Doctor Who Series 8 Reviews - The Caretaker (E6)

Gareth Roberts has written some of the most comedic episodes of the last few years, with notable hits The Shakespeare Code, The Lodger and The Unicorn and the Wasp all under his belt. His last TARDIS trip, 2011’s Closing Time, was enjoyable enough on first viewing but relied solely on the jokes, with the Cybermen being very underused despite their big-name status. Now with the assistance of Steven Moffat (his fifth episode this series) and some time away, he’s back to give us another much needed funny story for a mostly-dark series.

And the jokes given to us were good. Granted, only a few earned a good laugh, but those which do earn the right to be laughed at. The Caretaker does try immensely hard in making every joke succeed, which shows with every gag, but it does at times play it safe with simple comedy clichés such as vomiting, which in turn brings down such opportunities. As for the story, there isn’t much to it. Aside from the occasional alien visitation, it’s all really about the Doctor meeting Danny, and how Clara gets through it. It’s simple enough, but works as a breather following Time Heist and ahead of next week’s Kill the Moon.

As such, Jenna Coleman is the one who has to carry the episode, and she does so with ease. Within the school environment, her ever-growing bossy personality fits more in comparison to Deep Breath while she succeedingly plays off her fears about Danny towards the Doctor, and vice versa. Here, it’s an episode where having her as the focus works against previous flukes like Listen which forced her into the mix. Peter Capaldi is still a joy to watch, as we finally reach the point where we see him as the Doctor. He’s a good mix of Colin Baker and David Tennant here, and his mannerisms also fit in with the environment of the episode. Samuel Anderson is finally given more to do than just being a love interest, but my single gripe is that they play too much with his soldier backstory. I’m glad it’s out of the way now, but every instance where the Doctor would mention he didn’t like soldiers or Danny saying he was one were constant annoyances no matter the situation. But now we’ve seen the soldier in action, we may be free from the regular references.

As for other stars, there isn’t much to add, as only two characters had any impact on the story. First, there’s Adrian, played by Edward Harrison, and there solely because he looks like Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith as part of a gag. A successful running gag, mind you, but an expected one from as far back as the Next Time trailer. Then there’s Courtney (Ellis George), who had brief appearances in the first two episodes of the season but goes full-fledge for The Caretaker, and she falls straight into the annoying child character category, alongside every other kid actor since The Almost People. Unfortunately, she plays a bigger role in next week’s Kill the Moon, and there I doubt she’ll become a full character, as here she’s incredibly unlikable and obnoxious.

Sometimes a filler episode can be skippable, and other times they can be worthy of viewing.  In this case, it’s worthy of a watch. While it does feel like two episodes squeezed into one with the switching between Danny/Clara/Doctor and Skovox Blitzer, the jokes and character chemistry helps carry the episode until the end. It gives a fitting conclusion to the oblivious Doctor/Danny storyline and finally allows the companion promised when he was announced. There isn’t much threat, and Courtney is annoying, but still enjoyable. 6/10

Doctor Who Series 8 Reviews - Time Heist (E5)

I’ve made it no secret that I’m no fan of Stephen Thompson’s writing. His first attempt, The Curse of the Black Spot, is what I consider one of the worse episodes of the show period, whereas 2013’s Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS was the weakest of Series 7, and his work on Sherlock has been hit-and-miss in terms of quality. Combine that with Steven Moffat, who wrote the two worse episodes of this series so far, and you have what should be the worst episode since 1984’s The Twin Dilemma. But surprisingly, the duo have managed to up their capacity for story writing when together here. Granted, it’s far from either of their best work, or even Moffat’s old-school fare, but Time Heist was at the very least watchable.

