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"Brilliant revision of a beloved series ""OK, it's a little premature to judge something that hasn't been released yet. And I'm sure I'll make a few additions to this review when the set is released. In the meantime, this review is meant to enlighten you about Series 5 of Doctor Who.I'm sure I wasn't the only fan who was skeptical that this lanky upstart Matt "Who?" Smith (Ha! Did you see what I did there?) could replace the wonderful 10th Doctor, played by David Tennant. But we long-time fans have come to accept that the role of the Doctor is going to change every few years. And in the case of Matt Smith, the role couldn't be in better hands.But Doctor Who doesn't just have a new face in front of the camera; Steven Moffat, writer of such modern-day DW classics like "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace" took over the showrunner position from Russell T. Davies. And again, the show couldn't be in better hands. Moffat has been very vocal about his reimagining of the series as a sort of dark fairy tale. And this is evident right from the start, as the TARDIS crash-lands in the back year of 8 year old Amy Pond. The figurative monster under Amy's bed is actually a crack in her wall, one that will have cosmic consequences throughout the season.New companion Karen Gillan (playing the adult version of Amy) brings a spunky kick to the new Doctor's adventures. Yet one can still see hints of that lost little girl from time to time. Gillan and Smith perfectly compliment each other, as both appear wise and experienced far beyond their years. She almost immediately endures herself to the Doctor (and the audience, hopefully) in the 2nd episode, "The Beast Below," by preventing the Doctor from making a terrible mistake.The series touches on more familiar territory--the Daleks, the Weeping Nip Tuck seasons 1-6 Angels, the mysterious River Song--yet stays firmly entrenched in the fantasy world Moffat has helped to create. As the bowtie-wearing Time Lord, Smith channels Doctors of the past from Patrick Troughton to David Tennant. He is, as Amy Pond notes in the first episode "a mad man with a blue box." And despite his seemingly unhinged nature, Smith gives the Doctor great dramatic weight when needed. . .whether it's righteous indignation at alien (or human) stupidity, or trying to protect his new companion from the inevitable fate that befalls all his fellow travelers.Doctor Who carries on in fantastic style, and I for one hope that Smith and Gillan stay with their roles for years to come. I congratulate Steven Moffat and his team for honoring the legacy of Doctor Who, but making it all their own at the same time. Highly recommended.UPDATE: As expected, the set doesn't disappoint. Doctor Who began filming in HD in 2009, and the Blu-ray format is perfect for capturing the gorgeous cinematography and excellent effects work. There are behind-the-scenes features for every episodes, some amusing outtakes, and a few commentary tracks. And this may be a minor point for many people, but the packaging is really impressive. The cover features a 3-D lenticular hologram, and there are 3 bonus art prints featuring the Doctor, TARDIS,"" and a Dalek. THIS is how you do t.v. on Blu-ray :-) """""
"a convert ""I was very unsure of whether I would warm up to the new cast even as far as midseason. I had absolutely loved David Tennant and Chris Eccleston, and these were some very large shoes to fill. Fortunately, Matt Smith gave me a delightful surprise and ended up owning the character in his own lighter way. He isnt as grave as the 9th doctor, nor as intense as Tennant's take. Considering the things that were happening in the doctor's life at the time those actors were portraying him (lost love, recovering from a lost people) it is not surprising that Smith's version is less damaged and more carefree. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE the previous incarnations, I'm just saying the evolution in personality at this time makes sense. It's reminiscent of when Tom Baker took over the reins in the early seventies with his big grin and goofy scarf - just replace it with big hair and a goofy (but cool) bow tie.I wasn't at all sure about Amy until I realised later in the series that we weren't talking about 'just' Amy but her interraction and role in a larger cast of characters including River Song. When placed in the Doctor's 'party' of travellers, she is an effective companion. She certainly isnt pulling off all the notes and expressions of Donna Noble or filling the doctor's heart and soul like Rose Tyler, but at this stage of the doctor's life I think that with the rest of the ensemble she does an admirable job. It's important not to consider her as a replacement for companions of the past because if you do, she doesnt feel (to me at least) like she is completing the picture, especially in the beginning episodes when you really focus on her.It's definitely not the same as previous seasons. The darkness often appears and a few episodes have very sad moments, but theres a resilience in Matt Smith's doctor and an impeccable sense of comedic timing. If Tennant's doctor towards the end was a 'glass is half empty' kind of guy,"" Smith's is almost certainly 'half full'. Despite his youthful appearance he comes off as far far older. An excellent change of tone for the series and I am looking forward to next season! """""
