underated classic

That’s more like it! This movie actually dares to play with the setting its given, which leads to some great moments! Right of the bat, changes. Ian and Barbara are out, and honestly, nothing is lost there. They were incredibly bland and cookie cutter. Instead, we now have Tom and Louise.

We actually start this movie off with Tom. He’s a police officer who’s wandering the street, until he’s knocked down during a robbery. While chasing after the criminals, he enters a familiar police box and meets Dr. Who, his granddaughter Susan and his niece Louise.

That’s honestly all the character we really get from the 2 new members of our main cast. I suppose Tom is a little more likable, but it is really not that evident on screen. Both of them don’t do very much to establish themselves. They’re there, but don’t leave any impression.

Instead, we move towards the year 2150 before you can even say “The Daleks are the Rulers of Earth”. I think that it’s a good move. The audience knows why they’re there. The main attraction isn’t Dr. Who anymore. His name isn’t even in the title. This is about Daleks, now more than ever. So, we quickly move towards our main setpiece and get the story going.

The first thing you’ll notice in this movie is, once again, the aesthetics. The year 2150 is way more gritty and grey than the Dalek city was in the last movie. I suppose that’s a necessity. In a world filled with decay, it wouldn’t make sense to paint colors all over the place. It also makes a nice contrast to the sci-fi elements, like the Robomen. They look brilliantly out of place in their shiny vinyl suits, which makes them seem more alien than the random bits of cardboard the TV show stuck to their face. Meanwhile, the dalek designs are a bit more muted compared to last time. Which is odd, considering the Robomen outfits. Maybe the originals clashed too hard against the environment for the movie. These daleks are mostly metallic grey with blue balls. It makes them look like small tanks.

They’re also quickly established as threatening! Which is great! They kill a man in plain sight, smoking him to the ground. Now we actually have a reason to fear them! We now understand why the people of earth are hiding. We understand why the world looks the way it does. Glad the movie took the time for it.

The other acting also reinforces the threat the Daleks pose. Every actor in 2150 is giving it their all, making this feel like an actual warzone. It also makes them memorable, which is a plus! Even the Doctor gets in on it early on. When Susan and Louise are lost, he actually shows a worried emotion. That never happened in the last one. I believe the threat because he believes it.

In general, this movie also knows how to have more fun than the last one. This time, the script is actually adapted for this cast and universe, which leads to some fun scenes. We have an infiltration of the Dalek saucer. We have a scene of synchronized eating with the Robomen. Even the music gets in on it, with some half militaristic, half goofy music. And even though it clearly has fun, it keeps it serious enough for us to understand the threat. It’s a tough balance to strike, but the movie nails it.

It also changes the general plot, with more of a road trip aspect to it. It’s a great way to get more out of the budget. The varied terrain feels like the kind a kid would like to explore. Be it ruins of decayed buildings, large forests or dusty quarries. It makes the events more memorable.

What I liked less, were the changes made to the resolution. It is mostly the same, but with some key differences. The Doctor still tells the robomen to attack the daleks, causing a final showdown, but this time he does so by just sprinting past some Daleks and grabbing the mic. It doesn’t really feel like a smart solution from a clever scientist. It feels like a lucky break. The TV show did this better, with an established plan and some fun distractions.

The showdown this leads to is also not fantastic. A bit too self-indulgent. One command from the doctor to attack the Daleks, and all the Robomen suddenly throw off their helmets and attack. A cloak gets thrown over a Dalek and he suddenly can’t move anymore, like a parrot. It is utter chaos! I will admit however, that seeing daleks melt because of the magnetic core of the earth was a real nice visual. Very dramatic in a good way. That felt more earned, since it was set up properly.

And after we cause all this rioting, we step back in Tardis and leave again. It was a fun ride. We move back in time and go back just a few minutes before the robbery, so Tom can catch the criminals and bring them in.

With the thieves knocked out in the back of the car. Tom, played by Bernard Cribbins, gives one last triumphant giggle. The same kind of giggle we would hear 42 years later when he once again played a role in Doctor Who. And honestly, in light of recent events, I couldn’t think of a better way to end this story.

I feel like this Dalek movie is an exact reaction on my critiques of last time. It was more daring and did its own thing all the way through, rather than giving up after 5 minutes. It isn’t flawless. Half of our main cast still isn’t that interesting and the final resolution can feel a bit cheap. But it showed something the TV series also showed: Ambition. And it can only be commended for the massive improvements it made compared to the last one.