Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is a marginal improvement over the first Cushing movie, but only in terms of plot.
Like its TV counterpart, the movie is bigger in almost every way: effects, storyline, heroics, Daleks, location etc.
Unfortunately, it's still a crap movie.
The first problem comes before I even push play. The title. How would you like it if I called The Lord of the Rings "Sauron - War Middle-earth Third Age"?
It's just random words about the movie put together. Very lazy.
To give it credit though, the movie starts out okay with some classic Bach(the piece of music everyone thinks came from Dracula) that immediately strikes back to Cushing's acting roots. Plus, it's a very good movie opening featuring a robbery. Certainly gets your attention.
Tom Campbell(played by the only good actor in this) is trying to catch some thieves, but gets knocked on the head and inexplicably kidnapped by the Doc- I mean Dr. Who, Susan and Louise(stand-in for Barbara).
The- I mean, Tardis materializes in the year 2150 in which the Daleks have taken over the Earth, yet everyone still wears decent clothes. During a horribly fast-paced journey, they end up separating, joining a rebellion, attacking/infiltrating a Dalek saucer, then making their way across England, infiltrating a mine, planning the downfall of the Daleks, causing said downfall and then going home. And all that in 80 minutes.
As I said, the costuming is pathetic. Also, devastated London doesn't look nearly as devastated or depressing as in the original.
But all of that could have been saved if anyone(except for one guy) cared about acting. I hate to say this about Peter Cushing, but even he was acting like he was acting. When William Hartnell is doddery, it's natural and sweet. When Cushing is doddery, it's like he's making fun of the other.
The guy playing Dortmun made loud, cringeworthy declarations that just made me want to exterminate him. The guy playing Tyler didn't really exhibit any emotion(but he wasn't emotionless like the TV Tyler). Louise was forgettable.
But Bernard Cribbins was good. I mean, it's not the greatest performance ever, but it's a performance. He was basically a down-to-earth, lower-class version of Sir Ian and that was all that he had to be.
The music sucked. It was a racket, really. The best example of this was Dortmun's death scene during which they played jazz. JAZZ. Let that sink in. The Robomen theme(basically a discount Imperial March) was overused. It literally played every single moment they were on-screen.
Also, it might not have been intentional, but the guards from The War Games looked like movie Robomen rip-offs. Sad, since it's a ridiculous look. And I could say the same things about the Pig-guards from Daleks In Manhattan. They should've just sticked to the TV Robomen.
The two good things from the original Cushing movie - atmosphere and Tardis lighting up - are both gone. This movie has no atmosphere whatsoever. Tons of budget, yeah but no atmosphere. It just looks like the characters are going through a park during their "epic" journey to Bedfordshire. There's no variety(the sewer part is skipped).
The continuity issue from the original(in which the Doctor stated that the Daleks here are from the past, despite the fact that no clues were given in The Daleks of them ever having space travel) is repeated here.
I don't know if it's intentional, but the Daleks in one scene declare that their plan is to move Earth next to Skaro and then to occupy "it". They might mean Earth, but why occupy something that's... well, already occupied? Or do they mean Skaro? Are they the Renegade Daleks?
For some reason, the-Dr. Who and Tom are easily saved from Robo-conversion, but Craddock's binds are stuck.
I liked the idea of the magnetic force being the Daleks' downfall, but it wasn't nearly as epic as the volcanic eruption. The end of the invasion was really muted.
And finally, that ending with Tom capturing the thieves made no sense. Aren't there two Toms now running around? The one who didn't have to capture the thieves and the alternate one who did? Besides, shouldn't Dr. Who know better than to interfere in history?
Overall, the movie's only advantages over the first Cushing movie is the plot, the money and Bernard Cribbins. The other one, though just as silly, had atmosphere, an alien planet and a Tardis that lit up when you opened the door. I'm glad to have finished this part in Doctor Who's history.
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