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Doctor Who - The Invasion (2 Disc Set) [1968]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £5.67 (subject to change)

"Stay tooned with Pat Troughton"
Review date: 2008-04-02 Rating: 10 out of 10

Well, do the animated episodes work or not? Yes, they work brilliantly, Troughton's mannerisms and Kevin Stoney's facial expressions are particularly well captured-just see Pat run!
Both animated episodes are fully animated and do not have a few seconds of reprise material from the orginial episodes either side cut in. It's just a shame the animated version of the titles was not used.

A strong story if a little stretched at 8 episodes, this is the best candidate for a story to rival "Tomb of the Cybermen" as the best complete Troughton! It moves along enough most of the times to compensate for any padding.

Trougton excels as Earth's self appointed defender, and is at his best playing opposite Kevin Stoney's full blooded villain. When together, both men raise their game.

Jamie gets some very good moments opposite Peter Halliday's incompetent henchman, while Zoe uses her computer skills and has many humourous moments with a girlpal.

The ultimate in Cyber-minimalism, the metallic monsters get very little screen time and even less dialogue. They are all the more effective for this and Douglas Camfield makes a handful of cybermen look like an army.

He gets real soldiers to play with too and stages some marvellous battle sequences. Unit was rarely this impressive again, a giant organisation who can whip up a helicopter in minutes! Nicholas Courtney makes his Brigadier solid and likeable. Watch also for Benton!

Main documentary "Evolution of the Invasion" is very well put together with many of those involved interviewed. Edward Burnham has an interesting story on how he wanted to play his death scene, and an unfilmed scene is recreated for us, showing how another character might have been killed off.
1 very serious omission is author Derrick Sherwin, and while we're at it is it so impossible to edit in some archive interviews with Troughton?

There is a very good featurette on how the animation was created-note the glee of the man who "played" Troughton for some motion capture!

Similarly the history of fans taping the soundtracks on reel to reel recorders is explored. Marvellous stuff except for the person who plays a bit of his prized recording of "Brian of Morbius", "With audience reaction" as if it were a major historical document. GET OUT MORE!

The commentary is the usual enjoyable fare but also features the naimators appraising their work on episode 1, and Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury assessing their animated selves for ep 4.

A return to glory for a dear old story. can we have the same for 10th Planet please?

Not quite one for all fans, unless they were very big on the new Cybermen.




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Reviews


Nostalgiafest!
Review date: 2007-12-27 Rating: 10 out of 10

It's brilliant! Buy it now!
The recreated cartoon episodes are stunning.
Kevin Stoney is the showstealer.
It's meaty and there are very good extras.
What a shame the high costs will probably prevent any more reconstructed stories!
So, why not but it to encourage more of them.


Groundbreaking
Review date: 2007-11-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

How many Doctor Who stories can 'every day' people born in the 60s or earlier actually recall ? I would hazard a guess that 'The Invasion' will be remembered as the one with the Cybermen coming out of the sewers. Indeed, for my part three cliffhangers stick in the mind; the end of episode One where the Cyber Planner is revealed in Vaughns office, the crazed cyberman in the sewers at the end of episode five and of course the invasion itself at the end of episode six.

Make no mistake, this story is two episodes too long. There is far too much repetitive dialogue in Vaughns office and the stock footage of missiles is shown three times - each time is identical ! In contrast the death of one supporting character is extremely rushed. But the overall look and feel of the story with its contemporary feel (untypical at the time of broadcast) is very atmospheric accompanied by a very moody instrumental score. For that alone, the story is essential viewing for nostalgic 40 somethings (and above) and should be viewed by younger fans as an example of the late 60s production team getting everything right.

Now to the animation of the two missing episodes 1 & 4. A superb effort to marry up fans off-air audio recordings with some excellent black and white animation. Using a lot of source material from the surviving episodes and a certain degree of artistic licence (Isobels ascent up the rope ladder to the helicopter is certainly that !) the team have produced a seamless bridge to complete the story. The original video release in 1993 used Brigadier actor Nicholas Courtney giving a very hurried summary of the missing episodes (this is included here as an extra) but this treatment is vastly superior and infinitely more satisfying.

There are some excellent extras on the two discs also. A 50 minute documentary recalling the making of the story with many (surviving)participants providing recollections, a short documentary showing the making of the animation, a tribute to the fans who recorded off-air audios on cassette tapes (check out the groovy Boots C90 displayed !) and of course the obligatory commentaries that can be switched on if desired.

Excellent value release that justifies a full five stars. Now bring on a completed 'The Ice Warriors' with animated episodes 2 & 3 or maybe someone has those missing episodes tucked away in their cupboard ?!!

Good reconstruction - worth having but not at any price
Review date: 2007-11-13 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is an interesting story for many reasons, though it has had most attention focussed on it due to the creation of two animated episodes to cover the gaps from missing master tapes. The creations in question have been matched to recordings made off air by fans onto audio tape. Unfortunately the missing episodes are 1 & 4 of 8, so the whole story kicks of with animation and I found that it took some getting used to - black and white animation with little richness and fairly static faces. Switching to 'real life' the look and feel is overall somewhat drab with a lot of back street London locations and by the time the second animation is reached it is seamless and does not detract at all.

The story overall is from a time of change, the show and Troughton running out of steam and shortly to be reset (and moved to colour) with the end of Troughton and the moving in of Pertwee. In search of ratings it sticks to London / England and echoes slightly Dalek Invasion. A previous story introducing Colonel (now Brigadier) Leftbridge Stewart set in the underground is now reset as Cybermen in the sewers. UNIT is created for this story and has none of the slightly comic feel it would get under Pertwee - here we have shootings, dark cars, chases, helicopters and a lot of action.

At eight episodes the story is too long, the cybermen too vulnerable to grenades and the baddies slightly too hammy (though I like the cowardly sidekick).

A brilliant story.....now with brilliant new extras...
Review date: 2007-11-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

Some people would say that the Invasion is far too long, and that the cybermen just arent in it enough. But if the story is good enough without having to rely on aliens all the time, then this obviously shows the story to be a great one. And the Invasion is a great story, full to the brim with classic doctor who moments. The classic Cybermen coming out of the sewers has to be THE classic Doctor Who moment of all time.

But what is really great about this dvd release is the new animated episodes. These are so wicked and wonderfully done is brilliant detail. The bbc certainly know their stuff! It is great to watch a whole story, even if it is in two different formats, this doesnt bother me at all. Finally im just glad that i get to watch the whole of the Invasion for the first time!

Patrick Troughton is my favourite doctor and he is excellent in this story. I think the last episode of this story, especially the cybermen fighting unit, are some of the best moments in Doctor Who history. A really well directed story with brilliant acting from everyone, especially Kevin Stoney who is brilliant as Vaughn. I really like the voices of the cybermen in this story too. They are my favourite voices of any of the cybermen.

So, altogether this is a story well worth watching. Very well worth watching.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Patrick Troughton
Frazer Hines

Creators:
Patrick Troughton (Primary Contributor)
Frazer Hines (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503182922
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-11-06
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 192 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1968
Language: English (Original Language)

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