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Tuesday, 4 December 2007 12:13![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
usuallyhats
So I watched the TV Movie at the weekend, and I don't know if my expectations were just pretty low based on what I've heard about it, but I enjoyed it vastly more than I was expecting to.
Yes, a lot of it was pretty cheesy and rubbish, maybe I was just in the mood for that sort of thing? There was much mocking of the effects, and I couldn't stop laughing at Grace's Single Tear of Deep Sensitivity. Speaking of Grace, I wish I'd been in on the script meeting to find out what ideas they rejected before they got to: "I know! We could have the companion meet the Doctor by ACCIDENTALLY KILLING HIM!" "That? Is GENIUS!"
I did really like Grace though. She was funny and sparky, and she worked out how to mend and fly the TARDIS all by herself! Also she was in favour of new knowledge over hushing things up to make the hospital look good. She worked really well with Eight, and I would have loved her for the "Come with me."/"You come with me!" bit if nothing else. The way she switched between believing him and not believing him did get a bit annoying, but she was having a tough day...
Oh, Eight! I love him so much, his joy and energy and exuberance, and Paul McGann was great, of course. It was kind of weird, because I'm used to Eight being just a voice, in the books and the audios, but there he was, all real and stuff. My favourite moment was him strolling casually through the closing lift doors, and then standing far too close to Grace. Hee!
A bit of serious criticism here, though: as an introduction for new viewers, it was terrible. Nothing gets explained until at least halfway through, and nothing's really treated as needing to be explained. It seems like, for new viewers, it wouldn't be the good, "hey, this is interesting, I wonder where it's going?" kind of confusion, more the "...did I miss Part One?" style. Or that's how it seems to me, anyway.
Back to things I loved!
Chang Lee! He was great. Especially the bit where he runs into the TARDIS, runs out and goes all the way round, just to check. The music was fun here too - often it was a bit much, but it made me laugh (on purpose!) this time. And the montage of Eight going through the lockers juxtaposed with Chang Lee looking through the bag of stuff was cool - they used this technique several times, but this is the one time I really liked it.
The policeman on the motorbike driving into the TARDIS. I laughed almost as much at this as I did at the Fake Tear. Especially the Doctor and Grace peering in after him.
The design of the console room, though I've never seen a version of this that I haven't liked, so make of that what you will.
The ending, with the Doctor going back to his book, was very nice - it really emphasised the ways in which he's still the same person.
Yes, a lot of it was pretty cheesy and rubbish, maybe I was just in the mood for that sort of thing? There was much mocking of the effects, and I couldn't stop laughing at Grace's Single Tear of Deep Sensitivity. Speaking of Grace, I wish I'd been in on the script meeting to find out what ideas they rejected before they got to: "I know! We could have the companion meet the Doctor by ACCIDENTALLY KILLING HIM!" "That? Is GENIUS!"
I did really like Grace though. She was funny and sparky, and she worked out how to mend and fly the TARDIS all by herself! Also she was in favour of new knowledge over hushing things up to make the hospital look good. She worked really well with Eight, and I would have loved her for the "Come with me."/"You come with me!" bit if nothing else. The way she switched between believing him and not believing him did get a bit annoying, but she was having a tough day...
Oh, Eight! I love him so much, his joy and energy and exuberance, and Paul McGann was great, of course. It was kind of weird, because I'm used to Eight being just a voice, in the books and the audios, but there he was, all real and stuff. My favourite moment was him strolling casually through the closing lift doors, and then standing far too close to Grace. Hee!
A bit of serious criticism here, though: as an introduction for new viewers, it was terrible. Nothing gets explained until at least halfway through, and nothing's really treated as needing to be explained. It seems like, for new viewers, it wouldn't be the good, "hey, this is interesting, I wonder where it's going?" kind of confusion, more the "...did I miss Part One?" style. Or that's how it seems to me, anyway.
Back to things I loved!
Chang Lee! He was great. Especially the bit where he runs into the TARDIS, runs out and goes all the way round, just to check. The music was fun here too - often it was a bit much, but it made me laugh (on purpose!) this time. And the montage of Eight going through the lockers juxtaposed with Chang Lee looking through the bag of stuff was cool - they used this technique several times, but this is the one time I really liked it.
The policeman on the motorbike driving into the TARDIS. I laughed almost as much at this as I did at the Fake Tear. Especially the Doctor and Grace peering in after him.
The design of the console room, though I've never seen a version of this that I haven't liked, so make of that what you will.
The ending, with the Doctor going back to his book, was very nice - it really emphasised the ways in which he's still the same person.
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Date: 4 Dec 2007 12:12 (UTC)That's one of my favourite bits too! It's just so odd.
It's not the best of films. At times I swear the script was put through a shredder and they were putting bits back together to come out with the finished film - the Terminator style Master, for one. But it's great, despite all that.
It's just sad that it's the only time we get to see Paul on screen as the Doctor though. We need a multi-doctor story and he needs to be in it, wig and all :)
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Date: 4 Dec 2007 18:13 (UTC)That would explain a lot!
And yes, flashbacks, multidoctor stories, however they do it, the new series needs moar Paul.
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Date: 5 Dec 2007 10:34 (UTC)I remember watching it when it was shown back in 1996. Luckily I had managed to watch The Green Death on double-video a few days previously, so I was feeling all prepared and learned.