Let’s start off with Peter Capaldi, who since Deep Breath has been very enjoyable to watch, as the titular Doctor. Here, whilst still doing a very good job, he seems somewhat off, as he seems to have lost a bit of his mannerisms such as his lack of care for his allies. He seems to have reverted back slightly to how he was in Deep Breath: all Matt Smith-y. The writers seem to be playing too much on the size of Capaldi’s eyebrows too, losing the effect of the jokes made in Deep Breath but also the brief sighting in The Day of the Doctor. He didn’t feel very Twelfth Doctor-ish here. As for Jenna Coleman as Clara, it’s nice that she has a bit more of a backseat here like Into the Dalek. She has the right blend of focus and silence, although it could be argued that she had no purpose aside from being distracted from her date and giving Psi (Jonathan Bailey) someone to talk about the Doctor to. Speaking about Psi and Saibra (Pippa Bennent-Warner), they seem to fall for sacrifice-reversal syndrome, although kudos for not bringing them back to Missy like with the first two stories. Both are somewhat underused and their inevitable deaths are overdone. Saibra’s special ability – a blend of X-Men Rogue and Mystique – is used fully only twice, one of which to show off said power, so is easily removable, whereas Psi is a bit like DC’s Cyborg but with unwilling to follow orders (making no sense when the Architect is revealed).

As for the villainous Keeley Hawes…she wasn’t very intimidating. She starts off just repeating the same malarkey of “oo my boss is going to kill us if we don’t catch them”, and doesn’t get much chance to really show off how evil she can be. Hawes has proven herself to be a great actress in the past, so it’s just a pity that she was reduced to a rather simplistic role (or should I say roles) as all-talk and no-do. The Teller is interestingly designed, but barely scary as he lumbers about incredibly slowly. It adds another Moffat motif with “Don’t ____”, this time with thinking, which is too soon following Listen and Deep Breath doing the same thing, but again isn’t much of a threat when considered it’s only being forced to. As for the mysterious Architect; incredibly predictable outcome. Another case of timey wimey stuff.

Story-wise, it is probably the best to come from Thompson in terms of Doctor Who, as the Doctor and co. have to break into the universe’s most secure bank, which just so happens to have no major security when actually in the bank. It’s played out in the style of Ocean’s Eleven, but there seems to be very little exciting within it, despite the whole idea that it’s a bank heist. Those tend to be interesting, but here it returns to corridor running; a staple for Who, but unneeded for this particular story. Plus, the twist about the caller was a bit of a copy for Inception – an old person filled with regret is very much the role of Saito in the 2010 film.

Time Heist may be an improvement on Stephen Thompson’s part, and for Moffat following last week’s Listen, but side characters and villains are lacklustre, with an unnecessary role for Clara and Capaldi’s first off-day in the role. The story was engaging enough, if not tiresome at times, but low on humour and twists. 5/10.

Doctor Who Series 8 Reviews - Listen (E4)

Listen had a lot of possibility. With reviews aplenty stating it the next Blink (2007) or the best of the series to date, it created mild expectations of goodness. Trailers were tense, it had good prospects with 'the monster under your bed'...this could be the story to remember this year. And following its airing, it was noteworthy...

...until the last five minutes.

If the episode was focused just on the silent monster, it could be great. When with that plot, it creates strong atmospheric moments, even allowing acceptance of the various Danny Pinks (I'll get back to that). You want to know what the monster is, in the same way as with 2008's Midnight, you want to pull away the blankets they hide behind...it worked. And yet, we are constantly drawn to the conventional child/future companion aspect repeatedly done by writer Steven Moffat.

Now, that isn't a major fault. Whilst the date scene lacked chemistry between Samuel Anderson and Jenna Coleman - a step back from meeting in Into the Dalek - they succeeded in giving character growth to Clara. They don't keep it a secret that Oswald and Pink are meant to be, like Amy and Rory Pond prior. Granted, it's been done to death, but nevertheless works.

Peter Capaldi is still great to watch and he succeeds in balancing the Doctor's emotions and actions. At times he created good laughs (including an unintentionally humourous moment in a scene paralleling 2010's Flesh and Stone). His opening monologue, trailer-bait aside, is legitimately interesting and visually enjoyable from an episode with average direction. Side characters and companions are good enough, but it is Capaldi who shines.

Listen would be a 6/10, due to how atmospheric and haunting it was, alongside Capaldi and Coleman. But an ending has the ability to ruin that (other examples include 2012's Power of Three).