"Matt Smith and Steven Moffat = Awesome! ""I've been a Doctor Who fan since I first stumbled upon a David Tennant episode late one night with a friend of mine. Since then I've come to realize the complexity of Doctor Who and its unrivaled science fiction flare. When Tennant was leaving, I have to say I had my doubts. How could anyone fill that role? But then I saw The Eleventh Hour and Matt Smith, as well as the lovely Karen Gillan, stole my heart. Steven Moffat, House MD complete box set who wrote many of my favorite David Tennant episodes, took the helm and made the show what it deserved to dvd box The Big Bang Theory be. The added budget and HD quality has only made a great story look fresher than ever. The cinematography has been stepped up, and every episode feels like a movie. This series has also done incredibly well to have nearly every episode bleed into each other and effect the overall plot and finale. I downloaded every episode when they aired,"" but I'm definitely going to buy the Blu Ray when it comes out. I want to support this series and Moffat especially. """""
"A wonderful new beginning for the show that's seen plenty ""It's interesting how this show has managed to keep itself fresh and invigorated through 40+ year run(s).From Hartnell to Tennant, it has always exhibited an ability to recreate itself and stand apart from what has come before without straying too far away from the familiar. For better or worse, Doctor Who has always found a way to carry on and each new iteration of The Doctor feels unique from those that came before, while still remaining that same lovable character that so many people from so many generations have grown up watching.Now, even though my first experience with this show was back with Christopher Eccleston's 9th Doctor, I've gone as far back as I have been able to in order to immerse myself completely into the rich history of this show. I particularly love Patrick Troughton's cosmic hobo, Tom Baker's madcap spaceman and Peter Davison's adventurous cricketeer, though each of the performers that gave life to the character at one time or another have garnered my interest with their stories and their individual takes on such a fantastic and wildly imaginative character.So, as I saw the Series 5 premiere earlier this year, I was ready to see what new twists and turns the show was going to take now. I had loved a great a deal of David Tennant's era but I found that most of the stories were very uneven. Tennant had been a great Doctor, but the material rarely matched his intensity, unless Steven Moffat or Paul Cornell happened to be penning the story. And, truth be told, that last year of Specials only truly produced one great story, which was this year's Hugo Award winning The Waters of Mars. Everything else felt like so much fluff. Like Leverage the series they were padding the year with these stories as they built to one last hurrah for Tennant's Ten.Sadly, it never came.I found The End of Time to be incredibly disappointing, with The Master's overall plot being borderline ludicrous and the resolution at the end to be highly anti-climactic. Aside from Bernard Cribbins, the Café scene in Part 1 and the last 20 minutes or so of Part 2, there wasn't anything that I liked about the episode. Poor Tennant was handed subpar material and, in the end, his Doctor went out a sad, angry, barely likable shadow of his former selves (which I maintain was contrary to what he was all the way through near the end of Series 4).So, as I geared up for Series 5, I looked at what we had: new Doctor (Matt Smith), new Companion (Karen Gillan), new Showrunner (Steven Moffat), new TARDIS, new Screwdriver and an overall different tone to the previous two years. And I couldn't wait.A lot of people have complained that the show hasn't changed much since Moffat took charge. I disagree. Completely.For instance, whereas Tennant's Doctor became an egotistical mess as the seasons went along (to the point where he became a God, of sorts), Matt Smith's more chaotic rendition of the Time Lord is far more palatable: he can be funny, and I do mean hilarious (as exemplified in The Lodger), scary, powerful and kind at the drop of a hat. His Doctor reminds me of the better traits of late Hartnell (since his early Doctor was even more egotistical than Ten), Troughton, Pertwee and Baker.He's the good wizard in stories that will always find a way to save us from evil. The magician that will surprise and entertain you in ways you didn't think possible. He's not completely infallible and, on occasion, he might not win every battle but he'll always do his best, because he can. The madman with the bowtie. In his time-traveling box.Matt Smith's performance is completely electrifying and I can't help but watch in awe as this youngest incarnation of the centuries-old Time Lord, happens to be the best I've seen since the days of Peter Davison, seemingly having a blast with this role.The same can be said for new Companion, Karen Gillan. As Amy she's every bit the early Rose Tyler and Ace: smart, quick-witted, strong-willed and fun. Her onscreen chemistry with Matt is a joy to watch. Even more so when Arthur Darvill joins them later on as Rory.Now, that's all well and good. The cast is an incredibly huge part of the Series' success but equally as important, if not more so, is the hand of Steven Moffat running the show from behind the scenes. As writer of most of my favorite Nu-Who episodes during the days of RTD, I had even bigger expectations on what he could achieve as Showrunner.And, unsurprisingly, he did a