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 ver since "Doctor Who" had its final
sign-off in 1989, fans have been clamoring for its resurrection. They got
their wish in May of 1996, when a joint BBC/Universal Films production was
released on the FOX Television network. While obviously an Americanized
version of the classic British series, the film still retained the spirit
of the original show and perhaps is the best depiction of the Doctor in
many years.
Taking place in San Francisco on the dawning of the
new millennium, "Doctor Who" finds the title character (Paul
McGann) pursuing his old enemy, The Master (Eric Roberts). But the
Master's plan is far more complicated than simple escape -- he plans to
possess the Doctor's body and destroy the planet while he's at it. With
billions of lives in jeopardy, The Doctor has only hours to save Earth and
stop The Master once and for all. But he's developed amnesia thanks to an
earlier tangle with The Master, so will he remember how to rescue the
planet he's saved countless times before?
The above may sound confusing and incoherent to the
uninitiated, but writer Matthew Jacobs makes it all remarkably easy to
understand. He avoids the trap of becoming bogged down in showing the
characters' backstories, wisely preferring to reveal their history as the
film progresses. He's also sharp enough to realize that unless you're a
devotee of PBS, you've probably had little exposure to the series and its
30-year history. He solves this problem by weaving the vital points of the
show into a creative script, making it an informative 2-hour primer on the
series as well as an entertaining stand-alone film.
Director Geoffrey Sax must have realized this was
probably the first mass exposure of the character to American viewers,
because the movie is far from dull. Perfectly cast is Paul McGann as The 8th
Doctor and Eric Roberts as The Master, men from the same planet but polar
opposites. McGann injects a youthful enthusiasm into The Doctor hardly
seen in previous incarnations. He's not only energetic, but also brave,
compassionate, and highly intelligent, with a touch of romanticism and
emotional vulnerability. He presents a character that is completely
selfless, and realizes that the path he's chosen can sometimes be a lonely
one.
Eric Roberts overacts as The Master, but his
grandiose performance works wonderfully. His exaggerated depiction
convinces us of how completely immoral The Master really is, and that he'd
have no problems annihilating a planet just to save himself. The Master
believes he's above any law, and Eric Roberts makes us believe that.
Sylvester McCoy puts in a nice cameo as The 7th Doctor in the
film's beginning, ensuring that "Doctor Who" stays within the
series' continuity. While his presence isn't really necessary, it's a nice
touch to see the previous Doctor appear to pass the role onto his
successor.
While "Doctor Who" is an excellent
production, some flaws do emerge. The announcement of The Doctor being
half human seems thrown into the script, and never seems to be the
shocking revelation it was probably intended to be. Also curious is why he
never mentioned it previously, since he's had 30 odd years to bring up the
subject. Also, the film feels dated, especially because the millennium
plays such a prominent role in the storyline. By now everyone's
experienced the event and it wasn't nearly as apocalyptic as presented in
"Doctor Who". It appears that while the filmmakers crafted an
accessible and entertaining film, it wasn't made to stand the test of
time.
While never released on home video in the United
States, copies of this film are easily obtainable on eBay and with import
video dealers (or a brand new copy from Amazon UK). While the movie may
seem a little antiquated in some regards, it's still a lot of fun to
watch. At the very least, it's the perfect way to painlessly introduce
someone to the universe of Doctor Who.
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