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“The Celestial Toymaker: Playing Games with Style but Not Substance”

The Celestial Toymaker has always been a divisive chapter in Doctor Who's history. Its reputation rests on a fascinating premise that ultimately falters under the weight of shallow storytelling and repetitive games. When experienced through the incomplete original footage or telesnap reconstructions, its flaws are all the more glaring.

Enter Shapeshifter Studios’ experimental 3D colour animation, which aims to revitalise this visually dependent story. While the new version offers striking imagery and inventive choices, it cannot entirely salvage a serial that lacks narrative depth.

Through the Looking Glass: Visual Brilliance

Shapeshifter Studios’ reimagining takes full advantage of animation to bring the Toymaker’s surreal realm to life. The obstacle course in the first episode defies physics with imaginative visuals, giving the Toymaker’s domain a playfully chaotic energy that was likely impossible to achieve in the original production. The stark, all-white room where the Doctor plays his trilogic game contrasts beautifully with the vibrant absurdity of Steven and Dodo’s challenges, focusing attention on the action while evoking a sense of otherworldly menace.

The decision to depict the clowns and playing cards as literal living toys rather than actors in make-up is a masterstroke, amplifying their uncanny creepiness. Cyril, the cheating "schoolboy," is unsettlingly vivid, and his hopscotch game is brought to life with an energy that makes it one of the most engaging sequences in the serial. The Toymaker’s own presence is enhanced by effects that emphasise his mysterious and otherworldly nature, creating an aura of authority the original struggled to convey.

However, the animation is not without its flaws. While the design choices are bold and imaginative, the character movements often feel floaty and imprecise. Lip-syncing inconsistencies occasionally disrupt immersion, and the stylised movements of the characters can feel at odds with the soundtrack. That said, these quirks become less noticeable as the viewer acclimates to the 3D style.

Thin Games and Thinner Stakes

Despite its visual upgrade, The Celestial Toymaker’s story remains its Achilles’ heel. The plot is barely more than a thread: while the Doctor is sidelined playing an abstract trilogic game, Steven and Dodo are tasked with winning a series of increasingly tedious challenges to ensure their survival. The lack of stakes is palpable; the companions’ inevitable success undercuts any tension, leaving much of the action feeling like filler.

The second episode, dominated by a game of musical chairs with anthropomorphic playing cards, is chaotic but lacks dramatic weight. The third episode, set in a surreal kitchen, is even less engaging, with rambling banter between a sergeant and a cook that serves no clear purpose. The final episode fares better, thanks to Cyril’s constant cheating and eventual comeuppance, though his character remains uncomfortably tied to outdated and problematic stereotypes. The infamous racist slur from the original is wisely removed, with the edit handled seamlessly.

Performances Trapped in Translation

The performances of the original cast are difficult to judge through animation. William Hartnell’s likeness is faithfully captured, with some of his signature expressions skilfully recreated, though his screen presence is limited. Peter Purves and Jackie Lane are competent but constrained by weak material, with Dodo in particular struggling to rise above her shallow characterisation. Michael Gough’s Toymaker, while intriguing in concept, remains more of a passive observer than an active threat. His portrayal loses some of its enigmatic charm in animated form, despite the efforts of the animators to imbue him with a sense of gravitas.

The Power of Words

The final moments offer a glimmer of narrative ingenuity. As the Doctor faces the challenge of finishing the trilogic game without vanishing alongside the Toymaker, his solution—using the power of speech to outwit his opponent—is as simple as it is clever. This moment of intellectual triumph feels quintessentially Doctor Who and provides a satisfying end to an otherwise meandering journey.

Verdict: Style Over Substance

Shapeshifter Studios’ animated reconstruction of The Celestial Toymaker injects fresh energy into a serial that has long struggled to capture the imagination. The dazzling visuals and inventive design choices succeed in elevating the material, transforming the Toymaker’s realm into a vibrant, otherworldly playground. However, even the most ambitious animation cannot disguise the underlying flaws of a plot that is thin, repetitive, and largely devoid of stakes.

📝46/100

For all its visual flair, The Celestial Toymaker remains a curiosity rather than a classic—best appreciated as an experiment in style rather than a masterpiece of storytelling.

Random Observations:

• The line about all the Toymaker’s toys looking the same doesn’t work in this version, because you can’t tell that the different toys are played by the same guest actors.

Jesus. Christ. That was horrifying. But I loved it. The animation was freaky, but I found it worked perfectly. It was extremely trippy, but I found it a quick run. A very nice Christmas present, just not one to watch late at night with the lights low. I enjoyed the animations of the Toymaker's Toys; they legitimately looked like the materials the toys would've been made of. Also, I enjoyed the Spider-Verse style animation for the card characters. TL;DR: a strange watch, but a fun one.

THIS IS IMO NY FAV ANIMATION I SAID IT COME FOR ME IF YOU DARE BUT I HAVE THE POWER OF GOD AND ANIME ON MY SIDE