So the episode concludes on Gallifrey where Clara comforts a child Doctor, and later concludes that he's just scared of the dark. And with that, I cry with disarray. All tension gone as Moffat rewrites canon once again, to the point of bringing down the far superior Day of the Doctor (2013) with it. Monster? Forgotten. Pinks? Sidelined. Simple pandering for kids to show that their hero is also suddenly afraid of the dark. It draws the episode to a screeching halt and drops viewers off there. Very disappointing conclusion.

And because of that conclusion, it leaves only a 4/10.

Doctor Who Series 8 Reviews - Robot of Sherwood (E3)

Last year, writer Mark Gatiss was on a roll with his stories for Series 7 and docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time, so expectations were heightened slightly due to his sole writing credit for this story - only slightly because of the state of the series so far. However, with the inclusion of the fictional legend that is Robin Hood being a prominent state for the story, with the Doctor's bewilderment by his existence being a mainstay for the plotline. As such, it does limit the actual threat which exists in the first place. 

Here, I feel like I'm finally coming to grasp Peter Capaldi's Doctor, as he finally comes to show off what his Doctor can do. He does still seem to squeeze in Matt Smith mannerisms, particularly with the bridge scene early on in the episode, but at times he does manage to make them his own, which to his credit is difficult stuff. Jenna Coleman has returned to her personality state, but is done a lot better than in Deep Breath where anger and the effects of her teaching career just appeared. Here, it merges the previous reactions to previous comrades with actual initiative as seen in Deep Breath, so kudos to her. 

If there is a weak point within the main cast of protagonists, it's Tom Riley as Robin Hood, who appears far too jolly for his own good. They do mention this point within the running gag, and its nature is explained, but it seems far too forced. Add the dull banter between he and Capaldi which is hit and miss in terms of quality, and his rendition of the mythical legend isn't the best to date. The Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Miller) on the other hand is a good egg, with his performance being somewhat reminiscent of that of Anthony Ainley from his 1980s run as The Master. There's a mix between chilling and pantomime in his performance, which surprisingly works for his Sheriff. He doesn't exactly get the best ending, but understandable as a scene involving him was cut due to recent affairs with the ISIS terrorist group. As for secondary characters, the band of Merry Men is just that. They just act cheery and laugh a lot, and make very little impact to the story at hand, as do the peasants featured throughout. As for the titular robot, in their plural form, they too have little impact. They may look aesthetically pleasing in design, but they weren't at all threatening. We see what they have the capacity to do all but once, before having fast disposals in the third act. They aren't given much back-story, and are mere pawns in the Sheriff of Nottingham's plan, so wasted potential there.

The same could be really said for the story. It does initially borrow from many of the tales from the legends (the bridge scene and the archery competition) with nice twists to remind viewers that it is a Doctor Who episode, but upon entering the dungeons it's sci-fi mixed with Doctor/Robin banter, dropping the historical act altogether. With that, the episode loses its specialty to previous historical stories, with the dungeon scene akin to that with the three Doctors in Day of the Doctor whereas the slavery scene similar to that of 1973’s The Time Warrior. However, in those episodes it worked as they had subsistence, whereas here it's somewhat rushed in quality. Add its fast closure for the mystery of Robin Hood's appearance, and it does squander its initial strong buzz.

Whilst Robot of Sherwood is perhaps the best of the series to date, it only just edges through thanks to stronger performances from various characters and with humour much stronger than that of last week's Intothe Dalek. With Capaldi becoming stronger and stronger and the scripts improving with each episode, Series 8 may finally be able to drag itself out of the mud and stand alongside its equals. But there's still plenty of time to screw that up. But for now, Robot of Sherwood edges slightly ahead of Into the Dalek in terms or quality, but still has plenty of issues to fix. 6/10.

Doctor Who Series 8 Reviews - Into the Dalek (E2)

Following the poor show that was Deep Breath, I had fears that this Dalek adventure could fall in the same field, especially following Steven Moffat's usage of them in 2013's The Time of the Doctor. There was still some hope with co-writer Phil Ford (2009's The Waters of Mars and various Sarah Jane Adventures episodes) who has written some good stories for the show. It makes me thankful that this episode was in fact good. However, that isn't to say it's great.