terrific job. The opening Post-Regeneration episode, The Eleventh Hour, is the best I've seen since Robot way back in 1974 (sure, Castrovalva was good, but nothing beats Tom Baker in a Viking get-up). The Beast Below was equal parts emotional and zany. The subsequent two-parter, The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone, not only brought back two of Moffat's best creations, but also added a whole new sea of layers to them. It was a fun, alternately scary, fast-paced thriller that never let up. I hadn't felt that anxiety in Doctor Who NCIS complete seasons 7 since Blink (wink-wink, nudge-nudge).And then there's the finale: The Pandorica Opens and The Big Bang. Without getting into the specifics of the story, I found that the people that were complaining about it, mostly do so because they feel it negated the events of the season, when it couldn't be more wrong. Sure, Amy brought back The Doctor and Rory, not to mention her parents, but that doesn't mean that whatever had happened before was negated. As Rory mentions, he does remember everything that happened. As does The Doctor, as well as River. For them, it happened and, after being played by whatever The Silence is, I think it's safe to bet that they're more than keen on finding out who or what exactly they are and why they gambled on The Doctor saving the Universe, because, knowing Moffat, I seriously doubt they were really after the destruction of the Universe. But, alas, those are answers to questions best left for Easter.The finale itself was a grandiose affair with thrills, laughs and shocks. Not to mention a happy ending, of sorts, which has been long overdue in Nu-Who, cause it usually ends in tears. It was fun and highly quotable, and the sole reason why I would ever wear a fez, and that is saying a lot.The rest of the episodes in the set are, for the most part, very good as well. Aside from Victory of the Daleks (which wasn't bad, just not as good either), The Vampires of Venice (which, actually, had a few good laughs throughout) and Cold Blood (which was simply disappointing after a terrific set-up in the first episode), everything else is gold.Everything in Amy's Choice, Vincent and The Doctor and The Lodger is terrific (and it's especially true for the former).So, all in all, you have 10 wonderful episodes, 1 dud and 2 okay episodes in a 13 episode TV season of a show that's, once more, getting off the ground with a brand-spanking new creative team at the helm. And, in the end,"" that's a truly great thing.Long live The Doctor! May he survive past 13 incarnations! """""
"Perfect? No. Better than ever? Absolutely yes! ""I had extremely high expectations going into season 5 because I am such a huge fan of Steven Moffatt. Also, as a fan of the original Dr Who I am aware that the series, by its nature, reinvents itself every few years, so the prospect of a new doctor and a new start was exciting to me. I was, however, a little disappointed to hear so many negative reviews early on, and when I finally got the box set I was prepared to box set tv shows Star Trek:Voyager be let down. And while I can think of several ways in which the series could be better, I was pleasantly surprised to find, nay-sayers aside, that season five is by far the best yet. I found that there was a maturity in the storytelling and a restraint in the later episodes that was completely lacking in previous seasons. Yes, the finale was big, but it was also subtle and masterfully restrained, and didn't insult my intelligence like previous finales have done. There was also an artistry in the look of the show that was new, and even the weaker episodes looked gorgeous. And speaking of weaker episodes, the biggest disappointment was Victory of the Daleks. This could have been a decent story, and it wasn't a bad idea, but it was very poorly done. In contrast, the two-parter with the Silurians was a weak, cliched story that was really quite well done. The Silurians weren't particularly interesting the first time around, and look even sillier now, but there were some truly great moments, and oh what a shock at the end! Every other episode was brilliant in its own way, although I did find the pacing too fast at the beginning. Fortunately this improved. I would say hands down the best episode of the season (best ever?) was Vincent and the Doctor. Stunning. And of course I can't write a review without mentioning the new cast. I liked Matt Smith from the beginning, although it wasn't until fairly late in the season that he really "clicked" for me as the Doctor. Nothing against Matt Smith, it was my own mental barrier. Up till that time I had been enjoying watching him, but all of a sudden he ceased to be the new actor playing the Doctor and became the Doctor. And now that he has, it will make the season that much more enjoyable in the re-watching. Amy didn't win me over until the second episode, and I continued to like her better and better. You just feel a connection with her that is pretty rare even for Doctor Who. And then there's Rory, one of the greatest things about the new series. How he can add so much depth as well as so much lightness is just sheer genius. Fantastic.The return of River Song is very welcome, and promises to become even more interesting in season 6. Overall, despite one true clunker, one weak two-parter, and some pacing problems at the beginning, this was an amazing,"" amazing season that met and exceeded my expectations. Can't wait to see where the series goes next! """""