Doctor Who (1996) (TV)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Geoffrey Sax

Writer:

Matthew Jacobs (written by)

Release Date:

14 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He's Back... And It's About Time

Plot:

The newly-regenerated Doctor takes on the Master on the turn of the millennium, 31 December 1999.

Plot Keywords:

Regeneration | Telephone Box | Time Travel | Death Of Hero | Doctor Who

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Paul McGann	...	The Doctor
Eric Roberts	...	The Master / Bruce
Daphne Ashbrook	...	Dr. Grace Holloway
Sylvester McCoy	...	The Doctor
Yee Jee Tso	...	Chang Lee
John Novak	...	Salinger
Michael David Simms	...	Swift
Catherine Lough Haggquist	...	Wheeler (as Catherine Lough)
Dolores Drake	...	Curtis
Will Sasso	...	Pete (as William Sasko)
Jeremy Radick	...	Gareth
Eliza Roberts	...	Miranda
Bill Croft	...	Motorcycle Policeman
David Hurtubise	...	Professor Wagg
Joel Wirkkunen	...	Ted

Also Known As:

Doctor Who: Enemy Within (UK) (informal title)
Doctor Who: The Movie (UK) (DVD title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA | UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Ireland:12 | Australia:M | UK:12

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

The line "Life is wasted on the living!" is a reference to the original Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy radio series.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where The Doctor and his companion arrive back at the TARDIS and a police motorbike with a man astride it drives in through the TARDIS doors the base of the TARDIS that causes a rim on the door clearly vanishes leaving no change or gap between the TARDIS floor and the pavement outside.

Quotes:

[first lines]
The Doctor: [voiceover] It was on the planet Skaro that my old enemy the Master was finally put on trial. They say he listened calmly as his list of evil crimes was read... and sentence passed. Then he made his last and I thought somewhat curious request. He demanded that I, the Doctor, a rival Timelord, should take his remains back to our home planet; Gallifrey
The Doctor: [pause]
The Doctor: It was a request they should never have granted...
The Doctor: [Cue the opening credits]

Movie Connections:

References 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Watchable, but hardly Dr Who at its best.

At last people can stop taking the proverbial out of the special effects in Dr Who! Instead they can take the proverbial out of the limp plot (if you can call it that). Eric Roberts isn't a patch on either of the previous incarnations of the Master. Paul McGann, however, makes an original Doctor and it's a shame a potentially interesting incarnation of the great Time Lord wasn't allowed to develop. There was a lot of complaining about the kissing scene, but I personally didn't see what was wrong with it as long as the Doctor doesn't turn into James Bond or Captain Kirk. Anyway, since the Doctor has a grand-daughter (Susan) then he must have done more than kiss a woman at some point in his life! But I did see what was wrong with the 'half-human' business. Can't people accept somebody who is an alien?

This film certainly has its moments and shows great potential for a new series, but it's just a shame Fox couldn't get their act together and make that series instead of allowing it to fall back into the clutches of the money-minded BBC where it'll probably never be seen again.

Not an example of Dr Who at its best by any means, but if you're a fan of the program like me then it's worth watching just to see the Doctor back in action, if only for one adventure.