Previously, I felt that Peter Capaldi was retreading Matt Smith's performance with bad results - such mannerisms don't fit Capaldi - and the limited time we got with the fully energised Twelfth Doctor was too fleeting to make an opinion on him. Here, we see the full deal and it is a force to be reckoned with. Whilst we do still have a few bits of humour reminiscent of Smith and somewhat out of place, Capaldi fills his scenes with gravitas and could grow to be a great Doctor. His dark humour and willingness to sacrifice others to keep himself going – even making a joke about it – gives off a completely new look for a modern Doctor, which really works as we try to know and love him. I'm still not completely won over by him yet, but in time I'm sure I will be.

Jenna Coleman is certainly trying her best to keep any hesitant fans watching as Clara returns to being her old bland self, following her brief personality splurge last week. And whilst she is good enough to watch, you do crave an actual character as opposed to an empty shell. She's a fun watch, but lacking in areas and pretty much unnecessary in actual events until the very end. As for incoming companion Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), it’s clear that he's there for a reason as obviously shown in the last 5 minutes of the episode. But he seems like a likable character even for a probable love interest, and it'll be interesting to see where his character goes. As for side characters, none of them made a lasting impact. It's clear Moffat and Ford try with Journey Blue (Zawe Ashton) but she does end up like any other solider from the last 50 years, just with a sudden wish to join the TARDIS team near the end, whereas Michael Smiley is the usual military grunt. Others make no lasting impact besides Laura dos Santos as Gretchen, but only for a minuscule reason.

The idea of a good Dalek is one which has not been done in the show itself. In graphic novels and novelisations yes, but rarely in the show (1967’s Evil of the Daleks and, to an extent, 2005’s Dalek do feature emotional Daleks), so to feature one does show that there is still plenty to do with these monumental foes. That being said, there was something a little lacking from them. As great as it is to see them actually exterminating people unlike the past few years, they didn't have as much as an onscreen presence as preferred. Granted, it is mainly set inside the Dalek, but outside a few anti-bodies within they aren't quite as menacing. It's fun to see Dalek-on-Dalek warfare a la Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) though, and that segment is shot and orchestrated brilliantly, so perhaps a bit more spectacle is required for future Dalek incursions. Aside from that, Daleks and storyline is good but requires improvement.

Into the Dalek is a much needed improvement from Deep Breath, with a much more enjoyable Doctor and some great visuals alongside the Dalek presence. However, it does include a rehash from a far superior Dalek story and secondary characters that are in dire need of actual personality outside of being soldiers. 6/10

Doctor Who Series 8 Reviews - Deep Breath (E1)

It's always difficult for a new Doctor to enter the ring. It's slightly easier to write a good starter when considering that your predecessor's grand finale was lacklustre as regeneration stories go. But with so many returning elements out there to help viewers take to Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, is Deep Breath playing far too safe for an introductory story? Will Steven Moffat repeat his introductory success four years on? Or are we in for a simple retread of the past few years?

Deep Breath opens with prominent focus on Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) and fan-favourites the Paternoster Gang - consisting of Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), wife Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart), and Commander Strax (Dan Starkey) - whilst the newly-regenerated Doctor catches some rest, courtesy of the sound effects department of the 2012 Three Stooges movie. This first act has Capaldi in the usual amnesia state as shared by a majority of Doctors prior to him, such as Peter Davison and Paul McGann, but he acts a bit too much like an angrier Scottish version of his precursor. As a matter of fact, he's like that for pretty much the whole episode. Even after the conventional knock out like Matt Smith and David Tennant before him, he goes whizzing about going on about speaking horse. In any other case, it would seem like the writer had no time to make changes from Smith to Capaldi, but as an introductory episode it's legitimately disappointing that Moffat keeps to a simple rehash for 90% of the episode.

