|
Home | All Shows | Blog | Movie Reviews | Book Reviews | Site Updates | Articles | FAQ | About Us | |||
 |
||||
This review is also on our blog. |
 |
1.1 Rose Review by Paul Kelly The Doctor: "Run!" Not the most profound opening dialogue ever written. But after sixteen years off screen we can certainly forgive the Doctor for his lack of verbosity. He's back! Unfortunately for him and the world, so are the Autons. The solution? Run like the clappers! I guess some things never change. The episode's entitled "Rose," so it's no surprise that it mostly revolves around her. When we meet Rose for the first time she's an average person working at Henrik's department store. Then the Autons arrive, followed closely by the Doctor, and suddenly her whole world's turned upside down. Rose's story is basically a blueprint for the whole of New Who -- ordinary people, breaking free from the shackles of mediocrity to do "fantastic" things. And Rose is a new breed of companion. In this episode alone she saves the world and the Doctor in one fell swoop. It's plain to see that the show's finally grown up. And I was pleasantly surprised at just how good Billie Piper is in this role. I can almost forgive her for her dire singing career now. Almost! I thought Christopher Eccleston was an interesting choice for the Doctor. At first, I wasn't convinced that his background in gritty drama would help him in this role. That's not to say I don't rate him as an actor. I think he's superb. But it's a case of horses for courses. You need the right man for the job. I have to admit however, he handled the lighter, more comedic material rather well. Sure, his smile borders on a gurn at times. But he did manage to inject some humour into the story. And he certainly brings something new to the Doctor. No long scarves or Noddy cars this time around. No umbrellas or cricket bats. In fact, his appearance is decidedly normal. Gone are the tasteless costumes of old, replaced by a simple leather jacket and essentially normal, everyday clothes. And the powers that be have allowed Eccleston to retain his distinctive northern twang -- great news for me as I'm a northerner. Bad news for anyone that doesn't like the northern accent. The dynamic between the Doctor and Rose is new too. It's far more touchy feely than we're used to. A lot of hand-holding goes on in this episode. And Rose certainly seems taken by the Doctor's other worldliness. But what of the Doctor's interest in Rose? Clearly he's grateful for her saving his life. But is there more to it than that? Many have balked at the idea of the Doctor becoming romantically involved with his companions. But McGann's Doctor did kiss Grace Holloway. So who knows what surprises the ninth Doctor has in store for us? I thought the Autons were an interesting choice of enemy to reopen the series with. A nice throwback to the era of the third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and instantly recognisable to Classic Who fans. So a tasty mixture of old and new there. But whose idea was it to have a belching wheelie bin monster? The CGI was pretty bad in those scenes. For a moment it was almost like the old days again. But in general, a decent effort. The plot was thinner than a sparrow's shinbone at times and some of the visual effects I'd rather not see again. But a promising start nevertheless. Welcome back, Doctor! Bits and pieces: -- On looking into the mirror the Doctor comments on his ears, suggesting a recent regeneration. This being the case, how is it that Clive has photos of him appearing throughout history? Unless of course he goes back in time at a later date. Damn time travel! It's so complicated. -- I know Mickey's a bit wooden at times, but surely Rose should've noticed his bizarre behaviour sooner than she did? Terrible driving. Obsessively repeating "pizza" over and over again. Shiny face and plastic looking hair. Crazy smile and bulging eyes. No? Come on Rose... get a grip! -- It was great to see the return of the sonic screwdriver (AKA the lazy writer's best friend). Can't work out a plausible way of getting the Doctor into a building? Easy -- sonic screwdriver. Can't come up with a credible way of stopping that killer robot from smashing the Doctor's head in? Sonic screwdriver again! Expect to see it a lot in the coming weeks/years. -- Although not mentioned specifically by name, this week's iconic enemy were the Autons -- life sized dummies, animated by the Nestene Consciousness. -- Henrik's is actually real life department store Howell's, located in the centre of Cardiff. -- Clive's wife seemed taken aback that Rose had read her husband's website. Was this a sexist jibe about women and the internet? Or simply a quip about Classic Who and its predominantly male fan base? -- I never tire of seeing people run into the TARDIS and then straight back out again, their brains struggling to cope with the sheer impossibility of what they've just seen. It makes me smile every time. -- Anti-plastic? Good grief! Billie says... I liked how they started. One day an ordinary shopgirl, the next, she's caught up in a fabulous adventure. It's what Doctor Who has always been all about. And it was a perfect way to pull in a brand new audience unfamiliar with Doctor Who... which includes me. Believe it or not, I started watching Doctor Who because of Torchwood. And I tried Torchwood because of James Marsters. (What can I say; for me, it all goes back to Buffy.) I hope my newness to this 'verse will give me a different perspective. Although I almost feel I don't have the right to review such a venerable institution. I don't know the first eight Doctors, I'm not British, and I won't get a lot of the cultural references. (Which is why I didn't want to do these reviews alone, so thanks so much, Paul.) Anyway, this adventure, while not outstanding, was fun and fast-moving and more than enough to suck me in and make me want more. I loved Billie Piper's Rose. (And a beautiful girl named Billie starring in a science fiction show? How cool is that?) I liked Christopher Eccleston, too, although at this point it was mostly because he was a bright light as a guest star on Heroes a couple of years ago. Quotes: Rose: "So, what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you." Doctor: "Sort of, yeah." Rose: "You're full of it." Doctor: "Sort of, yeah." Jackie: "She's lucky to be alive. Honestly, it's aged her. Skin like an old Bible. You'd walk in here now and think I was her daughter." Clive: "The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings the storm in his wake. And he has one constant companion." Rose: "Who's that?" Clive: "Death." View all comments or post a comment. |
 |
Season 1 Video on Demand |
Home | All Shows | Blog | Movie Reviews | Book Reviews | Site Updates | Articles | FAQ | About Us