character understanding while the former just pleasing enough to have something to do for the first time since The Day of the Doctor. As for the very important Ingrid Oliver, she isn't as fangirl-y as previously due to the serious nature of it all, thank god, and the comedy actress does surprisingly fit the more dramatic role...although she doesn't actually have all that much screentime when you consider the fact that she's the central selling point. Front is a typical 'shoot first, questions later' character common in these kind of stories, but thanks to how prestigious she is she at least adds a touch of class to her role. 

The Zygon Invasion is a surprisingly good instalment, marking the first time in numerous years that we've had three good episodes on the trot. Well-written by Harness despite its obvious political parallels and with a species of classic creations that continue to be strong with every passing appearance, we have an episode which opens strong. The question (not found on my underwear) is, will it be matched next week? 7/10.

Spectre (2015) Film Review

As one of the big three films left in 2015 alongside The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part Two and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Spectre has a difficult task that is becoming all too common: following the massive footsteps of its predecessor, the $1bn-grossing Skyfall. With anticipation for the follow-up leading to massive build up via press conferences and cracks within discussions with producers Columbia Pictures complaining about the film going overbudget – and thanks to a small little leak last December drafts of the screenplay leaked, hinting to a somewhat disappointing third act. But with the hype remaining massive despite script leaks and a middling reception to Sam Smith's Bond Song 'Writing's On The Wall', the question presents itself: Can Spectre appeal to the fans of the previous 23 James Bond films, and in turn Skyfall?

After undergoing a mission set by the belated M (Judi Dench) in a gripping Day of the Dead sequence in Mexico, Bond (Daniel Craig in his fourth outing as the infamous British spy) is grounded from duty by current M Ralph Fiennes due to the factor that the organisation is in enough trouble as it is without his antics – with a scenario devised the head of the new Joint Intelligence Service (Andrew Scott, nicknamed 'C' throughout) potentially leading the end of the 00 programme in order to keep nine countries in continuous agreement. So against M's wishes, Bond continues to pursue the target, with both Q and Miss Moneypenny (Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris respectively) working discreetly alongside in his final mission for their former boss. The result of Bond's travels and a quick bit of Bond seduction leads 007 to a secret organisation meeting, lead by Christoph Waltz's Franz Oberhauser, who in turn begins to hunt him and former Bond antagonist Mr White's daughter Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) via the determined henchman Mr Hinx (Dave Bautista) as they explore the mystery of SPECTRE...

Acting as something of a finale for the Daniel Craig era, what with his recent comments hinting at retirement, Spectre does work well in that regard; bringing back multiple elements from his previous three pictures including the aforementioned Mr White (Jesper Christensen) and bringing it all to a head with Waltz's villain. And with the previously mentioned opening sequence based in Mexico lending to both gripping direction and writing ahead of the titles, it opens strongly enough that you can look past the so-so Sam Smith song, but from there the film begins to slow down, as despite multiple action sequences in both Rome and Austria they get bogged down slightly by Bond's creepy seduction process on Monica Bellucci's grieving widower or a brief detour to Tangier doesn't exactly add much outside of a tad more delving into Dr. Swann's character and an interesting sequence onboard a train which leads into the first half of the finale, where things don’t exactly reach the same heights as the opening but does at least have some excitement to be had. But with the occasional comedic beats and sublime cinematography on hand, it does at least lend to a beautiful film, meaning that when the story begins to slow down Sam Mendes at least makes the visuals stunning enough to keep interest going, not to mention a score by Thomas Newman which instantly entices you.  

It's also a good thing that the multiple action sequences don't bore either. Not only with the Day of the Dead scenes (which I swear I'll shut up about now), but with the car chase through Rome to show off the mandatory car product placement – which thankfully is toned down this time around as opposed to more recent Sony fare – a snowy pursuit which gets Whishaw involved, the train battle which comes off a little lazier, and of course the big finale back in Blighty, which has a precursor where all is revealed about some of the more predictable elements of the story, such as Waltz's true identity and the link to Bond's past. Each is choreographed well and entices easily, but by the third or fourth incursion you do begin to get a little fatigue; most particularly the train sequence. 

Daniel Craig continues to strive in the lead role, with no signs of weariness present throughout the film and seemingly loving every moment of it. Again, Bond is a little creepier than usual when it comes to his 'conquests', but when considering last time he had sex with a former sex trade employee it perhaps isn't as bad. Seydoux is a great actress to bounce off from, as she gets chucked in and has her own moments to shine when not being hunted or kidnapped by the enemy, making her one of the memorable Bond girls in recent years; whereas Bellucci - reportedly the oldest Bond Girl to date – barely registers in her bare minutes of screentime as a mourning widower who gives away secrets. Miss Moneypenny Harris also has a little less to do this time around after being thrown right into the action in the previous film, but her moments do add some good dialogue and she gets on well with her co-stars; Whishaw continues to steal every scene he's in; and Fiennes gets a little more to do this time around.  

Meanwhile, Andrew Scott's 'C' is a notch down from his award-winning role as Moriarty in Sherlock but still leaves a lasting impact as the curious government worker; Dave Bautista proves that he isn't a one-hit wonder after Guardians of the Galaxy as the mostly mute henchman that causes quite a bother for Bond; the brief return of Christensen is short but nonetheless sweet in how prophetic it is; and Christoph Waltz continues to appease in his obvious role as Oberhauser, who starts to resemble a certain somebody by the end...

Spectre is no Skyfall, as it's a feat that is near-impossible to replicate. But what Spectre is is a film that still succeeds in being an entry of the growing quality of Bond films. Beautiful to look at and with the landslide majority of action sequences bringing audiences to the edge of their seats; and without a single dud in the performing cast you are presented with one of the last great blockbusters of 2015...probably. 8/10.