With all eyes on Clara and company, you'd expect them to getting on with the mystery at hand, but alas, in order to drag the episode on for the whole 75 minute running time, they're left to just calming an unusually angry Oswald, despite the fact she not only met various past incarnations very recently in The Day of the Doctor but also her main attribute was being a part of the Doctor's ENTIRE life in The Name of the Doctor. It's a plot element which makes little sense when consider that being part of the Doctor's past pretty much made her who she is as a character, having had little time to develop her own personality outside of being flirty and intelligent in Asylum of the Daleks and a nanny in The Bells of Saint John and The Snowmen. Here, she's not only furious by her friend changing - as if it's new to her, which doesn't fit into the equation - but also furious by how he behaves now. But once the 'mythical veil' scene, which in itself is a rather stupid moment as Vastra asked Jenny to fetch her veil in a scene prior to this moment, is out the way and done with, she's completely fine again to the point of being willing to make herself useful for the gang (two of them are married to each. Can you believe it?!). And with some more Looney Tunes sound effects and some surprisingly-off humour from Starx, we have what pretty much makes up the first half of the episode. Little sighting of the Half-Face Man and the Doctor's busy gallivanting to force the idea that he's seen his face before (in 2008's The Fires of Pompeii) to hobo Brian Miller; A nice little moment dragged kicking and screaming to fit the feature length.

Speaking of the mysterious Half-Face Man, we have another forced attribute to join Vastra and Jenny - they're married apparently, she said so when she was posing - with the nature of the Clockwork Robot's background - a clear reference of 2006's The Girl in the Fireplace. Whether it be The Doctor pondering aloud about the nature of the plan or mentioning the SS Marie Antoinette, it's incredibly pushed throughout as the writer reminds audiences of a far-superior story, let alone one featuring these androids. That said, the design work done on Peter Ferdinando's face is spectacular stuff, and he does really well with the robotic nature of his character. He isn't any different to any other automation before him, but he does well at acting creepy. A pity he has little screen time, which diminishes his fear factor, and his counterparts are pretty much for background purposes. He also has to bring up a sudden spurge of non-TARDIS Clara with that teacher's scene (why do they have such terrible child actors in the show these days?) and an ongoing story arc. Fun! And as the Paternoster Gang join in the fun and the hot air balloon takes flight amongst aghast policemen, we finally get a conclusion which is left ambiguous for viewers to think upon. Now, usually this is a great technique, but the fact that we haven't had the slightest proper glimpse of this new persona makes it all the more interesting, yet drags the scene down a bit. All you get is the trailer-bait glare into the camera. Perhaps give more sustenance beforehand before going out and doing such a scene.

Meanwhile, Clara and co. are holding their breath forever downstairs. In an earlier segment, Clara manages to hold her breath for much longer than humanly possible, which not only loses the tension made in the scene but also all manner of thinking that she's as normal as we've been lead to believe. Here, it's repeated again but with more people, adding a completely unnecessary snog between a human and a lizard who may or may not be married. The only glimmer of greatness is incredibly subtle with Strax pointing his blaster at himself, as we finally get a look at character development rather than his gender confusement and lack of moral understanding. It shows that he's willing to take his own life in order to let his friends live, having been abandoned by his own race and taken up by the married couple. And with the subtleness of the scene, unlike many other aspects blaring out their purposes and meanings, it's left quiet leaving it even more special.

The episode ends with a surprise phone call from predecessor Smith, reminding Clara that everything will be fine; it's a nice enough scene, but again panders to the audience for familiarity and giving the thumbs up to the new guy. They leave with the story arc clues, and that was when I groaned. When I had enough of Moffat's writing. Missy (Michelle Gomez) is *shock* the Doctor's girlfriend and resides in Heaven, and is somehow much different than the likes of River Song, Madame de Pompadour, Tasha Lem, Queen Elizabeth I, Idris, and maybe even Marilyn Monroe (as she does marry him off-screen in A Christmas Carol). It's the same thing again and again with every character either long-term or one-time. It's a new era, fresh ideas are required. If you need help with that, put an advert in the newspaper for it (Missy clearly did).

Deep Breath is an overlong dinosaur dump. Badly written characters, a Doctor who's someone else for a majority of the episode, and constant referencing to facts even the most oblivious viewer will understand. Peter Capaldi does nail his performance, and Jenna Coleman does well in pushing this sudden character growth through the episode as she attempts to carry the story, but with this it feels very off. Comedy is hit-and-miss, and it's clear that make up was holding the production sector against the somewhat unrendered CGI. 3/10.

Wait, Jenny and Vastra are married?! Who knew!

Trailer Talk: Sheep, Mockingjay. Foxcatcher...and One Direction

Sorry for the delay for this installment! A lot of things have happened since the last entry so I've had little time to focus on this. Also, with the summer movie season officially over, Trailer Talk will now be every 3 weeks to allow focus on studies and the smaller numbers in trailer releases. Anywho, on with the show!

The Interview
Following the recent uproar by North Korea in regards to this film, to the point of contacting the UN in protest, does show that James Franco and Seth Rogan are certainly getting attention for this delayed comedy. It does show that they're playing the marketing in a calmer fashion following recent events, and likely plan on cutting a few aspects, but I can't say it appeals me. Having seen both This is the End and Bad Neighbours and finding both unfunny and hard to enjoy, it males an easy step to the no-no border. But at least the two actors are doing well in knowing when to play down their advertising against the bombastic nature of the first trailer.

The Pyramid
With As Above So Below not doing well in the box office currently, it seems risky to pull the same trick with a pyramid in this incoming horror film, which can't decide whether it's found footage or not. Add some cheap jumpscares and actors (hello James Buckley!), and you dig up a dud.

Shaun the Sheep: The Movie
Things certainly have changed since the last time I watched this small series featuring Britain's Most Loved children's character; and yet these minor changes have not resonated in the quality of the humour and animation present here. Whilst the narration is a typical small-scale kids film ordeal, character designs are nicely done and some comedy (such as the Tasty Lamb neon) really pulls out ahead of Aardman's stop motion competitors like Laika. Plus, we get a small idea of what the film's actually about, which is always a plus with teasers.

Seventh Son 
This film has been pushed back again and again, and it's clear the company has little faith in it, relying on promoting the production team behind Godzilla and 300: Rise of an Empire to try and sell it. It has a similar feel to the recent Hercules attempt, just with a bigger name as the elder figure with Jeff Bridges against John Hurt. It fails to stand out against its contemporaries, and will likely do so in the box office when it faces another delayed film Jupiter Ascending.

Foxcatcher
Somehow, I've managed to miss a majority of the publicity for this highly-accoladed feature, which has won high acclaim during its festival run across the year. With the sport-focused storyline, I expected disinterest, but this minute of screen time has brought out appeal to me, particularly for Steve Carell who's almost unrecognisable. Perhaps I should keep my eye out for more films like this.

Horns
Early trailers peaked my interest, but never to the point that this one did, as it plays even more on the transformation of Daniel Radcliffe's character into a satanic creature. It does begin as being a tad similar to the incoming Gone Girl, also based on a book, with everyone thinking he killed his wife (Juno Temple), but by playing the Devilish scenario here, it shows its right to be seen this Halloween.

One Direction - Where We Are
Oh god, who commissioned another one of these concert films? It looks more like a DVD special feature for their last train wreck!

Horrible Bosses 2
It's interesting what films studios consider need sequels, and moreso which big name stars to have feature (adding Chris Pine to the mix) in it. Perhaps it loses some of its charm, I don't know, but it does look like it's moving far away from its original premise.

Paper Towns
Simple child-friendly stuff. Nothing evident as being good viewing for older kids or adults, but it'll keep younger kids happy for a few hours. An interesting plotline with the paper airplanes though.

Serena
If Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are trying to complete a trifecta of Oscar nominations following Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. I don't think this is the way to do it. It has a similar feel to Winter's Bone, a film which bored me to death, in terms of tone and appears no different to the various films it takes influence on. Next time Lawrence/Cooper, stick to David O Russell.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One
This is possibly the biggest trailer to come out in the last few weeks, and I'm surprised to say that it's an alright trailer, almost tempting me to see it. Granted, it falls for usual blockbuster stuff with explosions and warfare, but at least it makes a change from training and surviving as seen in the previous installments. Perhaps the franchise has gone a bit too out there though, with explosive arrows being enough to make even Hawkeye from The Avengers jealous, and Donald Sutherland being more of a madman than the calm dictator as seen previously